Croatia issues one document for residence and work, to the employer's application, for the length of the contract up to three years. The 2025 and 2026 amendments changed the deadlines, the conditions and the renewal — this is the procedure as it stands.
For occupations not on the HZZ exemption list the employer asks the Croatian Employment Service to run the labour-market test: HZZ publishes the vacancy to registered jobseekers and reports within 15 days whether a suitable domestic candidate exists. If none does, the employer may file the permit application. For occupations on the exemption list — adopted by the HZZ Administrative Board under Article 101, with county-specific entries for some roles — the test is skipped and the file goes straight to MUP. Since 2026 an occupation the employer has already tested in the last 90 days is not tested again for a further permit.
For a new hire the employer files the residence-and-work permit application online through the joint HZZ/MUP platform, within 90 days of the labour-market test result where one was run; the police administration or police station takes only renewals with the same employer and position, seasonal work up to 90 days and Article 110 categories. The file carries the employment contract or binding offer, the HZZ result or the exemption, evidence of the employer conditions (turnover, headcount ratio, arrears certificates, registered activity), the accommodation evidence and the worker's documents. MUP decides within 90 days of a complete application; the 2026 amendment allows 30 more days in complex cases. Since 2026 the permit is tied to the police-administration area where the test was run — a worker recruited for Istria works in Istria.
The permit is issued for the period of the employment contract — up to three years for the standard route; some categories issued without an HZZ opinion run for up to two years. Renewal is applied for at least 30 days before expiry; from the first renewal after one year the worker must show Croatian at A1.1, with the exam cost borne by the employer.
Filipinos need a long-stay visa D to enter for work: once MUP approves, the worker lodges the application at the VFS Global visa application centre in Manila, which serves the Croatian mission accredited for the Philippines, with the approval, the contract and the standard visa documents. In parallel the contract is verified by MWO Vienna, and the worker completes the medical examination, pre-departure orientation and Overseas Employment Certificate in Manila. On arrival the worker registers the address and collects the biometric permit card.
Pay must be at least the statutory minimum — €1,050 gross a month in 2026 — or the extended sector collective agreement where one applies (construction, hospitality), and accommodation must meet the legal standard for the whole stay; we put both in the offer before the interview so nothing is renegotiated at the police counter.
Recruitment runs through our own DMW-licensed agency, Prime Search Manpower Agency Inc. in Makati (licence DMW-027-LB-11182024): your company is accredited at the Migrant Workers Office in Vienna, which has jurisdiction for Croatia, the job order is registered with the DMW, and every worker leaves Manila with a verified contract, medical clearance, pre-departure orientation and an Overseas Employment Certificate. The Philippine ban on direct hiring applies; the employer is always your company, directly — the Croatian permit is issued to you, not to an agency.
Everything here is subject to the Foreigners Act as amended (NN 40/2025, NN 55/2026), the HZZ exemption list in force and MUP practice.
The application is the employer's, filed in Croatia; the worker's part is the visa D after approval. We prepare both files.
The statutory deadline is 90 days from a complete application. Files with an exempt occupation and clean employer documents are decided faster; incomplete files restart the clock. Our checklist is the police administration's checklist.
Yes, and to the occupation and police-administration area. After six months the worker may change employer through the notification procedure; a new occupation needs a new test and permit.
General information for employers, not legal or migration advice. Rules change; we re-verify before each hire.