Stay and work

As an EEA national you may work and provide services in the Republic of Croatia without a stay and work permit or a work registration certificate. The same applies to your family members and nationals of Switzerland.

 

As an EU/EEA national you are entitled to freedom of employment in the Republic of Croatia, without a stay and work permit or a work registration certificate. However, the Republic of Croatia has introduced reciprocal restrictions for EU Member States that have imposed the same restrictions for the Republic of Croatia, which shall remain in force until 1^st July 2015, with possible extension for the maximum of five more years.

 

As for Croatian nationals on the EU market, a stay and work permit or a work registration certificate is not required for the nationals of the following countries who wish to work in the Republic of Croatia: Ireland, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Portugal, Italy, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Spain, Cyprus, Greece and Germany.

 

A stay and work permit or a work registration certificate are still required for the nationals of Slovenia, Austria, the Netherlands, United Kingdom, Malta.

 

More information can be found in the handbook on the rights within the context of free movement of workers and cross-border social security in the EU.

 

EEA nationals may enter the Republic of Croatia if they have a valid travel document or identity card, if they have not been prohibited entry or stay and if they do not pose threat to public order, national security or public health.

 

EEA nationals may stay in the Republic of Croatia up to 3 months from the day of entry if they possess a valid travel document or identity card.

 

EEA nationals may stay in the Republic of Croatia for more than 3 months from the day of entry if:

– they are employed or self-employed,

– they have sufficient funds to support themselves and members of their family, and if they have health insurance,

– they study at universities or carry out vocational training and have appropriate health insurance, and provide a statement substantiating that they have sufficient funds to support themselves and members of their family, or if

– they are family members reuniting with an EEA national.

 

EEA nationals who intend to stay in the Republic of Croatia for more than 3 months have to register their temporary stay at the competent police administration/police station according to their place of temporary stay no later than 8 days following the end of their three-month stay.

 

Employed or self-employed EEA nationals shall be issued a temporary stay registration certificate if they have a valid identity card or travel document and a document proving their employment or self-employment status.

 

EEA nationals studying at universities or carrying out vocational training shall be issued a temporary stay registration certificate if they have a valid identity card or travel document, if they are enrolled at university or vocational training institution, if they provide statement on sufficient funds to support themselves, and if they have health insurance.

 

EEA nationals who have sufficient funds to support themselves and their family members shall be issued a temporary stay registration certificate if they have a valid identity card or travel document, sufficient funds to support themselves and health insurance.

 

EEA nationals are entitled to permanent stay after 5 successive years of legal stay in the Republic of Croatia, regardless of their absence from the Republic of Croatia in the duration of up to 6 months or 12 months (for justified reasons, such as pregnancy, childbirth, serious illness, university studies, vocational training) or for the duration of military service.

The competent police administration/police station shall issue a permanent stay card to EEA nationals upon their request and as soon as possible, after having verified their duration of stay.

 

Exceptions to the above requirements are EEA nationals who shall be granted permanent stay provided that:

1. they, being employed or self-employed, have stopped working and meet the old age pension requirements in the Republic of Croatia, provided that they have been employed in the Republic of Croatia for at least 12 preceding months and they have resided in the Republic of Croatia for more than 3 continuous years,
2. they have gone into early retirement and they have been employed in the Republic of Croatia for at least 12 preceding months, provided that they have resided in the Republic of Croatia for more than 3 continuous years,
3. they, being employed or self-employed, have stopped working in the Republic of Croatia due to permanent incapacity to work, provided that they have resided in the Republic of Croatia for more than 2 continuous years,
4. they, being employed or self-employed, have stopped working in the Republic of Croatia due to permanent incapacity to work as a result of occupational injury or professional illness, on the basis of which they have met the disability pension requirements in the Republic of Croatia, regardless of the duration of their residence in the Republic of Croatia,
5. they, being employed or self-employed, after 3 continuous years of employment and residence in the Republic of Croatia became employed in another EEA country while retaining their residence in the Republic of Croatia and travel back to the Republic of Croatia on a daily basis or at least once a week.

 

The period of employment of an employed or self-employed person working in another EEA Member State while retaining residence in the Republic of Croatia shall be considered as the period spent in the Republic of Croatia for the purpose of exercising rights under sections 1, 2, 3 and 4.