December the 19th, 2025 – Stricter rules for foreign workers in Croatia are looming, and unless such individuals hold a specific new permit, they won’t be allowed to work legally.
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, over recent days, news has been circulating throughout Croatia about a confirmed case of leprosy in a foreign worker from Nepal who has been living and working in Split for the past two years. This case has sparked an understandably intense reaction and has resulted in stricter rules for foreign workers in Croatia.
According to those newly proposed rules, third-country nationals (more specifically those who need a visa) coming into Croatia will have to submit a certificate confirming their health and vaccination status. It cannot be older than 90 days and must be submitted along with their application for their first temporary residence, according to a report from Klikni.hr.
In addition to the above, when foreign workers who have been living in Croatia for less than three years apply to extend their temporary residence, it will be made mandatory for them to submit proof of a completed health examination, which must be carried out on Croatian territory. These health examinations will be carried out by county public health institutes according to the person’s place of residence, as well as the Croatian Institute of Public Health. Much like the aforementioned, this documentation must also not be older than 90 days.
As we understand it, the proposed healthcare examination will include a chest/lung X-ray, a stool test for salmonella and paratyphoid (an acute infectious disease similar to typhus) as well as a check of a person’s vaccination status and a doctor’s statement on their health. As needed, foreign workers will also be vaccinated against diphtheria and tetanus, polio and measles. It should be added that similar rules have been applied for a long time by most other EU Member States, which require foreign workers to present their vaccination record, sometimes even when the person comes from another EU country.
The draft regulation will remain in public consultation until December the 21st, and will enter into force on the eighth day after its publication. These stricter rules will apply only to foreign workers who come to Croatia after its entry into force.
