Highlights:

·      The Croatian work permit is to be extended to up to three years from the current one year.

·      Reports reveal that the country has around 143,000 foreign workers at present.

·      The Croatian Ministry of Interior reported that the country is issuing 20,000 work permits each month.

·      Croatia issued 85,000 residence permits from January to July and extended 32,000 permits.

Croatia extends Work and Residence Permits

According to new developments, the Ministry of Interior in Croatia has decided to extend the maximum stay duration allowed for Croatian Work and Residence permits. The validity period of the Croatian Work and Residence permit will be extended to three years from one year.

The country is also planning to implement favorable rules to standardize accommodation policies for foreign workers. Extending the validity of work and residence permits will make it easier for foreign workers to change workplaces or employers.

Foreign workers in Croatia

Croatian Minister of Labour Marian Piletić stated that foreign workers have significantly contributed to the country’s economic development. He also said that foreign workers have positively impacted the price of work in Croatia, as the average salary offered by the country has risen.

Currently, there are around 143,000 foreign workers in Croatia. Among them, around 12,000 foreign workers are reported to be from non-EU countries.

Current Job Market in Croatia

The 2023 EURES Report reveals that the country still needs a considerable number of foreign workers to address labour shortages across 30 job fields. The maximum number of job vacancies is noted in Istria, Croatia.

Labor market in Croatia: Croatia has a developed labor market, especially in the fields of tourism and hospitality, information technology, agriculture, construction, finance, and other industries. Specialists in engineering, IT, tourism, medicine, and language translation are often sought after.

Professions in demand: Some of the professions in demand include restaurant staff, hotel staff, programmers, engineers, medical professionals, teachers, marketing and sales professionals.

The Ministry of Interior in Croatia reported that the country issued almost 85,000 permits and extended 32,000 residence permits from January to July 2024. In addition, the country is also issuing 20,000 work permits every month to foreign workers.