Moving to Croatia

A single permit to stay temporarily and work in Croatia, valid only for the job and the employer it was granted for. As a rule the employer must request a labour market test and an opinion from the Croatian Employment Service; occupations on the Service's published high-demand list skip the test but still need the opinion. Neither the test nor the opinion is needed in the cases the Aliens Act lists, among them an extension with the same employer and worker, seasonal work in agriculture, forestry, hospitality and tourism of up to 90 days in a calendar year, and permits under Article 110 (for example key personnel, self-employment with an ownership share of at least 51 percent, EU Blue Card holders, intra-corporate transferees, service providers, volunteers and trainees). The general conditions for temporary stay also apply: proof of the purpose, a valid travel document, means of support, health insurance, on a first application proof of no criminal conviction, and no entry ban or threat to public policy, security or health. The application goes to a Croatian diplomatic mission or consular post, or, for someone who needs no visa to enter Croatia, to the police administration or station for the intended place of stay, the employer's head office or the place of work. Fees: EUR 74.32 for the permit, EUR 31.85 for the biometric residence card (EUR 59.73 accelerated) and EUR 9.29 for issuing the card. A separate work registration certificate (EUR 39.82) covers listed kinds of short contracted work of up to 90 or 30 days in a calendar year. Long-term residence after 5 years of continuous lawful stay, subject to a Croatian language requirement; naturalisation generally after 8 years of continuous registered residence with approved permanent stay.

Requires a contract of employment for highly qualified work lasting at least 1 year with a company or other entity registered in Croatia, proof of higher education (a diploma, certificate or other proof of formal qualifications from a higher education institution recognised in the home country), and, where the job is a regulated profession, proof of meeting the conditions to practise it; the general conditions for temporary stay also apply. The MUP Blue Card page states no salary figure, so none is recorded here (hence the null) - check the current threshold with the police administration. No labour market test. The holder may work only in the job and for the employer the card was issued for; a change of employer within the first 2 years needs a new card applied for within 8 days of the old job ending, and after that a change must be notified within 8 days. Renewal is applied for at the police administration no later than 30 days before expiry. Close family members may join through family reunification for as long as the Blue Card is valid. Long-term residence is available after 5 uninterrupted years as an EU Blue Card holder in Croatia, or 5 years as a Blue Card holder in EEA Member States with at least 2 of them in Croatia, subject to a valid travel document, means of subsistence, health insurance, knowledge of the Croatian language and Latin script, and no threat to public policy or national security. Fees: EUR 74.32 permit, EUR 31.85 biometric card (EUR 59.73 accelerated), plus EUR 9.29 for issuing the card.

Open to third-country nationals (not EU/EEA/Swiss citizens) employed by, or working through communication technology for, a company - including their own company - that is NOT registered in Croatia, and who do not work for or provide services to employers in Croatia. Income must be at least EUR 3,622.50 a month: the Regulation on means of subsistence (Official Gazette 14/21 and 3/26) sets it at 2.5 average monthly net salaries paid in the previous year, as published by the Croatian Bureau of Statistics, plus 10% of that salary for each family member or partner who comes along. Savings are accepted instead: EUR 43,470 for a 12-month stay or EUR 65,205 for 18 months. Proof is a bank statement showing the total or a regular income, or payslips for at least the last 6 months. Also required: a travel document valid 3 months beyond the stay, health insurance covering Croatia, proof of the remote-work purpose, a legalised criminal-record certificate and an address in Croatia. The stay is granted for at most 18 months: if granted for less, one extension of up to 6 months is possible if applied for at least 60 days before expiry. A new application may only be filed 6 months after the previous stay expires. The MUP page names no route from this stay to long-term or permanent residence, so the permanent residence and citizenship fields are left empty. Close family members may join, but their applications are rejected if filed before the nomad's stay is granted. Fees when applying in Croatia: EUR 46.45 for the stay, EUR 31.85 for the biometric card (EUR 59.73 accelerated) and EUR 9.29 for issuing it; at an embassy or consulate, EUR 55.74 for the stay plus EUR 93 for a long-term visa D or EUR 41.14 for the card.

A third-country national who is self-employed in a company or sole trade in which they hold an ownership share of at least 51 percent gets a stay and work permit under Article 110 of the Aliens Act WITHOUT a labour market test and without an opinion from the Croatian Employment Service. The general conditions for temporary stay apply: proof of the purpose, a valid travel document, means of support, health insurance, on a first application proof of no criminal conviction, and no entry ban or threat to public policy, security or health. The MUP page states no minimum capital, staff or turnover figure, so the investment field is left null - check with the competent police administration before relying on any number quoted by intermediaries. Fees: EUR 74.32 for the permit, EUR 31.85 for the biometric residence card (EUR 59.73 accelerated) and EUR 9.29 for issuing the card. Time on this permit counts normally toward long-term residence at 5 years.

Temporary stay may be granted for secondary school education and university studies. The general conditions apply: proof of the purpose, a valid travel document, means of support, health insurance, on a first application proof of no criminal conviction, and no entry ban or threat to public policy, security or health; the travel document must be valid at least 3 months beyond the permit. The application goes to a Croatian diplomatic mission or consular post; someone who needs no visa to enter Croatia, and a university student who does, may instead apply at a police administration or station. Temporary stay is granted for up to one year. A university student may be employed or self-employed for no more than 20 hours a week without a separate permit, unless a student internship is an integral part of the study programme. Close family members may join through family reunification. The archived MUP pages do not say how study time counts toward long-term residence, so the permanent residence and citizenship fields are left empty. Fees when applying in Croatia: EUR 46.45 for the stay, EUR 31.85 for the biometric residence card (EUR 59.73 accelerated) and EUR 9.29 for issuing it.

Open to third-country nationals who meet the general conditions for temporary stay and are close family members of a Croatian citizen, or of a third-country national granted permanent stay, temporary stay, long-term residence or international protection. Close family members are a spouse, a common-law partner, unmarried minor children (common, of either partner, or adopted), and the parents of a minor child who is a Croatian citizen or holds long-term residence, permanent stay, asylum or subsidiary protection; any other relative only exceptionally, for special personal or serious humanitarian reasons. A common-law partnership is shown by a common child or by proof such as at least 3 years of living together immediately before the application. Where the sponsor holds a one-year stay and work permit, reunification is possible only once the sponsor has had temporary stay for at least 1 year; it is not granted to family of seasonal workers, posted workers, service providers or people on temporary stay for other purposes. The general conditions are proof of the purpose, a valid travel document, means of support, health insurance, on a first application proof of no criminal conviction, and no entry ban or threat to public policy, security or health. Family members of Croatian citizens need not supply birth or marriage extracts - the registry office provides them - and those who need a visa may apply at a police administration in Croatia. Family members of a Croatian citizen, or of a long-term resident, permanent resident, protected person or EU Blue Card holder, may work without a separate permit. Long-term residence is generally available after 5 years of continuous lawful stay with a Croatian language requirement. Naturalisation generally requires 8 years of continuous registered residence with approved permanent stay; a foreign spouse of a Croatian citizen who has been granted permanent stay and lives in Croatia may naturalise without the age, release, 8-year residence and language and culture conditions (Citizenship Act Article 10). Fees: EUR 46.45 for the temporary stay, EUR 31.85 for the biometric residence card and EUR 9.29 for issuing it.