Most of our clients do not know they are already entitled to something they are about to pay for.
Every legal entity registered in Croatia, and every individual with a registered independent activity, is entitled to one free .hr domain. Not a first year discount, not a promotional rate that triples after twelve months. A domain at no charge.
The .hr national domain has been managed by CARNET since 1993. At the time of writing there are roughly 144,000 registered .hr domains, which is very low for a country with this many companies and sole traders. A large share of business owners simply do not know the entitlement exists.
This article covers who qualifies, what the name is allowed to be, how to register, and where people usually go wrong.
Who qualifies
Two groups are entitled to one free domain each:
| Who | Example | Entitlement |
|---|---|---|
| Legal entities registered in Croatia | d.o.o., j.d.o.o., institution, association, cooperative, party | 1 free .hr domain |
| Individuals with registered independent activity | sole trader (obrt), lawyer, notary, doctor, dentist, independent artist | 1 free .hr domain |
The key word is one. The entitlement attaches to the entity, not the person. If you run a d.o.o. and a sole trader business alongside it, those are two separate entities and each carries its own entitlement.
If you want a second or third domain, or a name that does not match your registered name, that is a paid domain. Final pricing for paid .hr domains is set by the authorised registrars, so it varies between them. Check with yours before deciding.
What the name is allowed to be
This is where most applications get rejected, so read this part carefully.
A free domain is not a domain of your choosing. The name has to contain the name you are registered under in the relevant register, or an abbreviated form of it.
For independent activities the rules are slightly wider: alongside the registered name, the domain may also contain the type of activity plus first and last name.
In practice:
| Entity | Accepted | Rejected |
|---|---|---|
| Stolarija Horvat d.o.o. | stolarija-horvat.hr, horvat.hr | najbolja-stolarija.hr |
| Frizerski salon Ana, sole trader | salon-ana.hr, ana-frizer.hr | frizer-osijek.hr |
| Instalacije Marić, sole trader | instalacije-maric.hr, maric.hr | vodoinstalater.hr |
The pattern is simple. Your name, your activity, your surname: accepted. A generic term describing an entire industry: rejected, because that would let one company take a term belonging to everyone for free.
If you specifically want a generic name like vodoinstalater-osijek.hr, that is possible, but as a paid domain.
Registering, step by step
The process is shorter than most people expect.
- Check availability. Search is public and free at domene.hr.
- Prepare your entity details. OIB and the exact name as recorded in the register. Not how you write it on Instagram, but how it appears in the court or trade register.
- Submit the request through the free .hr domain form on the domene.hr portal.
- Wait for processing. Domains are registered no later than the second working day after the request is submitted.
- Point the domain. DNS records are not required immediately. You can reserve the domain now and point it at a website later.
That last point matters more than it sounds. If you do not have a website yet, register the domain anyway. The name does not reserve itself, and once someone else takes it there is no negotiation.
Free or paid: what you actually get
| Free .hr | Paid .hr | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | no charge | set by the authorised registrar |
| Name | must contain your registered name | free choice |
| Quantity | one per entity | unlimited |
| Eligibility | Croatian legal entities and independent activities | same |
| Technically | identical | identical |
The last row is the one people do not expect. A free domain is not weaker, slower or worth less in Google. Technically it is exactly the same domain. The only difference is whether you get to pick the name.
Four mistakes we keep seeing
Waiting for the website to be finished. A domain and a website are two separate things. Register the domain as soon as you register the business, even if the site is a year away.
Registering under a private individual instead of the company. If someone else registers the domain in their own name, they own it, not your business. When the working relationship ends, that becomes a very awkward conversation. The domain has to be under your entity's OIB.
Submitting a name that does not match the register. If your company is "Horvat trgovina d.o.o." and you apply for horvatshop.hr, the request may be rejected. Stick to the registered name.
Leaving the domain with an agency without access. Always ask for the credentials, in writing. We hand clients access to their domain without being asked, because the domain is your asset, not ours.
A domain is not a website
This is the most common misunderstanding, so it is worth separating fully.
The domain is the address. On its own it displays nothing. It is a right to a name and an annual entry in a register.
Hosting is the server space where the site lives.
The website is what a visitor actually sees when they type the address.
A free .hr domain solves the first item. The other two are still on you.
With us, hosting, SSL and technical maintenance are included in the first year of every project, and from year two onward they cost 200 € per year. A landing page starts at 520 €, a business website at 980 €. The full pricing is public.
If you already have a site and just need someone to take over the technical side, that is covered by website maintenance.
Do you even need .hr, or is .com enough
Short answer: if you trade in Croatia and your clients are Croatian, .hr is the stronger choice.
A .hr domain signals local presence, to users and to search engines alike. For a sole trader in Osijek serving Osijek-Baranja County, a .hr address carries trust that .com simply does not.
.com makes sense if you are targeting markets abroad or building a brand that is not tied to Croatia from the start.
The safest option, budget permitting: take the free .hr, and register the .com as name protection with a redirect to your main address.
Frequently asked questions about the free .hr domain
Who is entitled to a free .hr domain? Every legal entity registered in Croatia and every individual with a registered independent activity, including sole traders, lawyers, notaries, doctors and independent artists. Each entity is entitled to one free domain.
How much does a free .hr domain cost? Nothing. Registration is free of charge. Only additional domains, and domains whose name does not match your registered name, are charged, and their price is set by the authorised registrars.
Can a sole trader get a free .hr domain? Yes. Sole traders count as individuals with registered independent activity and are entitled to one free domain. For sole traders the domain name may also contain the type of activity plus first and last name.
How long does .hr registration take? Domains are registered no later than the second working day after the request is submitted.
Can I register a domain before I have a website? You can, and we recommend it. DNS records are not required at registration, so you can reserve the domain now and point it at the site once it is ready.
Is a free domain worse for Google than a paid one? No. They are technically identical. The only difference is that a free domain's name has to contain your registered name.
Can I transfer a domain from a previous agency? Yes, provided the domain is registered under your entity's OIB. That is why it matters that you are the owner from day one, not the contractor.
If you are not sure whether your business qualifies or which name will be accepted, get in touch. Checking takes a few minutes and we do not charge for it.