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Frequently asked questions (FAQ)


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1. What are the requirements for an alien to drive a car in the territory of the Republic of Croatia?

Under Article 225 of the Road Traffic Safety Act (Narodne novine No 105/04 – RC Official Journal), an alien staying in the Republic of Croatia may drive a motor vehicle in the territory of the Republic of Croatia if he/she has a valid driver’s license issued by a competent authority of a foreign state. Under Article 226 of said Act, aliens who have been granted a temporary stay or permanent residence in the Republic of Croatia, as well as employees of foreign commercial, traffic, cultural and other agencies, may drive a motor vehicle if they have a valid foreign driver’s license for a period of one year following the day of entry into the Republic of Croatia.

2. How long is an alien allowed to drive a car with foreign registration plates?

Aliens who have been granted temporary stay in the Republic of Croatia and in possession of a vehicle registered abroad (with valid registration documents and insurance), may use their car not longer than three months following the day of entry into the Republic of Croatia, after which period the vehicle should be re-registered in the Republic of Croatia.

Driver’s License

1. How can a foreign driver’s license be replaced with a Croatian license?

In order to have a foreign driver’s license replaced with a Croatian license, one files an application with the competent local Police Administration or police station along with the foreign driver’s license and its translation, if the driver's class, the validity of the license or expired validity in excess of six months cannot be deduced therefrom. Together with the application, he/she also has to produce a medical clearance certificate not older than six months proving the driver mentally and physically fit to drive a vehicle and two 3cmx3.5cm photographs.

Nationality

1. Is it possible to have other nationality besides the Croatian?

The dual nationality is to be found in all cases of citizenship acquired by privileged naturalization. When acquiring the Croatian nationality in a privileged manner no release from foreign nationality is required, that is by acquiring the Croatian nationality the alien retains his/her foreign nationality (the privileged manner of acquiring the Croatian nationality is laid down in the Croatian Nationality Act under Articles 9, 10, 11, 12, 15 and 16 – Narodne novine No 53/91, 28/92 and 113/93 - RC Official Journal).

Aliens

1. What are the requirements for a foreign national to stay/reside in the Republic of Croatia?

The Aliens Act (Official Gazette No 79/07 and 36/09) lays down the conditions under which aliens may stay in the Republic of Croatia.
In the Republic of Croatia, an alien may enjoy short-term stay, temporary stay and permanent stay. 

Short-term stay refers to stay of aliens of up to 90 days, with or without visa. Aliens who are not obliged to possess a visa to enter the Republic of Croatia may stay in the Republic of Croatia for maximum 90 days within a period of 6 months, starting from the day of their first entry (Article 43 of the Aliens Act).

Temporary stay may be granted on the following grounds: family reunification, work, secondary school education and university-level studies, humanitarian grounds, as well as for some other purposes.

The first temporary stay permit or the temporary stay prolongation permit is issued for a validity period of up to one year (Article 47 (1) of the Aliens Act).

According to the provision of Article 48 (1) and (2) of the Aliens Act, the first temporary stay permit should be requested at the competent diplomatic mission or consular post of the Republic of Croatia. An alien may apply for the first temporary stay permit at a local police administration or a police station in the following cases: serious humanitarian reasons, request for the family reunification with a Croatian national or an asylee, where the person concerned is a holder of a scholarship within the framework of a programme approved by the ministry responsible for education and science matters, work or where the alien concerned comes for scientific research.

An alien who applied for the first temporary stay in the Republic of Croatia before the expiration period of a short-term stay, may stay in the Republic of Croatia until the decision upon this application is made final.  

The application for the first temporary stay must contain the purpose of stay, or justified reason of stay (for example: work, family reunification, school education, university studies, etc.).

Moreover, the provision of Article 52 of the Aliens Act stipulates that aliens may be granted temporary stay if they have provided means of subsistence, provided accommodation, health care insurance, if there are no obstacles as to Article 34 of the Aliens Act and if they have justified the purpose of temporary stay.

While applying for the first temporary stay permit, aliens are also obliged to submit a police clearance certificate issued by the country of nationality or of permanent residence, not older than 6 months.

Permanent stay may be granted to an alien who has been in possession of a temporary stay permit for an uninterrupted period of 5 years before the submission of the application. It shall be deemed that the stay of aliens in the Republic of Croatia has been continuous, without any interruptions, if their several-time absence from the Republic of Croatia within a period of five years has not lasted longer than 10 months, that is, if their one-time absence from the Republic of Croatia within a period of five years has not lasted longer than 6 months.

Moreover, permanent stay may also be granted to an alien who has been in possession of a temporary stay permit for an uninterrupted period of 3 years before the submission of the application, and who had a refugee status for at least 10 years, which will be proved by a certificate of a competent state authority for refugees or to an alien on temporary stay, returning into the Republic of Croatia in line with the Program of Return and Accommodation of Displaced Persons, Refugees and Exiled Persons, which shall be proved by a certificate of the competent state authority for refugees (Article 80 of the Aliens Act).
Aliens must have granted temporary stay in the Republic of Croatia from the date of submitting the application until the date the decision on the application is made final.
 

2. What are the requirements for a foreign national to work in the Republic of Croatia?

Article 114 (1) of the Aliens Act stipulates that an alien may work in the Republic of Croatia on the basis of a work permit or a business permit.

Under Article 134 (1) of the same Act, the application for a business permit is filed with the local police administration or police station depending on the business seat of a company or proprietorship, or on the location of executing freelancing activity or according to the seat of a company or proprietorship to which services are provided and according to the location of providing services in tourism.

A work permit is issued by the local police administration or police station according to the business seat of an employer, upon the application of a legal or natural person employing an alien.  

Under the provision of Article 122 of the said Act, an employer shall be obliged to submit a contract of employment or a written confirmation of concluded contract of employment or any other adequate contract; information on that work post or job and working conditions; proof of adequate educational background and qualifications of an alien; certificate of the registration of the company, branch, representative office, proprietorship, association or an institution in the Republic of Croatia; certificate on taxes and contributions paid as well as a justified reason for employing an alien.

A work permit may be issued if the mentioned conditions have been met and if the annual government-established work permit quotas for specific occupations are not filled.
In line with Article 119 of the Aliens Act, work permits may be also issued outside the annual quota.
 

3. What categories of aliens may work in the Republic of Croatia without a work or business permit?

Pursuant to Article 140 of the Aliens Act, the following categories of aliens may work without a work or business permit:
  • aliens granted permanent stay,
  • aliens granted asylum,
  • aliens granted temporary stay for the purpose of family reunification with a Croatian national, an alien on permanent stay or an asylee,  
  • aliens granted temporary stay on the grounds of humanitarian reasons,
  • aliens having the status of regular pupils or students in the Republic of Croatia, provided that they get work through the mediation of authorised agents, without getting employed,
  • aliens granted temporary stay for the purpose of scientific research referred to in Article 67 of the said Act,
  • aliens granted an autonomous stay permit in the Republic of Croatia.
 
4. Which work permits do not make up an annual quota of work permits?

The annual quota of work permits shall not refer to work permits issued according to Article 119 of the Aliens Act:
 
  • to daily migrant alien workers employed in the Republic of Croatia under reciprocity conditions,
  • to the key personnel, workers and their family members, whose status has been regulated by the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States and the Republic of Croatia,
  • to aliens holding key positions in companies, branch offices and representative offices,
  • to aliens transferred as part of internal staff transfers within companies, as defined by the Protocol on the Accession of the Republic of Croatia to the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organisation,
  • to teachers teaching at educational institutions the language and script of a national minority,
  • to professional athletes or sports workers, employed in the Republic of Croatia on the basis of a valid employment contract,
  • on the basis of international agreements, except for the agreement referred to in Article 141 of the Aliens Act,
  • to aliens employed in foreign associations, registered as foreign associations in the Republic of Croatia and at least three other countries,
  • aliens who are members of representative bodies of foreign endowments and foundations registered in the Register of the representative offices of foreign endowments and foundations in the Republic of Croatia.

5. Who has to have a registered work certificate without a work or business permit?

The Aliens Act prescribes the following categories of aliens that shall be exempted from the work or business permit requirement in the Republic of Croatia for up to 30 days during a year:
 
  • authors and art performers in the fields of music, music-and-stage and dance, as well as accompanying reporting, organisational and technical staff,
  • aliens participating at fairs or exhibitions at which their employers exhibit,
  • aliens participating in sports events and competitions in the Republic of Croatia as representatives of foreign teams, clubs or state delegations.

The following categories of aliens may work up to 60 days during a year without work or business permit:
 
  • authors and technical staff participating in opera, ballet, theatre, concert, visual arts and other cultural events, that is authors and performers in the fields of film and television art,
  • aliens – lecturers participating at organised professional gatherings and seminars.

The following categories of aliens may work up to 90 days during a year without work or business permit:
 
  • procurators, management and supervisory board members of companies who perform certain work for a company, not being employed by the company,
  • aliens offering services in tourism in line with special provisions,
  • experts for cultural heritage protection, library and archives science, 
  • students coming for practical training through authorised organisation or student exchange program,
  • aliens performing professional education and training of persons employed with legal entities and natural persons in the Republic of Croatia,
  • aliens attending professional training in a legal entity having seat in the Republic of Croatia which is linked to the foreign employer in organisational terms,
  • aliens employed in circuses or amusement parks,
  • aliens engaged in activities related to the delivery, assembly or services of machinery and equipment, whose work is included as a condition in warranty rights, or is related to the delivery of machinery or equipment,
  • students coming to volunteer in working camps and similar working and educational programs organised by Croatian associations or institutions.

The mentioned categories of aliens shall not start working prior to having obtained a certificate of the acknowledgment of work without work or business permit issued by the competent local police administration or police station depending on the location on which business is being carried out (Article 139 (a) of the Aliens Act).

The following categories of aliens may work without work or business permit:
 
  • university professors, native speakers of foreign languages, foreign-language instructors and other lecturers invited to teach by Croatian universities, scientists participating in scientific and professional training, scientists – representatives of international organisations, as well as scientists who will participate in scientific and research projects important for the Republic of Croatia,
  • administrative staff, experts, teachers and lecturers from foreign cultural, educational and scientific institutions, performing their work in the Republic of Croatia as part of cultural and educational co-operation programmes, as well as administrative staff, experts, teachers and lecturers of foreign cultural, educational and scientific institutions which have their branches in the Republic of Croatia, if they are coming from their mother institutions,
  • civil and military government officials from other countries, working in the Republic of Croatia on the basis of co-operation agreements with the Government of the Republic of Croatia,
  • members of international missions doing scientific research in the Republic of Croatia approved by the Government of the Republic of Croatia,
  • foreign correspondents accredited in the Republic of Croatia or foreign media reporters,
  • aliens performing activities or professional training pertaining to defence and home affairs on the basis of international treaties,
  • representatives and staff of religious communities while performing work exclusively related to the religious or charitable service,
  • students coming for practical training through authorised organisation,
  • students coming for practical training to diplomatic missions or consular offices of states which they are citizens of and which are accredited in the Republic of Croatia,
  • young persons working in civil society organisations within the international exchange program and cooperation of volunteers in the European Union,
  • aliens coming into the Republic of Croatia to complete their practical training in companies, branches or their representative offices owned by foreign companies, if these aliens come from that mother company or their representative office or branch in some other state,
  • aliens coming in line with special provisions as flying instructors or students of educational aircraft programs,
  • aliens performing surveillance and inspection activities related to overhaul and building of ships,
  • aliens working on foreign vessels and registered as crew members.

The mentioned categories of aliens who plan to stay longer than 90 days shall be obliged to regulate their temporary stay for the purpose of employment without work or business permit.

The mentioned categories of aliens who shall work shorter than 90 days or legal or natural persons, who shall use their services, shall be obliged to obtain a certificate of the acknowledgment of work without work or business permit issued by the competent police administration or police station. 

Legal and natural persons who shall use services of the mentioned categories must have a concluded contract or some other adequate certificate.
 
6. What is an alien’s travel document?
 

Under Article 9 of the Aliens Act, an alien’s travel document refers to:

  • a laissez-passer for aliens,
  • travel document for stateless persons and
  • a travel document for asylees.
A travel document for stateless persons is issued to a stateless alien if he/she has been granted temporary or permanent stay in the Republic of Croatia (Article 8 (1) of the Rulebook on Aliens’ Travel Documents, Visas and Treatment of Aliens – Official Gazette 36/08). Contents and form of such travel document is defined by the Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons (New York, 28 September 1954).
 
7. What is a letter of invitation?

Pursuant to valid regulations on aliens, an alien arriving in the Republic of Croatia on a private visit should have a letter of invitation written by a natural person. The letter of invitation has to be certified by the public notary and contain, among other things, the statement on compliance with seizure, which bears the legal effect of an execution ruling (Article 178 (1) of the Act on Execution – Official Gazette 57/96, 29/99, 173/03 and 88/05).

If an alien comes on a business visit, he/she should have a letter of invitation of a legal person, containing all the elements and certified in the manner defined by the Rulebook on Issuance of Laissez-passers, Visas and Special Identity Cards to Aliens (Official Gazette 82/05).

An alien coming for a tourist visit has to have a voucher confirming paid tour package.
 
8. Which documents are considered as proof of ensured dwelling?
 
Proof of ensured dwelling in the Republic of Croatia is: title deed, lease deed, deed of purchase, deed of donation and similar documents. Besides these documents, the certificate of the house number allocation may be also required.


When the request for the first temporary stay permit is being submitted in the competent Republic of Croatia diplomatic mission or consular post, the proof of ensured dwelling may also be the certificate issued by an employer stating that the employer shall provide to an alien worker or scientific researcher the dwelling or the dwelling costs in the Republic of Croatia, or the certificate issued by an institution of higher education or the ministry responsible for the education that a student shall be provided with dwelling in the Republic of Croatia. In such a case, an alien shall be bound to, within one month from the day of his/her arrival into the Republic of Croatia, produce the proof on ensured dwelling (title deed, lease deed, deed of purchase, deed of donation and similar documents).

Documents proving ensured dwelling must be made out to the name of an alien, an immediate family member or a family member of alien’s joint household. The family member of the alien’s joint household shall give his/her consent on dwelling in writing.


9. Which documents are considered as proof of health insurance?

For the nationals of the countries with which the Republic of Croatia has concluded the health insurance agreements, the proof of health insurance is considered to be: a European Health Insurance Card, acknowledged by the Croatian Health Insurance Agency, a health insurance certificate of the Croatian Health Insurance Agency, a regular certificate of a foreign health insurance agency or any other proof provided under the social insurance contract.


In case the certificate of the foreign health insurance agency or any other proof foreseen by the social insurance contract is issued to the above mentioned alien, with a validity period shorter than the planned duration of his/her stay, the alien shall be obliged to report himself/herself to the competent office of the Croatian Health Insurance Agency upon the expiration period of the delivered certificate, in order to have his/her rights to the health insurance established according to the regulations that regulate health insurance of aliens in the Republic of Croatia for the remaining time of his/her valid stay.

If an alien cannot obtain any above mentioned proof, he/she shall be obliged, along with the application for the first temporary stay permit, to submit a travel insurance certificate. Moreover, upon his/her arrival into the Republic of Croatia and upon having been granted the first temporary stay permit, an alien shall be obliged to report himself/herself to the competent office of the Croatian Health Insurance Agency in order to have his/her rights to the health insurance established according to the regulations that regulate health insurance of aliens in the Republic of Croatia.

The nationals of the countries with which the Republic of Croatia has not concluded the health insurance agreements, shall be obliged to, along with the application for the first temporary stay permit, submit a travel insurance certificate, and upon their arrival into the Republic of Croatia and upon having been granted the first temporary stay permit, they shall be obliged to report themselves to the competent office of the Croatian Health Insurance Agency in order to have their rights to health insurance established according to the regulations that regulate health insurance of aliens in the Republic of Croatia.

To an alien who shall submit his/her application for the first temporary stay in the Republic of Croatia and who is a national of a country with which the Republic of Croatia has not concluded the health insurance agreement, and who cannot produce proof from paragraph 1 of this Article, the competent police administration or police station shall issue a certificate of the submitted application. The alien has to report himself/herself with the said certificate to the competent office of the Croatian Health Insurance Agency in order to have his/her rights to the health insurance established according to the regulations that regulate health insurance of aliens in the Republic of Croatia.

As a proof of fulfilled obligations on the grounds of health insurance in line with Article 52 (1) point 3 of the Aliens Act shall be deemed a certificate of the Tax Administration on fulfilled obligations for health insurance.

10. Which documents are considered as proof of ensured means of subsistence?

The Ordinance on the manner of calculating and the height of the means of subsistence for aliens in the Republic of Croatia (Official Gazette, No:88/09) proscribes the manner of calculating and the height of the minimum means of subsistence needed by aliens as a minimum for granting of temporary and permanent stay in the Republic of Croatia, as well as the documentation aliens shall be obliged to produce as a proof of ensured means of subsistence.

11. Which documents are considered as proof of justified purpose for the stay in the Republic of Croatia?

The following documents shall be considered as a proof of justified temporary stay, or the justified purpose of temporary stay:


1. for the temporary stay with the purpose of family reunification – a proof of the Croatian nationality or granted stay of a spouse or an immediate family member and

  • for proving a marriage – a marriage certificate
  • for proving a common law marriage – marriage certificates and a statement of a common law marriage partners and other proofs of the existence of the common law marriage, a non-marital status certificate shall be required if a marital status cannot be entailed from the birth certificate
  • for proving a child-parent relationship – a birth certificate or a decision of a competent authority on child adoption
  • for proving other kinships and serious personal or humanitarian grounds for the family reunification – all relevant documents from which any kinships and serious personal or humanitarian reasons can incontestably be entailed;

2. for the temporary stay for the purpose of employment – a work or business permit or some other adequate proof (volunteer contract, proof of participating in projects and jobs under international agreements and similar).

The legislator provides for the possibility that an employer may on behalf of an alien at the same time apply for a work permit as well as for the temporary stay.

In case aliens themselves apply for the temporary stay, they may, along with the application for the temporary stay for the purpose of employment, submit the certificate on submitted application for the work or business permit with the obligation of subsequent delivery of the said work or business permit.

3. for the temporary stay for the purpose of secondary school education – certificate of the enrolment in an institution for secondary education or a certificate of participation in an acknowledged student exchange programme carried out by an authorised organisation;

4. for the temporary stay for the purpose of university-level studies – a certificate of the enrolment into an institution of higher education;

5. for the temporary stay for the purpose of scientific research – a visiting contract concluded with a legal person performing scientific work in the Republic of Croatia;

6. for the temporary stay on humanitarian grounds:

  • for victims of trafficking in humans – a certificate of victim status issued by the Operational Team of the National Committee for the Suppression of Trafficking in Humans
  • for the temporary stay on humanitarian grounds, and owing to the existence of other justified reasons of humanitarian nature – proofs on the basis of which humanitarian grounds can be established (for example, proofs which serve to establish that persons have stayed in the Republic of Croatia for several years but have not regulated their status because of their especially serious health condition or their old age; proofs that the persons concerned are victims of domestic violence who have been left without adequate care; proofs that the persons concerned have been provided with organised dwelling by a decision of a competent state authority; proofs that the persons concerned are returning into the Republic of Croatia in line with the Program of Return and Accommodation of Displaced Persons, Refugees and Exiled Persons or the Reconstruction Act);

7. for the temporary stay for other purposes – which can be granted for the maximum period of 6 months a year – evidence that justify the application, for example a title deed for real estates in the Republic of Croatia, a deed of purchase and an evidence on submitting the application for the consent for acquiring title deeds over real estates in the territory of the Republic of Croatia, an evidence of a longer tourist stay and another proof on the grounds of which aliens justify the purpose of their stay.


12. In what ways can an alien married to an Croatian national, an alien granted permanent stay or an asylee work in the Republic of Croatia?

According to Article 140 (1) point 3 of the Aliens Act, aliens with granted temporary stay for the purpose of family reunification with a Croatian national, an alien with granted permanent residence or an asylee, may work in the Republic of Croatia without work/business permit.
 

In other words, aliens with granted temporary stay for the purpose of family reunification as previously mentioned, shall not be obliged to change purpose of their stay if they wish to work in the Republic of Croatia.