Do You Want To Work In Croatia?

Do You Want to Work in Croatia? Here’s What Permits Your Employer Must Obtain

Foreigners are individuals who do not hold Croatian citizenship or citizenship from the European Union, Liechtenstein, Norway, or Iceland. Under certain conditions, foreigners may not include Swiss citizens.

In recent years, the largest number of foreign workers in Croatia has been through a residence and work permit, commonly known as work permits. Employers obtain these permits from the police. Although work permits have been around for a long time, the system has become more liberal over time. Ten years ago, it was almost impossible to hire foreign workers unless you already had them in your annual quota. Today, however, there are no quotas, making the process more accessible.

Specialized Workers – Get the EU Blue Card

The EU Blue Card is a special type of work permit. It’s designed for highly educated or specialized workers.

This card allows workers to travel across all EU countries, making it attractive to both workers and employers. With a Blue Card, a worker can visit another country for business or personal reasons. It also gives the holder the chance to live and work within the EU.

A major advantage of the Blue Card is that the holder can bring their family members from the start. With an ordinary work permit, family reunification is only allowed after two years of employment in Croatia.

The minimum salary for a Blue Card holder is €2,000 gross, which is three times lower than the salary required in countries like Germany.

In practice, obtaining a Blue Card can be challenging. The main issue is proving the need for a specialized worker. It’s particularly complex for refugees from war zones, who may not have the necessary evidence of an immediate war threat to qualify for refugee status. In these cases, they may try to obtain a Blue Card to stay in Europe. This situation often requires professional help.

While Waiting for Your Work Permit – Be Good to Your Neighbors

All foreigners applying for a work permit or EU Blue Card in Croatia must pass a security check. This process takes between one and two months and is often the most time-consuming part of the application process. You cannot speed up this verification.

During this period, the Central Intelligence Agency and the police carry out security and field checks. The police may even contact neighbors or co-owners to inquire about the foreigners living in the building and their activities.

For family reunification, the police may inspect personal belongings, photos, and anything else that might affect their assessment of whether the family relationship is genuine. In Croatia, family reunification is allowed for both same-sex and different-sex couples, even if they have not officially registered their partnership.

Seasonal Work in Croatia – One Work Permit for Multiple Seasons

Croatia also offers work permits for seasonal workers, such as those employed in tourism, agriculture, and catering. An employer can hire a worker for 90 days under a seasonal work permit.

There are plans to amend the law so that seasonal work permits will be issued for five seasons, instead of one calendar year. This change will reduce costs and simplify the administration of seasonal worker permits.

Challenges in Employment Contracts for Foreign Workers

Foreign workers living in employer-provided accommodations often face challenges. Workers may come from conflicting religious or ethnic groups, so the rules of behavior and respect for others must be explicitly outlined in the employment contract.

In practice, employment contracts are usually written in Croatian or sometimes English. In case of disputes, the worker’s understanding of the contract may not be considered. This is because, in most cases, dissatisfied workers leave and find employment elsewhere in Croatia.

PS: Work Permit Tourism

Work permit tourism is becoming increasingly common. This term cynically describes a situation where employers use work permits to bring foreign workers into Croatia. The workers, however, often intend only to use the permit as a gateway to travel within the EU.

For more information on this or any other legal, tax, or business topic, you may freely and with no charges reach out to us at [email protected] at any time or call us on the phone number +381113281914 during every working day from 08:30 to 16:30.

Information contained in this alert is for the general education and knowledge of our readers. It is not designed to be, and should not be used as, the sole source of information when analyzing and resolving a legal problem, and it should not be substituted for legal advice, which relies on a specific factual analysis. Moreover, the laws of each jurisdiction are different and are constantly changing. This information is not intended to create, and receipt of it does not constitute an attorney-client relationship. If you have specific questions regarding a particular fact situation, we urge you to consult the authors of this publication, your AK STATT representative, or other competent legal counsel.

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