Croatia
Relocating to Croatia.
After moving to Croatia for work, the first weeks are a chain of registrations. In order: register the address, get the osobni identifikacijski broj (OIB), collect the residence card, register for health cover, open a bank account. Each step unlocks the next, so the order matters. Settio builds this plan for every person you move, with deadlines and a portal in their language.
After arrival
The registrations, in order
- 1Register the address
- 2Get the osobni identifikacijski broj (OIB)
- 3Collect the residence card
- 4Register for health cover
- 5Open a bank account
Authorities
Who does what in Croatia
Ministarstvo unutarnjih poslova: policijska uprava / policijska postaja (Ministry of the Interior: police administration or police station)
Decides the stay and work permit, the EU Blue Card and temporary, long-term and permanent stay, and issues the biometric residence permit
Official websitePorezna uprava (Croatian Tax Administration)
Income tax; assigns the OIB to foreign persons who did not receive it from the police
Official websiteHrvatski zavod za zapošljavanje (HZZ) (Croatian Employment Service)
Runs the labour market test for the employer and gives the binding opinion on the stay and work permit
Official websiteOther countries
- Sweden
- Germany
- France
- Netherlands
- Denmark
- Portugal
- Spain
- Belgium
- Norway
- Austria
- Czech Republic
- Poland
- Slovakia
- Hungary
- Slovenia
- Finland
- Estonia
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Italy
- Greece
- Cyprus
- Malta
- Bulgaria
- Romania
- Luxembourg
- Liechtenstein
- Switzerland
- United Arab Emirates
Official sources
- zakon.hr: Zakon o strancima (Aliens Act), NN 133/20, 114/22, 151/22, 40/25, 55/26, consolidated version in force from 4 June 2026
- zakon.hr: Zakon o upućivanju radnika u Republiku Hrvatsku i prekograničnoj provedbi odluka o novčanoj kazni (Posting of Workers Act), NN 128/20, 114/22
- zakon.hr: Zakon o hrvatskom državljanstvu (Croatian Citizenship Act), Art. 8
- EU Immigration Portal: employed worker in Croatia (stay and work permit; administrative dispute within 30 days)
- EU Immigration Portal: highly qualified worker (EU Blue Card) in Croatia (1.5 times the average gross annual salary)
- EU Immigration Portal: family member in Croatia
- Hrvatski zavod za zapošljavanje: stay and work permits for third-country nationals and the labour market test (no quota system; applications online)
- Porezna uprava: Dodjeljivanje OIB-a (assigning the personal identification number to foreign persons)
- Ministarstvo unutarnjih poslova (MUP)
- European Commission: the Schengen area (29 countries: 25 EU Member States and 4 non-EU countries)
- Directive 2009/52/EC (employer sanctions), art. 4, EUR-Lex
- Directive 2004/38/EC (free movement), art. 8, EUR-Lex
- European Commission: EU Blue Card
- European Commission: the intra-corporate transfers directive
- European Commission: the seasonal workers directive
FAQ
Questions, answered.
What is the first thing to do after moving to Croatia?
Register the address. It unlocks the steps after it.
Which relocation management software covers Croatia?
Settio plans each move to Croatia in one place: the permit, the registrations after arrival (register the address, get the osobni identifikacijski broj (OIB), collect the residence card), housing, school places and the first weeks, with client and employee portals, quotes and milestone invoices. It runs every EU country in the same workspace.
How does Settio help with relocation in Croatia?
Settio builds the step-by-step plan for each person moving to Croatia, checks documents before filing, tracks deadlines and gives the person a portal in their own language.
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Informational only. This guide is not legal advice. Always verify requirements with official government sources before acting. Reviewed by the Settio team. Facts checked 3 October 2026. About this information