Croatia

Croatia is a country of 3.9 million people with an employment rate below the EU average: 74.4% of people aged 20–64 have a job (EU: 76.1%).

Unemployment has fallen fast – from 6.8% in 2022 to 4.9% in 2025, below the EU average of 6.0%. Young people find it harder: youth unemployment is 18.3% among people aged 15–24, higher than the EU average of 15.2%.

As an EU/EEA citizen you do not need a work permit – you can work in Croatia without a stay and work permit, on the same terms as Croatians. For most jobs you need Croatian: CVs are normally written in Croatian, unless the employer asks for another language.

The latest EU-wide overview of shortages – the EURES report on labour shortages and surpluses 2025 (European Labour Authority, June 2026) – lists for Croatia mainly skilled trades:

• construction – bricklayers, roofers, floor layers and tile setters, insulation workers, painters, concrete workers, building construction labourers, crane operators,
• installation and repair – plumbers and pipe fitters, electrical mechanics and fitters, air-conditioning and refrigeration mechanics, motor vehicle mechanics, agricultural and industrial machinery mechanics, electronics servicers,
• metalworking – welders and flame cutters, sheet metal workers, structural metal workers, machine tool setters and operators,
• technicians and IT – electrical and electronics engineering technicians, web and multimedia developers.

Tourism hires seasonal staff every year: the Croatian Employment Service (HZZ) runs a separate portal for seasonal jobs – bartenders, waiters, chefs, receptionists and room attendants, mostly in towns on the Adriatic coast.

For graduates, the list points to IT and engineering technology. HZZ also keeps a list of occupations for which employers do not need a labour market test when they hire non-EU workers.

The main public source of vacancies is the Croatian Employment Service (Hrvatski zavod za zapošljavanje, HZZ). Start here:

• Burza rada – the HZZ job exchange: vacancies from all over Croatia, and you can upload your CV for employers,
• Sezonski poslovi – the HZZ portal for seasonal jobs, mainly in tourism,
• EURES – the EU job portal, plus EURES advisers at HZZ (eures.hzz.hr, with a chat service),
• public sector – for jobs in the state administration you create a profile in the Centralised Employment System and apply online through e-Građani.

Private employers usually want an application by email with your CV and sometimes copies of diplomas and certificates. HZZ’s career centres (CISOK) offer free information and counselling.

For step-by-step advice on job search, CVs and interviews in any EU country, see our How to find a job abroad – 10 practical guides.

A Croatian application usually contains:

• a CV in chronological order – personal data, education, skills and work experience, typed on a computer; the Europass CV is a good format,
• a photo – not necessary, but you can add one (e.g. a passport photo),
• references from former employers – usually not required, but a good idea to enclose if you have them.

Write in Croatian unless the employer asks otherwise. For public-sector jobs you normally also need proof of qualifications (diplomas, certificates), a certificate that you have no criminal record, and proof of nationality and residence.

The interview: before you go, find out about the employer’s activity, how the workplace is organised and the dress code.

Diplomas: the ENIC/NARIC office at the Agency for Science and Higher Education (AZVO) assesses foreign higher education qualifications for the labour market and gives information on regulated professions, for which a formal recognition is needed.

• Minimum wage: €1,050 gross a month in 2026 – the lowest monthly gross salary for a full-time worker.
• Extras: it is common practice to get 0.5% more for each year of service (usually set in a collective agreement). Some employers pay a transport allowance or a non-taxable hot meal allowance (up to €1,800 a year), and some pay a Christmas or holiday bonus.
• Working time: full-time work is 8 hours a day or 40 hours a week. If you work at least 6 hours a day, you get a paid break of at least 30 minutes. Daily rest: at least 12 hours; weekly rest: at least 24 hours.
• Overtime is paid at a higher rate and limited to 32 hours a month and 180 hours a year.
• Holidays: at least 4 weeks of paid leave a year – you can use them after 6 months in the job. Up to 7 days of paid leave for important personal needs (e.g. marriage, birth of a child, serious illness or death in the family).
• Contract: must be in writing. If the employer does not give you a written contract, it counts as a permanent one. A probation period can last up to six months.

Students from the EU/EEA can work in Croatia without any permit. The typical student job is arranged as student work (studentski posao):

• How it works: through an intermediary – a student centre (studentski centar) or an authorised higher-education institution. You, the intermediary and the employer sign a student work contract (ugovor o obavljanju studentskoga posla).
• Who: students enrolled at Croatian universities and colleges, and exchange students in Croatia.
• Pay: at least €6.56 net an hour (2026) – the minimum gross wage divided by 160 hours.
• Holiday jobs: the HZZ seasonal jobs portal lists summer jobs in tourism along the coast.
• Traineeships after graduation (pripravništvo): HZZ subsidises employers who hire registered unemployed people for their first job in their profession, or young people up to 29. You get an employment contract and a salary, usually for up to 12 months – see traineeship support 2026.

Students from outside the EU with temporary stay for university studies may work up to 20 hours a week without a stay and work permit (a compulsory internship that is part of the study programme does not count).

Thinking of studying there first? See Studying in Croatia – practical information.

1. Register your stay: if you stay longer than 3 months, register your temporary stay at the police administration or police station where you live – no later than 8 days after the 3 months end. You need an ID card or passport, documents on the purpose of your stay (e.g. employment contract), health insurance, proof of means and of accommodation. You get a registration certificate free of charge; a biometric residence card is optional (€13.27, valid 5 years).
2. OIB: your personal identification number. You get it when you register your residence, or you can ask for it at a Tax Administration office. You need it to get a job, open a bank account, make payments and deal with institutions.
3. Insurance: your employer registers you for compulsory pension and health insurance (HZZO) and must give you a copy of the registration.
4. Tax: the employer deducts income tax and your pension contribution (20% of gross pay); health insurance (16.5%) is paid by the employer on top. The basic personal allowance is €600 a month. Tax rates are set by your city or municipality: a lower rate on income up to €5,000 a month (€60,000 a year) and a higher rate above that.
5. Bank account: you need your OIB to open one.

Problems with your rights as an EU worker? Your Europe Advice and SOLVIT help for free.

If you are not an EU/EEA citizen, you need a stay and work permit (dozvola za boravak i rad) – a single permit for both. In most cases your employer applies at the police administration or police station; HZZ first carries out a labour market test, except for occupations on the HZZ exemption list and some other cases. Fees: €74.32 for the permit plus €31.85 for the biometric residence card. The main routes:

• Graduates of Croatian universities can stay for one year after their studies to look for a job or start a business – renewable for one more year.
• EU Blue Card – for highly qualified jobs: you need a higher-education diploma and an employment contract for at least one year.
• Seasonal work – a separate permit for seasonal workers.

All the conditions and steps are explained by the Ministry of the Interior: Work of third-country nationals.

• Eurostat – population on 1 January, unemployment by age, employment rate (data for 2025 and 2026),
• EURES – Living and working conditions: Croatia,
• European Labour Authority – EURES report on labour shortages and surpluses 2025,
• HZZ – Croatian Employment Service, seasonal jobs, traineeship support 2026, work permits and labour market test,
• gov.hr – student work, income tax, Centralised Employment System,
• Tax Administration – personal allowance, OIB,
• Ministry of the Interior – stay and work of EEA nationals, work of third-country nationals, highly qualified workers (EU Blue Card),
• AZVO – recognition of foreign qualifications,
• EU Immigration Portal – students in Croatia,
• Your Europe – working abroad.

Updated: October 2026.