EEA and Swiss nationals
May work and provide services without a Croatian stay-and-work permit. A person staying longer than three months must register temporary stay under the rules applying to this category.
Residence and work in Croatia
Croatian residence and work permits: documents and certified translations
The documents and procedure depend on nationality, the basis of stay, the occupation and the employer. This guide helps foreign workers and Croatian employers identify records commonly translated and confirm when a certified Croatian translation may be required before filing.
Quotes usually sent within 30 minutes during business hours · same-day delivery depends on scope and availability.
Start with status
Nationality and the legal basis for work determine the route.
EEA and Swiss nationals, their non-EEA family members and third-country nationals do not follow the same procedure. Identify the applicant category and receiving authority before ordering translations.
Non-EEA family members
A qualifying family member who is not an EEA national follows a separate residence-card procedure. Evidence depends on the family relationship and the EEA national’s status.
Third-country nationals
Generally work under a single stay-and-work permit or another statutory basis. Authorisation is tied to the approved employer and job.
Special categories
EU Blue Card holders, posted workers, key personnel, qualifying self-employed people and other categories have separate requirements and should not be treated as ordinary recruitment cases.
Third-country procedure
The application route depends on the occupation, employer and statutory category.
A stay-and-work permit is a single authorisation for temporary residence and approved employment. Ordinary new recruitment generally begins with an employer’s labour-market test, while shortage occupations, extensions and statutory special categories may follow another route.
- 01
Determine whether a labour-market test is required
For ordinary new recruitment, the employer first asks the Croatian Employment Service to check for suitable workers on the domestic market. The test is not required for shortage occupations and specified statutory categories.
- 02
Prepare the contract and align the details
HZZ requires an employment contract signed by worker and employer; a preliminary agreement or letter of intent is not accepted instead. The position, occupation and duties should match the application and labour-market test.
- 03
Evidence qualifications or experience
Depending on the position, a diploma, certificate, training record, former-employer reference or official-register extract may be required. A regulated profession also requires evidence that the foreign qualification has been recognised in Croatia.
- 04
Check criminal-record and other supporting evidence
A first temporary-stay application generally includes criminal-record evidence from the home country or the country of longer immediate residence, subject to statutory exceptions. Confirm the required form, language, authentication and age for the specific application.
- 05
File through the correct channel
Depending on category, the employer files online through the HZZ system, or the employer or foreign national applies through the competent police administration or station. Current HZZ guidance provides a 90-day filing window after a positive labour-market test.
- 06
Obtain the biometric residence permit after approval
A third-country national granted the relevant residence receives a biometric residence permit. Current MUP guidance asks for a valid travel document and a 30 × 35 mm photograph; check the live official page for changeable fees.
Documents to prepare and translate
Build the file around the applicant, job and recipient.
This is a practical preparation list, not a universal statutory checklist. MUP, HZZ, the employer and any authority responsible for a regulated profession determine what must be supplied in the particular matter.
- 01Valid passport or other accepted travel document
- 02Evidence of the purpose of stay and records for the relevant application category
- 03Employment contract signed by employer and worker
- 04Diploma, certificate or vocational qualification
- 05Former-employer reference or other evidence of work experience
- 06Evidence of Croatian recognition for a regulated profession
- 07Criminal-record certificate when required
- 08Health-insurance and means-of-support evidence where applicable
- 09Birth, marriage or other family-status record for a relevant procedure
- 10Power of attorney where an employer, lawyer or another person represents the applicant
- 11Apostille or other authentication only where required
- 12Photograph and travel document for the biometric residence permit
Certified document translation
From document-set review to a translation ready for filing.
- 01
Send the complete document set
Upload legible scans of every page, stamp, reverse side and authentication. State the applicant’s nationality, procedure, recipient and filing deadline.
- 02
Confirm what actually needs translation
We review language, visible certifications and connected records, and flag where Apostille, an original or another recipient requirement should be confirmed first. Price and timing are agreed before work begins.
- 03
Receive a consistent translated set
Connected qualifications, certificates and employment records are translated with consistent terminology and the agreed certification and format. We check same-day availability for shorter documents.
Practical answers
Common questions about Croatian residence and work documents.
01Do EU, EEA and Swiss nationals need a Croatian work permit?
EEA and Swiss nationals may work and provide services without a stay-and-work permit. A person remaining for more than three months must register temporary stay under the rules for this category. Croatian Ministry of the Interior — EEA nationals ↗
02Is a residence permit separate from a work permit?
For employment of third-country nationals, the stay-and-work permit is a single authorisation covering temporary residence and approved work. MUP — work of third-country nationals ↗
03Is a labour-market test always required?
No. Shortage occupations, certain extensions and specified statutory categories may be exempt. Check the current HZZ and MUP instructions for the case. Croatian Employment Service — work permits ↗
04Who files a stay-and-work permit application?
Depending on the category, the employer files online, or the employer or foreign national applies through the competent police administration or station. MUP — application routes ↗
05Can a letter of intent replace the employment contract?
No under current HZZ guidance. The application requires an employment contract signed by worker and employer; a preliminary agreement or letter of intent is not accepted instead. HZZ — application-document FAQ ↗
06Must a foreign diploma be translated into Croatian?
It depends on the document language and conditions established for the job. HZZ identifies language circumstances in which a Croatian translation is required, and the required form should be confirmed before ordering. HZZ — qualification and experience evidence ↗
07Does a regulated profession require additional evidence?
Yes. Where the person will work in a regulated profession, evidence that the foreign professional qualification has been recognised in Croatia must be supplied. HZZ — regulated professions ↗
08Does a criminal-record certificate need certified translation?
It may. HZZ specifies accepted language and international forms and indicates when Croatian translation by a court interpreter or another authorised body is required. HZZ — criminal-record evidence ↗
09Does every foreign certificate need an Apostille?
No. The issuing country, document type, applicable international or EU regime and the Croatian recipient determine whether authentication is required.
10Does abacus obtain Croatian residence or work permits?
No. Abacus provides specialist and certified translations. The applicant, employer and appropriate professional advisers remain responsible for selecting the procedure, filing the application and obtaining legal advice.
11How is the translation price calculated?
Each price is determined individually after the document has been reviewed, taking account of the language pair, volume and type of text, certification, deadline and any other requirements. A certified-translation quote may be based on Croatia’s Ordinance on Permanent Court Interpreters. The Ordinance calculates written translations by a standard line of 50 characters, with one standard page of 30 lines—or 1,500 characters—as the minimum unit. Ordinance on Permanent Court Interpreters (official Croatian text) ↗
Verified sources
Official sources used for this guide
Professional review: Toni Nogolica · sources checked 14 September 2026.- Croatian Ministry of the Interior — EEA nationalsWork without a permit, registration after three months and the separate position of family members.↗
- MUP — temporary stay of third-country nationalsGeneral conditions, purposes, filing location and criminal-record evidence for a first application.↗
- MUP — work of third-country nationalsSingle permits, authorised work and categories with and without labour-market testing.↗
- Croatian Employment ServiceLabour-market testing, shortage occupations and online applications.↗
- Croatian Employment Service — FAQEmployment contracts, qualifications, regulated professions, translation and criminal-record evidence.↗
- MUP — biometric residence permitDocuments and photograph required for the biometric permit.↗
- Official Gazette 55/2026Current amendments to the Aliens Act published on 27 May 2026.↗
Quote within 30 minutes
Send your documents now.
During business hours, we usually answer complete requests with a quote within 30 minutes. For shorter documents, we will also check whether same-day delivery is available.
Emailinfo@aba-cus.hrPhone+385 1 4886 500AddressIlica 7310 000 Zagreb, Croatia
Files are retained only to prepare your quote and perform the requested translation.
Each price is determined individually after document review. A certified-translation quote may be based on Croatia’s Ordinance on Permanent Court Interpreters.