Instructions on the procedures of the issuance of business permits to aliens

• First step – Competent police administration/police station
• Second step – Payment at a post office/FINA (Financial Agency)/Bank
• Third step – Competent Police administration/police station

First step – Competent police administration/police station

• An alien shall submit in person the application for the issuance of a business permit*¹ (Form 3a may be obtained through the Internet) at a competent police administration or a police station according to the place of his/her business.

Together with the application for a business permit, an alien may also submit the application for temporary stay for the purpose of work. In exceptional cases an alien may apply for a business permit through his/her legal representative.

• Besides the completed work permit application *² an alien shall submit the documents for the issuance of a consent.

Upon the entry into force of the Ordinance on Consent, in the procedure for the issuance of a business permit to aliens, an alien shall subsequently deliver the documents provided for under the mentioned Ordinance.

Upon submitting his/her application for the business permit, an alien shall be given a receipt note by a police administration or a police station.

*¹ NOTE: Business permit may be granted to the following persons:

• the founder of a company in the Republic of Croatia, or to an alien who is a majority shareholder of the company holding at least 51% of shares and is conducting business in the Republic of Croatia,
• the sole proprietor who has registered his/her business in the Republic of Croatia, or to one of the co-owners of a joint sole proprietorship;
• an alien free lancer in compliance with the Republic of Croatia regulations, and
• to an alien rendering services on behalf of a foreign employer.

A business permit may be granted to the founders of companies and sole proprietors if their companies or sole proprietorships add to an increase of business and economic growth of the Republic of Croatia, if new production procedures are being introduced, or new equipment and cutting edge technology, and if their business encourages the opening of new work posts and the employment of Croatian workers.

A business permit may be issued to free lancers in case they are adequately qualified, if they possess sufficient financial means and if their business contributes to the interests of the Republic of Croatia.

A business permit may be issued to aliens rendering services on behalf of a foreign employer if they are employed by a foreign employer and if they are adequately qualified and if the foreign employer has concluded a business contract with a Croatian company or sole proprietorship, all under the condition that the business permit has been applied for an alien who renders specific services and deals with high technology business that contributes to the interests of the Republic of Croatia.

An alien may be granted a business permit only on the basis of a letter of consent issued by the Croatian Economy Chamber through a competent county economy chamber. Stated must be the reasons for granting or denying of such a consent.

To the aliens dealing with a freelance work, a business permit may be granted on the basis of the entry into an appropriate register of the Republic of Croatia in compliance with special regulations, that is, on the basis of an entry into the register laid down by the Ordinance adopted by a head of a state administration central authority responsible for a specific business activity.

Aliens who are members of the European Union do not need a letter of consent to be issued to them by the Croatian Economy Chamber through a competent county economy chamber.

*²NOTE: An alien should apply for the renewal of his/her business permit at a police administration or a police station at least 30 days before the expiry date of the existing business permit.

A competent police administration or police station shall, ex officio, forward the request for a letter of consent to a competent county chamber of economy of the Croatian Chamber of Economy.

A respective police administration or a police station shall inform the alien concerned or his/her legal representative of the completion of the application procedure.

2. Step – Payment made at a post office/FINA/bank

• If an application for a business permit has been positively decided upon, a payment of 300.00 HRK should be made at a post office/FINA/bank. It should be paid by means of a payment slip to the drawing account, the number of which shall be obtained at a police administration or a police station.

3. Step – Competent police administration/police station

• Upon the producing of the proof of 300.00 HRK paid for a business permit, it shall be served to an alien or to his/her legal representative at a competent police administration or police station in a form of a decision.

Besides the business permit, an alien is obliged to regulate his/her temporary stay for the purpose of work. Aliens shall apply for their first temporary stay permit at a police administration or a police station at the same moment they apply for business permits.