Status regulation
a) Third country nationals
A third-country national may work and reside in the Republic of Croatia in accordance with the provisions of the Foreigners Act (Official Gazette 133/20, 114/22 and 151/22) on the basis of:
– residence and work permit
– work registration certificate (work registration certificate for up to 90 days or work registration certificate for up to 30 days in the calendar year – Articles 140-144 of the Foreigners Act)
– without a residence and work permit or a work registration certificate (categories of third-country nationals prescribed by Article 89 of the Foreigners Act.)
In the Republic of Croatia, a third-country national may work on the basis of a residence and work permit or work registration certificate regulated by the Foreigners Act.
The Foreigners Act has been in force since 01.01.2021., which completely changed the system of approving the employment of foreign workers because a labour market test system was introduced instead of a quota system.
The labour market test includes verifying the situation in the register of unemployed persons and the mediation procedure in order to employ workers from the national labour market. After the labour market test is conducted, employers can apply for a residence and work permit for foreign workers within 90 days.
It is not necessary to conduct a labour market test for all occupations, namely the Foreigners Act has made it possible to apply for residence and work permits for foreign workers without a labour market test if occupations are permanently lacking in the labour market and there is a lack of a large number of such workers in the entire Republic of Croatia, and the lack of workers in these occupations cannot be compensated by unemployment education programmes. The list of occupations for which the labour market test is not conducted is adopted by the CES Management Board.
The said Act also made it possible for the labour market test not to be conducted for the extension of already valid work permits, as well as for employment in seasonal jobs up to 90 days a year in agriculture, forestry and tourism and catering. When extending an already valid work permit and employment for up to 90 days in the mentioned occupations, it is not necessary to ask for the opinion of the Croatian Employment Service, and only the approval of the Ministry of the Interior is required.
Residence and work permits based on the labour market test and the opinion of the Croatian Employment Service – Employers are obliged to request the implementation of the labour market test and the opinion of the Croatian Employment Service for the employment of third-country nationals.
Residence and work permit without a labour market test with the opinion of the Croatian Employment Service – The Management Board of the Croatian Employment Service will make a decision on deficit occupations, which will be published on the website of the Croatian Employment Service, and for which the employer is not obliged to request a labour market test.
Residence and work permit without a labour market test and the opinion of the Croatian Employment Service
– in the case of renewal of a residence and work permit for the same employer and the same third-country national
– seasonal employment in agriculture, forestry, catering and tourism up to 90 days during the calendar year
– residence and work permits issued in accordance with Article 110 of the Act (e.g., key staff in companies, self-employment in a company/craft in which there is an ownership stake of at least 51%, EU Blue Card, intra-corporate transferees, service providers, volunteers, trainees, vessel crews, etc.)
The application for a residence and work permit for which it is necessary to conduct a labour market test and/or obtain the opinion of the Croatian Employment Service is submitted by the employer via the CES online platform.
An application for a residence and work permit that does not require a labour market test or the opinion of the Croatian Employment Service may be submitted by third-country nationals or the employer, directly or by e-mail at the competent police administration or police station according to: a third-country national’s intended residence or place of work, or the registered office of the employer.
The application is decided by the police administration or police station according to the place of residence or intended residence of the third-country national.
b) Persons under international protection
In the Republic of Croatia, persons under international protection may work without a residence and work permit, i.e. without work registration certificate.
At the same time, third-country nationals may work without a residence and work permit in the Republic of Croatia if they have an approval for;
- temporary stay for the purpose of family reunification with a Croatian citizen, third-country national with a long-term residence, permanent residence, asylum or subsidiary protection in accordance with the regulations governing international protection
- temporary stay for the purpose of a life partnership with a Croatian citizen, a third-country national with a long-term residence, permanent residence, asylum or subsidiary protection in accordance with the regulations governing international protection
- temporary stay for the purpose of family reunification or life partnership with a third-country national who has been issued an “EU Blue Card” or a residence and work permit for intra-corporate relocation
- temporary stay for the purpose of family reunification or life partnership with a third-country national with a long-term residence permit in another EEA Member State
- temporary stay for humanitarian reasons
- autonomous stay
- temporary stay as a posted worker
- temporary stay for the purpose of scientific research referred to in Article 74 of this Act
- temporary stay for the purpose of family reunification or life partnership with a scientific researcher referred to in Article 74 of this Act
- temporary stay for the purpose of studying, if he or she works or is self-employed for a maximum of 20 hours per week, except when student internship is an integral part of the study programme
- status of a full-time student when performing tasks through authorised intermediaries, without employment for a maximum of 20 hours per week
- temporary stay for the purpose of the stay of a long-term resident in another EEA Member State
- asylum or subsidiary protection or is an applicant for international protection in accordance with the regulations governing international protection
- long-term stay
- permanent stay.
An asylum seeker acquires the right to work after the expiration of a period of nine months from the date of filing an asylum application on which the Ministry of the Interior has not decided if the asylum seeker by his/her acting has not affected the reasons for not making the decision.
An asylum seeker and a foreigner under subsidiary or temporary protection in the Republic of Croatia, as well as members of their families, who are equal to Croatian citizens in the rights and duties determined by this Act, may apply to the Croatian Employment Service.
Exceptionally, an applicant for international protection and members of his family may also apply to the Service if the ministry in charge of internal affairs has not made a decision on the request for international protection within the legally prescribed deadline, and the applicant has not influenced the reasons for not making a decision.
Persons apply and register with the Service according to their place of residence, i.e., residential address, and cease to be kept in the records of the Service after termination of asylum, subsidiary or temporary protection unless other reasons for termination of registration in the register of unemployed persons occur.
Applicants for international protection and members of his family shall cease to be kept in the records of the Service when the ministry in charge of internal affairs rejects the application for international protection, unless other reasons for termination of registration in the register of unemployed persons occur.
C) nationals of the Member States of the European Economic Area (EEA) and nationals of the Swiss Confederation
Citizens of the Member States of the European Economic Area (EEA) and citizens of the Swiss Confederation are subject to the Act on EEA Nationals and Members of Their Families (Official Gazette, no.: 66/19, 53/20, 144/20 and 114/22).
In the Republic of Croatia, nationals of the EEA Member States and nationals of Swiss Confederation may provide services without a residence permit or work permit, i.e. without work registration certificate.
Searching for a job in the Republic of Croatia
Foreign nationals in the Republic of Croatia may search for a job:
- Through the Croatian Employment Service (HZZ) – with the help of Employment Advisers or through a web portal “Labour Exchange”),
- Through employment mediation agencies,
- On the Internet, and
- In advertisements published in the public press.
Croatian Employment Service
When registering at the Croatian Employment Service, a job advisor is assigned to an unemployed person in order to provide help in defining the job potential, activities that will improve employability, occupations with the highest employment opportunities, information on the labour market situation, legal advice or assistance in the selection of education and training programs, CV, etc.
In order to register at the Croatian Employment Service, you need to present the following:
- Valid identification documents from the country of origin (identity card or passport)
- High-school certificates or diplomas
- Personal identification number (OIB)
Employment in the Republic of Croatia
In the Republic of Croatia, working relationship is established by employment contracts. Working relationships can be established for a definite or indefinite period of time, as full-time or part-time work.
Employment contracts must be concluded in writing and if the employer does not offer signing of the employment contract, he/she is obliged to issue a certificate of signed employment contract before the start of working relationship.
If an employer does not conclude an employment contract with a worker, before the commencement of the work and in writing, or does not issue a written confirmation of signed employment contract, it will be considered that the contract was concluded for an indefinite period of time.
The employer is obliged to submit to the worker a copy of the application for compulsory pension and health insurance within eight days of the expiration of the time limit for the application for compulsory insurance under a special regulation.
In accordance with the Act on Regulated Professions and Recognition of Foreign Professional Qualifications (Official Gazette, No 82/2015, 70/2019 and 47/2020), persons who want to exercise their right to practice a regulated profession in the Republic of Croatia and have earned their qualification outside of the Republic of Croatia, are required to apply for the recognition of the foreign qualification to the competent authority.
The competent authority for the recognition of foreign qualifications for practicing regulated professions within the education system in the Republic of Croatia is the Ministry of Science and Education: https://mzo.gov.hr/istaknute-teme/odgoj-i-obrazovanje/priznavanje-inozemnih-strucnih-kvalifikacija-regulirane-profesije/3195.
Whom to contact in case of problems with the employer?
If there is a reasonable doubt that the employer is in violation of the rights and obligations from the employment contract, you can contact the State Inspectorate, Šubićeva 29, 10 000 Zagreb, tel: 01 2375 100
→ e-mail: pisarnica.dirh@dirh.hr
https://dirh.gov.hr/podnosenje-prijava/83
Labor inspection (labor relations) – regional inspections
ZAGREB
Šubićeva 29, Zagreb
Tel: 01/ 2375-155
RIJEKA
Lošinjska 16, Rijeka
Tel: 051/356-113
VARAŽDIN
Opolski 2, Varaždin
Tel: 042/658-373
SPLIT
Mike Tripala 6, Split
Tel: 021/407-345
OSIJEK
Šetalište kardinala Franje Šepera 1 d, Osijek
Tel: 031/ 250-630
Additional information for job seekers and citizens of EU/EEA Member States can be found in the publication “Living & Working in Croatia”, which is available on the Croatian Employment Service website.
Relevant links and contacts
Central Office
Radnička cesta 1, 10000 Zagreb
Phone: +385 1 612 6000
HZZ email: hzz@hzz.hr ; E-mail EURES: eures_hr@hzz.hr
Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy
Ulica grada Vukovara 78, 10000 Zagreb
Phone: +385 1 610 60835
e-mail: info@mrosp.hr
