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July 2026 · Fact check

HM Digital — officially certified CEZIH application manufacturer (HZZO)

CEZIH Deadline for Private Practices: Confirmed — 1 January 2027

Yes, the deadline has been extended — the obligation has not been abolished. All key facts and sources in one place, no guessing.

A short, verifiable clarification: what the deadline is, who it covers, and what not to confuse it with.

The final deadline for all private healthcare providers to connect to CEZIH — both HZZO-contracted and non-contracted — is 1 January 2027. This is stated explicitly by the Croatian Medical Chamber (HLK) and confirmed by July 2026 reporting.

What to do now See the sources

The key point in one line

The deadline has been extended, not abolished.

New final deadline

1 January 2027

Who it covers

All private providers — both HZZO-contracted and non-contracted

The obligation

Has not been abolished — the Health Data and Information Act (NN 14/2019) remains in force

Fines

Up to €13,200 per breach (Art. 36) continue to apply after the deadline

Separately: from 1 July 2026, CEZIH access is possible only with the new official healthcare-worker ID card (old HZZO smart cards expired 30 June 2026). That is an authentication change, NOT a shift of the connection deadline — more on that below.

Has the deadline really been moved?

Yes. The original operational deadline for private providers to connect fell in the first months of 2026 — January 2026 press coverage cited a "by May" deadline. Because that window was too short for most private practices, the final deadline for full connection was extended to 1 January 2027.

How the deadline moved

  1. June 2025

    The Ministry of Health announces the inclusion of private institutions in CEZIH (the plan then: "by the end of the year").

  2. January 2026

    Press cites an operational "by May" deadline with fines up to €13,200 — the obligation becomes active.

  3. May 2026

    The original deadline is used to start connecting and exchanging, but proves too short for many private providers to fully comply.

  4. July 2026

    The final deadline for all private providers to connect is confirmed as 1 January 2027 (HLK, Večernji, zdravljeija).

A note on the source

HLK states 1 January 2027 as the deadline, citing "the Ministry of Health's interpretation," without publishing a specific Rulebook (Pravilnik) number that prescribes the date. The obligation itself does not depend on that caveat — the legal basis (NN 14/2019) is clear — but before making concrete decisions we recommend verifying on the official CEZIH and Ministry of Health websites.

Who exactly the obligation covers

  • Non-contracted private providers (practices, polyclinics, private hospitals without an HZZO contract) — must connect to CEZIH.
  • Contracted private providers (already using CEZIH for HZZO services) — must also begin exchange for services they deliver privately.
  • All specialties: family medicine, dentistry, specialists, diagnostics, private hospitals.
  • All sizes — from solo practices to multi-location polyclinics.
  • First step for non-contracted providers: obtaining a healthcare institution code from HZZO (a prerequisite).

Careful: 1 July 2026 is NOT the connection deadline

A common mistake is to confuse two different things:

Connection deadline

1 January 2027 — the final deadline for a private institution to establish secure data exchange with CEZIH via its software solution.

New ID card deadline

1 July 2026 — from that day, CEZIH access is possible only with the new official healthcare-worker ID card; old HZZO smart cards expired 30 June 2026. This is an authentication change, not a shift of the connection deadline.

Source: HZZO — from 1 July 2026, CEZIH access is only possible with the new healthcare-worker ID card.

What to do now

If your practice is not yet connected, you have time — but do not wait until the last moment. The slowest step is administrative (the HZZO code), so start it now. Signing in CEZIH uses your AKD card — Certilia is optional:

  1. 1

    Obtain a healthcare institution code from HZZO

    For non-contracted providers this is a prerequisite. "Dodjela šifre neugovorni" form + the Ministry of Health decision → sifriranje.neugovorni@hzzo.hr.

  2. 2

    Prepare your AKD card for access and signing (Certilia optional)

    Access to CEZIH and signing uses your AKD card (the HZZO smart card, or from 1 Jul 2026 the new healthcare-worker ID card) — it is mandatory and must be in the reader on the office computer. Certilia is an optional add-on for remote work from another device after the card is active; it does not replace the card.

  3. 3

    Choose a CEZIH-certified software solution

    Check the list of certified solutions on cezih.hr. Cloud solutions cut onboarding to days.

For a detailed walkthrough of the entire process (modules, fines, how to choose software, FAQ):

Read the full CEZIH guide →

Looking for software that is already CEZIH-ready?

See our cloud CEZIH software

Frequently asked questions about the deadline

Has the CEZIH obligation for private providers been abolished?
No. The obligation to connect to CEZIH has not been abolished — only the final deadline has been extended, to 1 January 2027. The legal basis (Health Data and Information Act, NN 14/2019) remains in force.
Has the deadline really moved to 1 January 2027?
Yes. The final deadline for all private providers (contracted and non-contracted) to connect is 1 January 2027, as stated explicitly by the Croatian Medical Chamber and confirmed by July 2026 reporting ("the deadline was too short, so it was extended").
I heard the deadline was 1 June 2026 — is that accurate?
Not quite. The actual original operational deadline was "early May 2026" (May, not June), per January 2026 press coverage and CEZIH notices. That deadline was subsequently extended to 1 January 2027.
What does 1 July 2026 mean?
It is the deadline for changing how you log in to CEZIH: from that day, access is possible only with the new official healthcare-worker ID card, and old HZZO smart cards no longer work (they expired 30 June 2026). It is NOT the deadline for an institution to connect.
Can I wait until the end of 2026 to start preparing?
Technically yes, but it is not wise. The slowest step is administrative (the HZZO code), and if everyone starts at the last minute, bottlenecks will appear. Signing itself uses your AKD card, which requires no separate process. Start preparing now.
Do the fines of up to €13,200 still apply?
Yes. Fines of up to €13,200 per breach (Art. 36 of the Health Data and Information Act, NN 14/2019) remain in force for institutions that do not comply by the 1 January 2027 deadline.

Ready to connect to CEZIH?

The full guide to the obligation, fines, modules, and software selection — or directly our cloud CEZIH software for private practices.

Full CEZIH guide Cloud CEZIH software

Sources

This page fact-checks publicly available claims about the CEZIH deadline. The content is informational and does not constitute legal advice. For legally binding information, consult the relevant authorities.