Croatia Reports 60 Merchants Using State App for Online Age Checks

Sixty merchants are now using Croatia’s mGrađani app to verify customers’ ages for online alcohol and energy-drink sales, according to the country’s Ministry of Justice, Public Administration and Digital Transformation. The service has recorded 2,138 initiated age checks, including 728 that resulted in the successful issuance of a verification token.

The government app has more than 204,000 users. Its age-checking function allows a customer to confirm adulthood within the app, while the merchant receives only confirmation of whether the buyer meets the minimum age of 18. The ministry says merchants do not receive the customer’s personal details through the check.

The app handles the identity check on the government side. A seller can use the returned age result without collecting a copy of the buyer’s identity document through this verification step.

Croatia introduced the state digital ID check for online alcohol sales as part of rules on age-restricted goods. The shopping process uses a retailer-generated QR code and an app notification, connecting the purchase to an age check against official identity information.

The ministry presented the model to an expert working group preparing legislation on protecting children online. At its September 21 meeting, the group also considered Croatia’s approach to the proposed EU KIDS Act and the relationship between European rules and national measures.

Justice Minister Damir Habijan said the group’s work should help identify Croatia’s negotiating positions, alongside domestic prevention, education and support measures for parents and children. Age verification is among the implementation questions under consideration.

The European Commission’s EU KIDS Act proposal would establish common safeguards for services used by children, including privacy-preserving age verification. It remains a legislative proposal requiring consideration by the European Parliament and Council. Croatia’s existing retail checks operate through the national app while that European legislative process continues.

Beyond age verification, mGrađani added a property-record service in 2026. Users can view land-register and cadastral information associated with their personal identification number and obtain official documents through the service.

The app forms part of a larger digital government system. The ministry puts the wider e-Građani platform at more than 2.3 million users and 124 electronic services, separate from mGrađani’s mobile-app user total.

Sources: Croatian Ministry of Justice, Public Administration and Digital Transformation

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By the ID Tech Editorial Team