Croatia seasonal work permit

A seasonal permit for up to 90 days a year in agriculture, forestry, hospitality or tourism is issued without a labour market test and without an HZZ opinion. If the employer wants to keep the worker for up to nine months a year, it must run the labour market test where required and obtain the HZZ opinion. The English MUP page still mentions six months, but the current Croatian-language page and the amended Aliens Act use nine months.

The worker needs a valid passport for the whole permit, a valid employment contract, appropriate accommodation, a clean criminal record and no entry ban. The criminal record certificate is not needed again if no more than nine months have passed since the previous seasonal permit expired. Health insurance is proven by the employment contract, on which the employer registers the worker with the Croatian Health Insurance Fund.

For seasonal work up to 90 days, the worker or employer can file the application on Form 2a at the police administration for the place of work or the employer’s seat, or through the HZZ online application. For a first seasonal permit, visa-regime nationals attach Form 18a, a doctor’s health and vaccination certificate not older than 90 days. No promissory note is required for seasonal permits.

After approval, a worker who needs a visa obtains a D visa (EUR 93) at the Croatian mission or VFS centre and registers on arrival. Seasonal permits up to 90 days are not issued as biometric cards; the police hand the worker a document explaining their rights and obligations.

Within the nine-month annual limit a seasonal permit can be extended once, with the same or another employer. The application is filed at the police no later than 15 days before expiry, and the worker may keep working until the decision. After the permit ends the worker must leave Croatia and the Schengen area.

A permit valid for up to three years can be issued for the same employer and the same or a similar seasonal occupation if the employer presents either a fixed-term contract for permanent seasonal work stating the intention to rehire in future seasons, or an open-ended contract for permanent seasonal work with the work periods. The worker may then work up to 90 days or nine months each year in the stated periods; work periods may shift by up to 30 days on a new contract, but a 90-day permit cannot later be turned into a nine-month one.

Accommodation must be in a fixed structure with running water, electricity and heating (except in summer quarters) and a toilet separated from sleeping and living areas. At most six workers may share the premises for sleeping, living and cooking, and the minimum floor space is 14 m2 for one person, 20 m2 for two, 26 m2 for three, 32 m2 for four, 38 m2 for five and 44 m2 for six. Men and women sleep separately unless they are family members.

If the employer arranges the housing, rent must be proportionate and may not exceed 30 percent of the net salary, it may not be deducted automatically from pay, and the worker receives a lease or an equivalent document. Any change of accommodation must be reported to the police within eight days. The applicant signs a statement that the housing meets these rules.

Seasonal workers have the same rights as Croatian citizens on pay, working hours, leave, health and safety, trade union membership, back pay, social security branches, education and recognition of qualifications. A worker who believes these rights were breached can take the employer to the competent court or authorities, also after the job has ended, and may be represented by a lawyer or an authorised association; taking action may not be used against the worker.