Croatia
Work permit in Croatia.
To work in Croatia without EU, EEA or Swiss citizenship you need a residence and work permit from Ministarstvo unutarnjih poslova: policijska uprava / policijska postaja (Ministry of the Interior: police administration or police station). The main routes are Stay and work permit (dozvola za boravak i rad), EU Blue Card, ICT permit, Seasonal work permit. EU long-term residence is possible after 5 years on most routes.
Permit types
The permits Croatia issues
- Stay and work permit (dozvola za boravak i rad)
- EU Blue Card
- ICT permit
- Seasonal work permit
- Self-employment permit
- Family member permit
- Residence permit
- Visa
- Residence card
- Social-security certificate (A1 or similar)
Staying longer
Faster routes and settling
EU long-term residence: after 5 years
- Stable and regular resources
- Sickness insurance
- Integration conditions where national law sets them
Citizenship: after 8 years
- Eight years of uninterrupted registered residence in Croatia and the status of a foreigner on permanent stay
- Release from the foreign citizenship, or proof it will be granted
- Knowledge of the Croatian language and Latin script, Croatian culture and social order
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.
Who issues work permits 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.
When can someone get eu long-term residence in Croatia?
After 5 years on most routes. Stable and regular resources. Sickness insurance. Integration conditions where national law sets them.
When can someone get citizenship in Croatia?
After 8 years on most routes. Eight years of uninterrupted registered residence in Croatia and the status of a foreigner on permanent stay. Release from the foreign citizenship, or proof it will be granted. Knowledge of the Croatian language and Latin script, Croatian culture and social order.
Which software can an agency or HR team use to manage work permits in Croatia?
Settio is relocation management and work permit software with a plan for Croatia: the main route (Stay and work permit (dozvola za boravak i rad)), the steps with the Ministry of the Interior: police administration or police station, the documents, the deadlines and the registrations after arrival, with client and employee portals, quotes and milestone invoices. It runs every EU country in the same workspace, and each case shows only Croatia's own rules and sources.
How does Settio help with work permits 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.
More
- Relocating to Croatia: the first weeks
- Relocation and immigration across Europe
- AI immigration compliance
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