Foreigners working in the Republic of Croatia

How to employ a foreign worker?

Below is the Regulation on the Status and Work of Foreigners in the Republic of Croatia, which is governed by the provisions of the Foreigners Act.

Third-country nationals in Croatia have the right to work if they possess a residence and work permit or a work registration certificate, while EEA citizens and their family members only need a residence card or a temporary residence registration certificate.

Third-country nationals in Croatia can work based on a residence and work permit or a work registration certificate only with employers with whom they have established an employment relationship, while EEA citizens and their family members can work and provide services in the Republic of Croatia without a residence and work permit or a work registration certificate for up to three months.

EEA nationals subject to reciprocity measures for work, with a temporary residence registration certificate, must obtain a residence and work permit.

The residence and work permit is a unique permit that allows third-country nationals to stay and work temporarily in the Republic of Croatia, in the form of a decision, based on an annual quota and outside it, issued by the competent police administration or station.

A residence and work permit based on the annual quota will be granted to a third-country national who meets the requirements for temporary residence approval and submits the following with his application:

• An employment contract, a written confirmation of the concluded contract, or an appropriate proof of employment
• Proof of acquired educational qualification and competence
• Proof of registration of a company, branch office, representative office, trade, association, or institution in the Republic of Croatia

A third-country national who has applied for a residence and work permit based on an employment contract with a Croatian employer does not need to provide proof of health insurance, and the form can be found on the official website of the Ministry of the Interior.

A residence and work permit, in accordance with the annual quota of permits, can be issued to third-country nationals who will work seasonal jobs in the Republic of Croatia, as well as to persons transferred within a company (manager, specialist, or trainee) under certain legal conditions.

Foreigners who have been granted the following in Croatia can work without a residence and work permit or a work registration certificate:

• Permanent residence
• International or temporary protection or is a seeker of international protection under the conditions prescribed by special regulations
• Temporary residence for family reunification with a Croatian citizen, a third-country national with permanent residence, an asylum seeker, or a third-country national granted subsidiary or temporary protection
• Temporary residence for humanitarian reasons
• Temporary residence for the purpose of life partnership with a Croatian citizen, a third-country national with approved permanent residence, or a third-country national granted international or temporary protection
• Autonomous residence
• The status of a regular student when performing work through authorized intermediaries without establishing an employment relationship
• Temporary stay for the purpose of research according to Article 64 of the Law on Foreigners
• Temporary stay for the purpose of studying as a regular student while working and self-employed for up to 20 hours per week
• Temporary stay for the purpose of family reunification with a researcher according to Article 64 of the Law on Foreigners

For information on who needs a work registration certificate, which residence and work permits are not included in the annual quota for work permits, and all necessary documentation and details on various circumstances and situations, please refer to the Law on Foreigners and related regulations.

Posted workers?

Posted workers (third-country or EEA nationals) are workers whom a foreign employer (individual or legal entity based in the EEA) has sent to work in the Republic of Croatia for a temporary or occasional period, and whose work is carried out under a contract between the service user and the foreign employer or through a temporary employment agency. They may work based on an A1 certificate issued by their home country, and can work in the Republic of Croatia for up to 90 days without a work registration certificate or a residence and work permit. If they want to work for more than 90 days, the police department or station must, under certain legal conditions, approve their temporary stay and issue a residence permit. EEA nationals are issued a certificate of temporary stay for the purpose of work.

EU Blue Card

The EU Blue Card is a residence and work permit for highly qualified workers from third countries and is only valid for the job for which it was issued and only with the employer with whom the employment relationship was established. The worker applies for an EU Blue Card at a diplomatic mission or consular office of the Republic of Croatia or at a police department or station according to their place of residence. The application form can also be downloaded from the website of the Ministry of the Interior.