Croatia Work Visa 2026: Stay and Work Permit and Fees
What is usually called a Croatia work visa is a stay and work permit. Croatia's Ministry of the Interior describes it as a single permit that lets a third-country national temporarily stay and work in the country, for one employer and one job. For most jobs the employer first has to request a labour market test and an opinion from the Croatian Employment Service. This guide sets out the routes, where to apply, the conditions, the fees and what the permit ties you to, as published by the Ministry and read on 14 October 2026.
Quick answer
You need an employer in Croatia and a stay and work permit, or for short contracted work a work registration certificate. The administrative fee is EUR 74.32 for a granted permit, plus EUR 31.85 for the biometric residence permit and a further EUR 9.29. Temporary stay is granted for up to one year. You apply at a Croatian diplomatic mission or consular post, or at a police administration in Croatia if you do not need a visa to enter. You must register your temporary residence within 30 days of the permit being granted.
Who needs a permit
| Your citizenship | What applies |
|---|---|
| EEA Member State or Switzerland | You may work and provide services without a stay and work permit or a work registration certificate |
| Any other country | A stay and work permit, or a work registration certificate for short contracted work |
The Ministry defines third-country nationals as people who are not nationals of the EEA Member States, which are the European Union, Liechtenstein, Norway and Iceland, and not nationals of Switzerland.
Three ways a stay and work permit is issued
| Route | What the employer needs |
|---|---|
| Standard | A labour market test and the opinion of the Croatian Employment Service |
| High demand professions | The opinion of the Croatian Employment Service, but no labour market test. The list is decided by the Service's Management Board and published on its website. |
| Without test or opinion | Nothing from the Service. This covers an extension for the same employer and worker, seasonal work for up to 90 days in a calendar year in agriculture, forestry, hospitality and tourism, and permits under Article 110 of the Aliens Act. |
Article 110 covers, among others, key personnel in companies, self-employment in a company or sole trade in which you hold at least 51%, the EU Blue Card, intra-corporate transferees, service providers, volunteers and trainees.
Where you apply
- Abroad: an application for temporary stay is submitted at a diplomatic mission or consular post of the Republic of Croatia. Temporary stay for the purpose of work is granted as a stay and work permit.
- In Croatia, if you do not need a visa to enter: you may also apply at a police administration or police station for your intended place of stay, your employer's head office or your place of work.
- In Croatia, if you do need a visa: only in the exceptional cases the Ministry lists, such as close family members of a Croatian citizen, university students, researchers and family members of an EU Blue Card holder.
- Whether you need a visa is set out in the visa requirements overview of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs. Croatia has been in the Schengen area since 1 January 2023.
Conditions for temporary stay
- Proof of the purpose of your stay.
- A valid travel document, valid for at least 3 months longer than the temporary stay permit.
- Funds to support yourself.
- Health insurance.
- For a first application, proof that you have not been convicted of criminal offences in your home country or in a country where you lived for more than one year immediately before arriving.
- No entry ban, and no threat to public policy, national security or public health.
Fees
| Item | Administrative fee |
|---|---|
| Granted stay and work permit | EUR 74.32 |
| Production of the biometric residence permit | EUR 31.85, or EUR 59.73 for the accelerated procedure |
| Additional fee for issuing the biometric residence permit | EUR 9.29 |
| Granted work registration certificate | EUR 39.82 |
The first two amounts are paid separately by payment slip to the state budget account. The Ministry also gives the account details for paying by internet banking. These are the Ministry's fees, and the pages we read do not set a different amount by nationality.
What the permit ties you to
- One job, one employer: you may work only in the job for which the permit was granted and only for the employer you entered into employment with.
- Register your address: temporary stay expires if you fail to register your temporary residence with a police administration or police station within 30 days of being granted temporary stay or issued a long-term visa.
- Absences: on a stay of up to one year, the permit is withdrawn if you stay abroad for more than 30 days on a single occasion or more than 90 days in total.
- When it expires early: if the conditions under which it was issued no longer exist, if you do work or work for an employer it was not granted for, or if the employer has not been paying salaries or contributions.
- Employer fines: a legal person that employs a third-country national without a permit or certificate faces a fine ranging from EUR 6,630 to EUR 13,270 for each worker.
Short jobs: the work registration certificate
- Issued for contracted work for up to 90 days or up to 30 days in a calendar year, depending on the category.
- The 90-day list includes scientists, foreign correspondents, lecturers at conferences, and artists and technical staff at cultural events.
- The 30-day list includes people who assemble or service machinery, people taking part in fairs, and providers of auditing and consulting services.
- The application goes to the police administration or police station before any work starts, with the contract and your valid travel document.
EU Blue Card for highly qualified workers
- Contract: for a highly qualified job, lasting at least one year, with an entity registered in Croatia.
- Qualifications: proof of higher education from an institution recognised in your home country, and for regulated professions proof that you meet the conditions to practise.
- Where: at a diplomatic mission or consular post, or at a police administration or police station according to your place of stay.
- Fees: the same EUR 74.32, EUR 31.85 and EUR 9.29.
- Renewal: not later than 30 days before the permit expires.
- Changing employer: within the first two years you submit a new application within eight days of the end of your employment. After two years you notify the police within eight days of the change.
Who can work without a permit
The Ministry lists third-country nationals who may work without a stay and work permit or certificate. They include people with temporary stay for family reunification with a Croatian citizen or with a holder of long-term residence or permanent stay, family members of an EU Blue Card holder, university students working no more than 20 hours a week, and holders of long-term residence or permanent stay.
If you are from India or Pakistan
The procedure is the one above. The Ministry's pages set no separate conditions or fees by nationality, and we found no approval or success rate on them, so we do not quote one. What nationality decides is whether you need a visa, which you check in the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs' overview, and therefore whether you apply at a Croatian mission abroad or may apply at a police administration in Croatia. The pages we read publish no processing time for a stay and work permit.
For the wider move, see our moving to Croatia guide.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Croatia work visa called?
A stay and work permit. The Ministry of the Interior describes it as a single permit that allows third-country nationals to temporarily stay and work in Croatia. Short contracted work can be done on a work registration certificate.
How much does a Croatia work permit cost?
The administrative fee is EUR 74.32 for a granted stay and work permit, EUR 31.85 for the biometric residence permit, or EUR 59.73 in the accelerated procedure, and an additional EUR 9.29.
Can I apply for a Croatia work permit online?
The Ministry's work page describes applications at a diplomatic mission, consular post, police administration or police station. It describes an online application for the digital nomad stay, which is a different status and does not allow work for employers in Croatia.
How long is a Croatian stay and work permit valid?
Temporary stay is granted for a period of up to one year. Your travel document must be valid for at least 3 months longer than the permit.
Can I change employer on a Croatian work permit?
You may work only for the employer and in the job the permit was granted for. Working for another employer is a reason for the permit to expire, so a new permit is needed.
Does my employer need a labour market test?
For the standard route, yes, together with the opinion of the Croatian Employment Service. No test is needed for professions on the Service's high demand list, for extensions with the same employer, or for categories such as the EU Blue Card.
Do EU citizens need a work permit in Croatia?
No. EEA nationals and Swiss nationals may work and provide services in Croatia without a stay and work permit or a work registration certificate.
Official sources
- Ministry of the Interior of Croatia — Work of third-country nationals
- Ministry of the Interior of Croatia — Temporary stay of third-country nationals
- Ministry of the Interior of Croatia — Highly qualified third-country nationals (EU Blue Card)
- Ministry of the Interior of Croatia — EEA nationals and their family members
- Ministry of the Interior of Croatia — Temporary stay of digital nomads
- Ministry of the Interior of Croatia — Do you need a visa?
All fees, deadlines and rules verified against the official sources above on 14 October 2026. Information, not legal advice.