Getting a job offer in Croatia is only the first step. Before you can get a residence and work permit, your employer has to pass a review too. If they fail it, your application stops, even if you meet every requirement yourself.
Who checks the employer?
In many cases, the Croatian Employment Service (HZZ) reviews the employer and issues an opinion. A positive opinion is needed for the permit to go ahead. A negative one means you cannot get a permit to work for that employer.
The 8 employer conditions
The conditions fall into four groups.
A real, active business
- The employer actively runs a registered business in Croatia, and it relates to the job you are being hired for.
- The business is not on the list of employers found to have undeclared workers.
Financial health
- Taxes and public charges are paid, and all required tax reports have been submitted.
- Over the last 12 months, at least EUR 100,000 has been paid into the account of a company, or EUR 40,000 into the account of an individual employer.
- The account has not been blocked for more than 30 days in a row during the last six months.
A stable local workforce
- For the past year, the employer has had at least one Croatian, EEA, or Swiss citizen working full-time on a permanent contract.
- Seasonal businesses run by individuals have an easier rule: they only need to have employed one such worker during the previous season.
A clean legal record
- The employer has no final convictions for certain crimes related to employment, social security, or public safety.
- The employer has no final sanctions for the most serious violations of labour, social security, or workplace safety rules.
The 20% rule
The employer must also keep a balance between local and foreign staff. When the application is submitted, full-time Croatian, EEA, and Swiss employees must equal at least 20% of the employer’s third-country nationals. For jobs on the shortage occupation list, the minimum is 10%.
For example, an employer with 10 third-country nationals would need at least 2 local full-time employees under the standard rule, or 1 for a shortage occupation. Earlier positive HZZ opinions count toward the foreign total.
Your contract and salary are checked too
HZZ also reviews your employment contract and, where relevant, your qualifications. Your pay cannot be lower than what workers in Croatia earn in the same, similar, or related jobs.
How long does it take?
- Labour Market Test (if required): HZZ must give the employer the result within 15 days of the request.
- Overall decision: The police administration or station must decide a complete application within 90 days at most, and this includes the Labour Market Test. It can be extended by 30 days for complex cases, but not for seasonal work permits.
- Changing employers (simplified procedure): HZZ must give its opinion within 5 days of receiving a complete notification.
- There is no general fixed deadline for HZZ’s opinion in a standard work permit case.
Your right to be informed
If your employer applies for or extends your permit, they must keep you updated on the status. Once the procedure ends, they must tell you the result in writing within 3 days. The same 3-day written notice applies to the HZZ opinion in certain procedures, such as a change of employer, a change of occupation, or additional work.
Before you sign
Ask your future employer whether they meet these conditions, especially the ones about the local workforce and the 20% ratio. It is much better to find out before you quit your current job or move countries.
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