An Introduction to Work Permits in Croatia

If you are interested in moving abroad to Croatia to live and work then you will most likely need to get your self a work permit once you get your employment visa or business visa. There are a couple of instances when holders of a business visa do not need to have a work permit, but the majority of foreign nationals coming to Croatia to take up employment will find themselves needing to be in possession of a valid work permit.

Before you can get your self a work permit in Croatia you will first need to apply for either a business visa or an employment visa. Once you have obtained a business visa or an employment visa then you will come to Croatia and visit a local police station within 24 hours so that you can apply for your extended residency permit. It can take a couple of weeks to get your extended residency permit. You may think that once you have the visa and the extended residency permit that you are completely legal and able to take up employment. The truth is that you cannot legally take up employment in Croatia until you have received a work permit. And you cannot apply for the work permit until you have a valid business visa or an employment visa and an extended residency permit.

All work permits in Croatia are issued by the Ministry of Labor. Once you apply for your work permit you can expect to be waiting up to a month for the process to complete. You should note that there are no fees to get your work permit.

There are two types of work permits and the type that you need depends upon what you are arriving in Croatia as. You can arrive as a technical expert that will be working for a Croatian employer or as a new investor to Croatia.

If you will be working for a Croatian company while in Croatia then the permit that you will need is called the work permit requested by an employer. This permit is given if you have a business visa or an employment visa. Your future employer is responsible for submitting your application to the Croatian Employment Institute and the Ministry of Labor.

If you are a new investor then you will need the personal work permit. You can only get this work permit if you have a business visa or if you are a foreign national that has permanent residence but no business visa. Typically this is only given to people whose work is not related in any manner to another Croatian company. Each individual that wishes to obtain this permit will have to submit their own application directly to the Croatian Employment Institute.

The turnaround time for work permit applications is required to be done within 30 days by law. About 90 percent of applications are approved on the first time around, and those that are rejected are typically done so citing labor market conditions as the reason for rejection. You should not that it is illegal to refuse a work permit to someone coming over as the director of a company. The Institute of Employment approves or rejects applications and then passes the approvals to the Ministry of Labor who issue the work permits. Rejected applicants can appeal. Work permits can be issued only for a limited period but be renewed.