Employment of Foreign Workers in Croatia: New Ratios and Shortage Occupations from 2026
As of 4 June 2026, amendments to the Croatian Aliens Act are in force which, among other matters, changed the conditions under which employers may employ third-country nationals. Of particular importance to employers are the prescribed ratio between domestic and foreign workers and whether the foreign worker is being employed in an occupation included on the shortage-occupation list of the Croatian Employment Service (HZZ).
Ratio of domestic and foreign workers
For occupations that are not included on the HZZ shortage-occupation list, the number of full-time employees who are citizens of the Republic of Croatia, an EEA Member State or Switzerland must amount to at least 20% of the number of employed third-country nationals.
In practice, this means that one domestic or EU worker permits the employment of no more than five workers from third countries. If the foreign worker is employed in a shortage occupation, the more favourable ratio of 10% applies, meaning that one domestic or EU worker permits the employment of no more than ten workers from third countries.
For each new application, previously issued positive opinions of the HZZ are also counted in the number of foreign workers. Therefore, before filing a new application, the employer should check the total number of foreign workers for whom it has already obtained a positive HZZ opinion, rather than only the number of workers who have actually started working at that time.
Shortage occupations
For occupations included on the list adopted by the HZZ Governing Council, a labour market test does not have to be carried out in advance. The employer may proceed directly with the procedure for obtaining a residence and work permit, provided that the other statutory requirements are met.
Shortage occupations in construction and installations include, among others, bricklayer, carpenter, reinforcement worker, concrete worker, welder, facade worker, building-element installer, construction machinery operator, stonemason, crane operator, building construction worker, civil engineering worker, pipeline fitter, painter and decorator, roofer, plumber, electrical installer, heating and air-conditioning installer, metal-structure fitter, ceramic tiler, floor layer and insulation worker.
The list also includes numerous occupations in the metal industry, transport and maintenance, such as sheet-metal worker, locksmith, electrical fitter, maintenance electrician, truck driver, truck driver with trailer, motor vehicle mechanic, vehicle painter and vehicle body repairer. Production and food occupations include, among others, joiner, leather worker, national-cuisine cook, pastry chef, baker and butcher, while IT occupations include programmer, user-interface designer and systems administrator.
Specific rules for Primorsko-goranska county
In Primorsko-goranska county, the list also includes certain occupations relevant to tourism and hospitality. These include waiter and cook and, for seasonal work, room attendant, cleaner, kitchen assistant and assistant waiter.
What to check before filing an application
Before each new hire, the specific occupation, place of work, current shortage-occupation list, existing number of employed foreign workers and number of employed domestic or EU workers should be checked. The status of an individual occupation and territorial exceptions may change by decision of the HZZ, so the applicable conditions should always be verified according to the situation at the time the application is filed.
