May the 24th, 2025 – Following amendments to the Law on Foreigners, the number of Croatian work permits issued has dropped by a massive 70%. Increased controls have seen numbers dwindle.
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, according to the latest data from the Interior Ministry (MUP), there are currently 136,000 foreign workers in Croatia. Research by the Migration Institute shows that 90% of them financially support their families, and a fifth of them plan to stay here until retirement. A third say that it is better in Croatia than back home, and 55% plan to bring the rest of their families here, according to a report from net.hr.
Amendments to the Law on Foreigners came into effect two months ago, and the situation has become more complicated for many because controls have been tightened. As such, the number of Croatian work permits issued has fallen compared to the same period last year, by a massive 70%. The number of applications submitted by temporary employment agencies has fallen, and many employers say that finding a worker is no longer a problem, but employing them legally has become one.
Ivana Šimek from the Croatian Employment Service (CES) explained what had actually changed and answered the question about the 18,000 rejected work permit applications: “The word rejection is being used. Maybe we should be a little more clear on that front. We can say that the Croatian Employment Service is the one to issue a negative opinion. Employers must meet as many requirements as the Law on Foreigners prescribes. First of all, they must have a Croatian citizen employed full-time for 12 months continuously, they must perform economic activity, have turnover, and they must not be on the so-called black list of employers with undeclared work.”
Šimek openly admitted that employers are surprised by the amount of paperwork and strict criteria involved in having Croatian work permits approved. “The law allows for permits of up to three years, seasonal permits of up to nine months, and facilitates changing employers. However, it also requires the fulfilment of certain conditions. Employers, it seems, were not ready for everything the new law requires,” she concluded.
