Loading…
2 programs for Croatia. Explore the options and get an expert assessment.
This is the status most people reach after building a life in Croatia through work. After five years of continuous legal residence you can apply for EU long-term resident status, which gives you near-equal treatment with Croatian nationals and easier movement to other EU states. Croatia does ask for knowledge of the Croatian language and Latin script as part of this step, with some exemptions (for example, people over 65 who aren't employed, and children).
Permanent stay is Croatia's open-ended residence status, generally reached through close family ties, humanitarian routes, or protection status rather than through years of work alone. The required period of prior residence varies by category. If your route to staying long-term is through years of employment, the EU long-term residence status (see that route) is usually the relevant one.
It's the status most work-based residents reach: after five years of continuous legal residence you can apply for EU long-term resident status. Croatia asks for knowledge of the Croatian language and Latin script, with some exemptions.
It lets close family join a sponsor lawfully in Croatia — a Croatian citizen, or a non-EU national with permanent, long-term, temporary stay or protection. One catch: if your sponsor is on a one-year stay-and-work permit, they must already have held temporary stay for at least a year.
Permanent Stay is Croatia's open-ended residence status, generally reached through close family ties, humanitarian routes or protection status rather than years of work alone. If your route is years of employment, EU long-term residence is usually the relevant one.
Work-based residents usually aim for EU long-term residence after five years of continuous legal residence (with a Croatian language and Latin script requirement). A separate permanent-stay status exists mainly for family, humanitarian or protection cases. The corpus doesn't cover citizenship rules.
It's a single permit covering both residence and work. For most jobs your employer starts with a labour-market test at the HZZ, then the stay-and-work application goes to MUP.
Skilled workers usually use the stay-and-work permit, or the EU Blue Card if highly qualified with a graduate-level qualification. Since 2021 there's no quota; for most roles the employer runs an HZZ labour-market test, which the Blue Card skips.
It's Croatia's main route for non-EU workers — a single permit combining the right to stay and to work. Since 2021 there's no annual quota; instead, for most jobs your employer first asks the Croatian Employment Service (HZZ) to run a labour-market test.
Yes, through Temporary Stay for Family Reunification, covering spouses, common-law partners, minor children and certain parents. Note: if your sponsor is on a one-year stay-and-work permit, they must already have held temporary stay for at least a year first.
Take the assessment or ask Acey, our immigration assistant.
Immigrate (Permanent Residence) — Croatia