According to the Foreigners Act, a third-country national is a person who does not hold the nationality of a member state of the European Economic Area or the Swiss Confederation, but holds the nationality of a third country or is a stateless person.
Third-country nationals in the Republic of Croatia can reside under short-term stay, temporary stay, permanent stay, or they may be granted long-term residence. The following text will provide more detailed information on the specific types of stay.
Temporary residence
According to Article 57, temporary residence can be requested for various purposes, but in practice, the most common case is the granting of temporary residence for the purpose of work.
In such cases, a third-country national is issued a temporary residence permit in the form of a residence and work permit, which is generally approved for a period of up to one year, with the possibility of extension.
A third-country national will be granted temporary residence if they:
- prove the purpose of their temporary stay,
- have a valid travel document,
- have funds to support themselves,
- have health insurance,
- when applying for temporary stay for the first time, enclose proof that they have not been convicted by a final ruling of any criminal offences in their home country or a country where they resided for more than one year immediately prior to arriving in the Republic of Croatia, unless they are posted workers, students, scientific researchers, or intra-corporate transferees utilising mobility, arriving from another EEA Member State,
- have not been banned entry and stay in the Republic of Croatia and no alert has been issued in SIS for the purpose of banning their entry, and
- are not considered threat for public policy, national security or public health.
Long-term residence
Long-term residence can be granted to a third-country national who has had uninterrupted temporary residence, asylum, or subsidiary protection in the Republic of Croatia for five years prior to the date of application, provided they meet the following conditions:
- have a valid travel document,
- have funds to support themselves,
- have health insurance,
- have the knowledge of the Croatian language and Latin script,
- are not considered threat for public policy, national security or public health.
A third-country national is considered to have resided continuously in the Republic of Croatia even if, during the five-year period, they have been absent from the Republic of Croatia multiple times for a total of up to ten months or once for up to six months.
Article 151 of the Foreigners Act defines which periods of time required for the approval of long-term residence will not be counted (e.g., residence based on a seasonal worker’s residence and work permit, temporary residence approved for posted workers, etc.).
Eu blue card
One of the options for obtaining residence in the Republic of Croatia is acquiring the EU Blue Card, which is valid in all EU countries except Denmark and Ireland.
To be issued an EU Blue Card, the holder must be a highly qualified worker from a third country, and its issuance simultaneously grants temporary residence and work authorization in Croatia.
A third-country national who has been issued the EU Blue Card can work in Croatia only in the job and for the employer for whom the residence and work permit was issued.
The conditions for obtaining it in Croatia are the same as for obtaining temporary residence, with additional requirements:ž
- An employment contract for performing highly qualified work for another person and under their direction, for a duration of at least one year, concluded with a company, branch, representative office, craftsman, family farm, cooperative, association, or institution registered in the Republic of Croatia.
- Proof of higher education, i.e., a diploma, certificate, or other evidence of formal qualification issued by a higher education institution recognized in the home country.
- Proof that they meet the conditions in accordance with special regulations on professional qualifications for performing the regulated profession stated in the employment contract.
Holders of the EU Blue Card enjoy certain benefits, such as being able to apply for temporary residence for a family member, which will be granted for the same duration as the EU Blue Card issued to the third-country national with whom family reunification is sought in Croatia.
Additionally, after residing and working in one EU member state, they can live in another member state and apply for a new EU Blue Card.
The period spent in different member states is added up to acquire the right to apply for long-term residence.
They are also guaranteed equal treatment as EU citizens and are allowed entry and re-entry into the member state that issued the EU Blue Card.