Christmas Bonuses for Pensioners 2025: Who is Eligible, How Much They Are and the Conditions

In December, pensioners in Croatia receive several holiday payments that are commonly referred to as “Christmas bonuses”, but they actually consist of two completely different things. The first is the state annual supplement to pensions that all pensioners receive, and the second are local Christmas bonuses paid by cities and municipalities according to their own rules. Here is an overview for 2025 – who receives how much and under what conditions.

Annual Pension Supplement – “Thirteenth Pension” for All

The biggest novelty is the annual pension supplement, a new permanent right introduced by amendments to the Pension Insurance Act that came into effect on 1 July 2025. Unlike local Christmas bonuses, this supplement does not depend on the place of residence or whether the city has allocated funds – it belongs to every pension user in Croatia and is paid out every year in December.

The amount of the supplement for 2025 is set at six euros for each full year of pensionable service. In practice, this means:

• A pensioner with 30 years of service receives 180 euros,
• A pensioner with 40 years of service receives 240 euros,
• The average paid amount is around 171 euros.

Payments began on Friday, 19 December 2025, and covered more than 1.2 million pensioners. The supplement is a protected income: it is exempt from enforcement, is not taxed, and does not count towards the income threshold for other benefits, such as exemption from paying supplementary health insurance.

Christmas Bonuses from Cities and Municipalities – Amounts Vary

In addition to the state supplement, many local government units also pay their own Christmas bonuses, which is a long-standing tradition of solidarity funded from the local budget. In 2025, more than 250 cities and municipalities and two counties did this. There is no uniform rule here – each unit determines the amount, conditions, and deadlines on its own, so the payments vary significantly from place to place.

Typical amounts range from approximately 30 to 150 euros, and in some areas even more. Larger cities usually distribute Christmas bonuses in several categories based on the amount of the pension: a lower pension generally means a higher Christmas bonus, so that assistance reaches those who need it most.

Who is Eligible and What is the Income Threshold

Local Christmas bonuses are generally intended for pensioners with lower incomes, so cities set an income threshold – the upper limit of the pension up to which one is entitled. These thresholds usually range between 300 and 600 euros per month, depending on the budgetary capabilities of the unit. Some cities have raised the threshold for 2025 to include more users, and the right has also been extended to groups such as users of the national allowance for the elderly and caregiver parents.

Do You Need to Apply?

The answer depends on what type of pension you receive and where you live:

• State Annual Supplement is paid automatically – no application is required as the pension system keeps the records.
• For local Christmas bonuses, pensioners who receive only a Croatian pension often do not need to take any action as the city obtains the data directly from the Croatian Pension Insurance Institute (HZMO); in some areas, there is also a rule that those who received the Christmas bonus last year do not need to reapply.
• Users of foreign pensions almost always have to apply themselves and provide proof of the amount of their foreign pension, as local government cannot automatically retrieve this data.

How to Check Your Eligibility in Your Area

Since the conditions depend on your local government unit, the most reliable way is to check the official decision of your city or municipality. The amount, income threshold, and deadline for submitting applications are published on official websites and bulletin boards, usually during November and early December. If you are unsure, information is also provided by the relevant administrative departments for social activities or social welfare and local councils. It is worth checking in time as application deadlines can close as early as the beginning of December.

In summary, pensioners can generally count on two things: the state annual supplement that arrives automatically, equal for all based on years of service, and the local Christmas bonus that depends on the place of residence and the amount of the pension. For the exact amount and conditions in your area, keep an eye on your city or municipality’s announcements in a timely manner so that you do not miss the application deadline.