obrazac

Obrazac is a noun used in several South Slavic languages, notably Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian, and Montenegrin, meaning a form, template, or standardized document used to collect information or to carry out a procedure. In daily bureaucratic use, an obrazac is the vehicle for submitting data to authorities or organizations, and it can be either paper-based or digital.

Etymology: The word derives from obraz, meaning form, shape, or image, with the productive suffix -ac forming a noun for a thing that serves as such a form or template.

Usage: In government, businesses, and institutions, people encounter obrazci to apply for benefits, register events, declare incomes, or request approvals. A typical obrazac includes labeled fields such as name, address, date of birth, and purposes of the submission; it may also require attachments or signatures. Digital obrazci are usually presented as web forms with validation rules and save/submit actions.

Types: Common categories include registration forms, application forms, tax or financial declarations, and survey questionnaires. Some obrazci are legally binding and tied to statutory processes; others function as templates for internal workflows.

Regional note: The term is standard in Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro. In other languages of the region, equivalents such as form, formular, or obrazac may be used depending on the jurisdiction.