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🇭🇷 Croatia · MNL → ZAG

Hire Filipino workers in Croatia

Licensed recruitment of skilled Filipino professionals for Croatian employers. Your company is the direct employer — we run selection in Manila, the Croatian permit process and the Philippine exit formalities end to end. From 1 worker.

Route Residence and work permit (dozvola za boravak i rad) Typical timeline 2–4 months Minimum 1 worker

How recruitment works

Every Croatian project runs on the same backbone: you define the roles, headcount and start date; our own DMW-licensed agency in Manila, Prime Search, sources and trade-tests candidates; you approve the shortlist (on-site or online); and we manage the Croatian permit process under your power of attorney while the Philippine side — contract verification, medical, pre-departure orientation and the Overseas Employment Certificate — runs in parallel. The employment contract is signed and verified before departure; your new employee lands, completes local onboarding and clocks in.

The Croatian specifics below are the part that makes Croatia different from every other market we serve.

Licensing: Recruitment in the Philippines runs through our own DMW-licensed agency (Prime Search); delivery in Croatia follows Croatian licensing and immigration rules. Our EU delivery entity (Orienta Czech) supports the process cross-border under the freedom to provide services, subject to Croatian requirements.

Croatian immigration and work-permit route

Residence and work permit (dozvola za boravak i rad). Croatia has become one of the fastest-growing destinations for Filipino workers in Europe, driven by tourism, construction and logistics. The employer applies for the combined residence and work permit at the police administration; the Employment Service runs a labour-market test unless the occupation is exempt. Permits can now be issued for up to three years.

  1. Employer files the permit application with MUP (with HZZ labour-market test where required).
  2. Permit approved; visa issued for entry.
  3. Registration and biometric permit card in Croatia.

Labour-market test: Run by HZZ unless the occupation is on the exemption list.

Shortage occupations: HZZ maintains occupations exempt from the test — many tourism, construction and transport roles.

Authorities involved: Ministry of the Interior (MUP) · Croatian Employment Service (HZZ) · Croatian Embassy / consular network. Rules change; we confirm the current position for your role before you commit, and we tell you the honest number — not the marketing one.

Employer requirements

  • Employer with at least one Croatian/EEA employee in the previous period and no arrears.
  • Contract at least at the statutory minimum for the role.
  • Accommodation meeting the legal standard.

DMW / MWO process on the Philippine side

Deploying a Filipino worker abroad is regulated by the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW). The MWO with jurisdiction for Croatia verifies employers and contracts; we confirm the current assignment before deployment. The verified contract, together with the job order approved by the DMW, allows the worker to obtain the Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC) — the exit clearance without which no Filipino worker can legally leave for a job abroad. Pre-employment orientation, medical examination at a DOH-accredited medical clinic authorised to examine overseas Filipino workers and pre-departure orientation complete the sequence. Because we operate the licensed agency ourselves, this runs in parallel with the Croatian permit rather than after it.

Timeline

Typical gate-to-gate time for Croatia is 2–4 months from signed engagement to the first arrival, driven mainly by the Croatian permit and the embassy appointment in Manila. Sourcing and trade testing usually take two to four weeks and are not on the critical path. We give you a written timeline for your specific role before you commit.

Typical professions for Croatia

Sectors where Croatian employers most often hire Filipino workers through us:

  • Tourism & hospitality
  • Construction
  • Logistics
  • Shipbuilding
  • Manufacturing

Costs and commercial model

Our contractual partner is the employer, and it is the employer we invoice for the service. You receive an individual offer for Croatia covering sourcing, trade testing, documentation, the permit process and arrival support — there is no price list, because volumes, roles and the Croatian route differ from project to project. Direct employment means the worker's wage is paid by you under your Croatian contract; there is no intermediary employer.

What a typical Croatia project looks like

A Croatian employer briefs us on roles and headcount. Within two to four weeks we present trade-tested candidates from Manila with video assessments; the employer interviews online and approves. We file the residence and work permit under power of attorney while Prime Search completes the DMW documentation. The employment contracts are signed and MWO-verified before departure; on arrival the workers complete registration and local onboarding and start on the floor — with our team reachable for the first months of integration. Whether the project is one specialist or a full shift, the mechanics are identical.

Frequently asked questions — Croatia

  • Is Croatia only for seasonal tourism?

    No — shipyards, construction and logistics hire year-round; seasonal permits exist separately.

  • Is there a Filipino community?

    Growing fast since 2022, especially on the coast and in Zagreb.

  • Does Schengen change anything?

    Croatia is in Schengen; the permit remains national, but travel within the area is simpler.