Expat Employment · Croatia
Expat Employment in Croatia
Need a non-EU specialist’s work delivered in Croatia, without setting up a Croatian company? We take on a defined service for your business. Our Local Team applies for the stay and work permit as the employer, employs the specialist, directs and manages their work, and runs Croatian payroll.
Every case is reviewed before anyone is offered a role or books a flight. Last reviewed November 2026; general information, not legal advice.
The short answer
Can a non-EU specialist work in Croatia if your company has no Croatian entity?
Yes, when a Croatian employer obtains the permit and genuinely employs and directs them. A stay and work permit is issued for work with a specific employer, and Croatia restricts permits for staff placed with another business. So we take on a defined service for your business, and our Local Team employs, directs and manages the specialist who carries it out. EU, EEA and Swiss nationals need no permit and can be hired through Employer of Record.
A good fit
Specialist work you need done in Croatia, such as an IT, engineering, tourism or construction project, where the right person is a non-EU national and you do not want a Croatian company yet.
What we check first
Whether the work can be defined as a service we deliver, whether a labour market test is needed or the role is exempt, the documents and the timing. We confirm all of it before you commit.
Another route is better
You are hiring a Croatian, EU, EEA or Swiss national (Employer of Record), the work is a project for a genuinely independent professional (On-Demand Talent), or you already employ people in Croatia and only need payroll run (Croatia payroll).
How it works
How our expat employment service works in Croatia
You agree the scope, the results and the timeline with NNRoad HQ in a service agreement. Our Local Team then applies for the permit, employs the specialist in Croatia and directs their work. You review the results and request changes through NNRoad HQ, your single point of contact for the agreement, invoices and any change in scope.
NNRoad HQ and our Local Team
- Reviewing the permit route and documents
- Applying for the permit as employer and renewals
- A written employment contract
- Directing and managing the specialist’s work
- Croatian payroll with JOPPD
- Online portal for reports, records and pay slips
Your company
- Defining the scope, results and deadlines
- Proposing the specialist, or the profile the work needs
- Providing the information and materials the work depends on
- Reviewing results and requesting changes through NNRoad HQ
- Funding the monthly invoice on the agreed dates
The legal position
What Croatia requires before a non-EU national starts work
Non-EU nationals need a stay and work permit, a single permit covering residence and work, issued for a specific employer. These rules decide whether a case can go ahead:
- Labour market test. The employer first asks the Croatian Employment Service for a test, then applies within 90 days. Shortage occupations, EU Blue Card holders and key staff skip it.
- A specific employer. The permit is for work with the named employer, and permits for staff placed with another business are restricted.
- Pay and conditions. Salary must meet the minimum wage and the conditions of comparable Croatian staff.
- Documents. Passport, qualifications and a criminal record certificate are usually needed.
- No work before the permit. Work starts once the permit is issued, with social insurance from day one.
What this means for you
The specialist works for our Local Team, which directs their work and handles every employer decision under Croatian procedure. You define the results, review them and change the scope through the service agreement. If you later set up your own Croatian company, it can apply for a permit in its own name. For the full rules, read our Croatia work permit guide.
Your proposal
How we scope a Croatia expat case
We quote after reviewing the work, so the proposal reflects the real scope, salary, nationality and timeline rather than a headline rate.
What your proposal shows
Every line, before you sign
Gross salary, the employer’s health contribution and the cost of delivering the service, each as its own line.
Permit fees, document legalisation and translation, relocation and housing if you agree them, listed apart from NNRoad’s service fee. One-time items or a deposit, if any, are confirmed in writing before you approve the case.
One invoice a month, with a payroll summary you can reconcile.
Included in the service
- Case review against the Aliens Act
- Labour market test, permit and renewals
- Contract and registrations
- Payroll, tax and contributions
- Direction and management of the work
- Final pay and closing the file
Official costs
What a non-EU hire in Croatia costs
Permit fees are modest compared with salary. Most of the cost of a non-EU hire is the same as for a local one.
| Item | Who pays | Position in 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Health insurance | Employer 16.5% | Same as Croatian staff |
| Pension | Employee 20% | Same as Croatian staff |
| Income tax | Employee, withheld by the employer | Same rules as Croatian staff; see the Croatia payroll and tax guide |
| Permit | By agreement | Government fees |
Also budget for
Relocation, housing and family reunification if you agree them, and the time the permit takes.
Quick estimate
Model a salary in our calculator
See employer contributions, employee deductions and net pay for a monthly salary in EUR.
Timing and permits
How long it takes, and what keeps the permit valid
Plan for several weeks for the labour market test where needed and the permit decision. Nobody should start work until the permit is issued.
| Topic | Position in 2026 |
|---|---|
| Labour market test | From the Croatian Employment Service, unless exempt |
| Application | Filed by the employer within 90 days of the test |
| Permit | Stay and work permit for the specific employer |
| Renewal | Applied for before the permit expires |
| Change of employer | Needs a new permit |
For contracts, leave and termination rules, see our Croatia employment law guide.
Process
How a Croatia expat engagement works with NNRoad
Every engagement starts with a case review, so the service, the permit route and the employment terms are confirmed in writing before anyone relocates. Cut-off, invoice and pay dates are fixed in a working calendar we agree with you.
Once, before your first case
01 · Client onboarding
YouShare the work you need done, the location and timing, and the proposed specialist’s nationality and CV, and complete our company verification.
NNRoad HQConfirms that Expat Employment suits the work, then sends the proposal, the service agreement and the working calendar.
Local TeamChecks the labour market test, exemptions and documents.
For each employee, before work starts
02 · Employee onboarding
YouConfirm the specialist, the results and the target date.
Local TeamRequests the labour market test where needed, applies for the permit as employer, signs the contract, registers the specialist for insurance and sets up payroll.
NNRoad HQReports progress and confirms the start date once the specialist can lawfully work.
Every month, on the working calendar
03 · Monthly payroll cycle
YouReview the results delivered, request changes through NNRoad HQ and fund the invoice.
Local TeamDirects the specialist’s work, calculates gross-to-net, files the JOPPD, pays salary and issues pay slips through the portal.
NNRoad HQSends the invoice with a summary and answers your questions in English.
Every year
04 · Year-end
The Local Team issues annual income statements, tracks permit expiry dates and starts renewals in time. NNRoad HQ reviews the scope, budget and renewals with you for the year ahead.
When the work ends
05 · Employee offboarding
YouTell NNRoad HQ in writing that the service is changing or ending, and when.
Local TeamEnds the employment under Croatian procedure, pays final amounts and any severance due, and notifies the authorities where required.
NNRoad HQAgrees the timeline and the cost with you before anything is communicated.
When you end the service or move to your own company
06 · Client offboarding
You give the notice set in your service agreement. We end each employment lawfully, run the final payroll and filings, and reconcile the last invoices and any deposit. If your own Croatian company is ready, it can apply for a permit in its own name.
Checklist
What we need to start in Croatia
From you
- Work to be delivered and results expected
- Location in Croatia
- Qualifications the work requires
- Proposed gross monthly salary in EUR
- Target date and expected duration
From the employee
- Valid passport
- Degree and experience evidence
- Criminal record certificate
- CV
- Photographs
Before work starts
- Stay and work permit issued
- Signed contract
- Pension and health registration
- OIB issued
- Payroll and pay calendar set up
Why NNRoad
Choosing an expat employment provider in Croatia
One contact, in English
NNRoad HQ handles the agreement, invoices and escalations, so you do not juggle several local providers.
A permit that matches the facts
The employer named in the permit employs and directs the specialist, so the permit matches the facts.
Current law, current numbers
Cases follow the Aliens Act and the Labour Act.
Renewals on the calendar
We track permit expiry dates and start renewals well ahead.
Clear visibility
Our online portal gives you employee records and reports, and gives the employee their payslips.
Itemised costs
Government fees, salary costs and NNRoad’s service fee each appear as a separate line.
Comparing providers in Croatia? Ask which company is named on the permit, whether that company directs the specialist, how renewals are tracked, and whether the proposal itemises every cost.
Looking for someone to place a non-EU specialist with you? Croatia restricts permits for staff placed with another business. We deliver the work as a service, with the specialist employed and managed by our Local Team.
Get a quote
Review my Croatia expat case
Tell us about the work, the specialist’s nationality and experience, and your timing. We reply with how we would deliver it, a cost estimate and the next steps, and tell you plainly if another route suits you better.
- How we would deliver the work
- Total cost and what drives it
- A realistic timeline and the documents needed
FAQ
Croatia expat employment FAQs
Straight answers to what overseas companies ask before bringing a non-EU specialist to Croatia.
How do non-EU nationals get permission to work in Croatia?
With a stay and work permit for a specific employer, usually after a labour market test. See our Croatia work permit guide.
Can my company bring a non-EU specialist to Croatia without a local entity?
Not as their employer. We can take on the work as a service, with our Local Team employing and managing the specialist.
Who manages the specialist day to day?
Our Local Team, as the employer that delivers the service, because Croatia restricts permits for staff placed with another business. You agree the scope and review the results through NNRoad HQ.
Is a labour market test always needed?
No. Shortage occupations, EU Blue Card holders and key staff are exempt.
Do EU nationals need a permit?
No. They can be hired through Employer of Record.
Do specialists pay tax and contributions?
Yes, like Croatian staff. See the Croatia payroll and tax guide.
Do you offer permit applications on their own?
No. We apply only for specialists our Local Team employs and manages.
Can we take over the specialist with our own company later?
Your Croatian company would apply for its own permit.
Further reading
Plan a non-EU specialist in Croatia
Labour market test, permits and timing.
When you need a Croatian company, and when you do not.
Contributions, municipal tax and JOPPD.
Employer cost and net pay for any salary.
Official sources: Tax Administration, HZZO, Croatian Employment Service, Narodne novine, Invest Croatia. More Croatia services: Croatia hiring options; rules in detail: Croatia employment law guide.
Ready when you are
Get a non-EU specialist’s work done in Croatia without opening a company
Tell us about the work and the specialist. We’ll come back with how we would deliver it, the total cost and a realistic timeline.