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, Nos. 133/20, 114/22, 151/22 and 40/25) on the basis of:
- a residence permit or a certificate
- a residence permit and a positive opinion from the Croatian Employment Service (HZZ) (in case of changing employer or beneficiary or occupation)
- a certificate if the person is a seasonal worker for up to 90 days
- a work registration certificate
- without a residence and work permit or a work registration certificate in cases prescribed by the Act
A third country national can work in the Republic of Croatia only in the occupations listed in the certificate, or only in the occupation for which a positive opinion from the Croatian Employment Service has been issued in cases prescribed by the Foreigners Act, or only in the occupation stated in the work registration certificate.
A third country national may only work for:
- the employer stated in the certificate
- the employer who has received a positive opinion from the Croatian Employment Service in cases prescribed by the Act (change of employer)
- the employer (temporary employment agency) and the user undertaking listed in the certificate
- the user undertaking for whom a positive opinion has been issued by the Croatian Employment Service in cases prescribed by the Act (change of user undertaking)
- the employer listed in the work registration certificate
PROMISSORY NOTE
The employer on the basis of whose application a residence and work permit has been issued based on an opinion of the Croatian Employment Service for a third country national requiring a visa to enter the Republic of Croatia is obliged to submit a promissory note to the competent police department or police station within 5 days from the day of issuance. The residence and work permit will be revoked if the employer fails to submit the promissory note within 5 days from the date of issuance. The promissory note must be certified (authenticated) by a notary public and must be submitted in the original. The employer must provide a promissory note for each foreign worker.
The 2021 Foreigners Act has completely changed the system of approving the employment of foreign workers by introducing a labour market test system instead of the quota system.
The Act also provides that labour market testing is not required for the extension of valid residence and work permits, as well as for seasonal employment up to 90 days per year in the sectors of agriculture, forestry, tourism, and hospitality. For the purposes of extending a residence and work permit and employment for up to 90 days in the aforementioned activities, it is not necessary to seek the opinion of the Employment Service. 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 Managing Council of the Croatian Employment Service shall adopt a decision on occupations for which the employer is not required to request the implementation of a labour market test, which shall be published on the Croatian Employment Service website.
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.)
A request for the issuance of a residence and work permit that requires conducting a labour market test and/or obtaining an opinion from the Croatian Employment Service is submitted electronically by the employer through the joint MUP HZZ app accessed via the Labour Exchange Portal (Burza rada).
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
- temporary residence for the purpose of immigration and return of the Croatian diaspora.
Without a residence and work permit or a work registration certificate, a posted worker coming from another EEA Member State or the Swiss Confederation may work for up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
Without a work registration certificate, third country nationals who are nationals of states acceding to the Convention on the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development of 14 December 1960 may work, namely:
- artists and technical staff for opera, ballet, theatre, concerts, visual arts, multimedia, and other cultural events, as well as authors and performers in the field of film and television arts, including accompanying reporting, organizational, and technical staff
- authors and performers in the fields of music, musical theatre and dance, as well as accompanying reporting, organisational, and technical staff
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.
Regulated professions in the Republic of Croatia
In case of intention to work in a profession included in the List of Regulated Professions in the Republic of Croatia, the procedure of recognition of foreign educational qualifications is carried out by the competent authority in accordance with the provisions of the Act on Regulated Professions and the Recognition of Foreign Professional Qualifications (Official Gazette, No. 82/15, 70/19, 47/20 and 123/23). In addition to the educational qualification as a basic requirement, professional qualifications also include additional training such as gaining work experience, passing a professional exam, and obtaining approval for independent work from the relevant professional chamber after meeting all necessary conditions.
The list of regulated professions is available at the link: Ministarstvo rada, mirovinskog sustava, obitelji i socijalne politike – Popis Reguliranih profesija u Republici Hrvatskoj
For more detailed information on professional qualifications, you can refer to: https://psc.hr/strucne-kvalifikacije/
The Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy acts as the national coordinator for the implementation of all obligations arising from the Act and Directive 2005/36 of the European Parliament and the Council of 7 September 2005 on the recognition of professional qualifications.
Within the Agency for Science and Higher Education, the National ENIC/NARIC office operates as a help centre. The help centre provides information on the recognition of foreign educational qualifications and helps interested individuals exercise their rights under the Act.
More information at: https://www.azvo.hr/inozemne-obrazovne-kvalifikacije/regulirane-profesije/
For professions that are not included in the List of Regulated Professions in the Republic of Croatia, the procedure for evaluating foreign educational qualifications is carried out in accordance with the Act on the Recognition and Evaluation of Foreign Educational Qualifications (Official Gazette, No. 69/2022).
The outcome of this procedure is an opinion on the foreign educational qualification.
More detailed information can be found at: https://mzom.gov.hr/istaknute-teme/odgoj-i-obrazovanje/priznavanje-i-vrednovanje-inozemnih-obrazovnih-kvalifikacija/279
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
