Croatia Ties Foreign Work Permits To Language Test

The news in Croatian

1. predlagati
   iznositi prijedlog, reći što bi se moglo ili trebalo učiniti ↩︎
2. stranac  (m.)
   osoba koja dolazi iz druge države ili mjesta ↩︎
3. položiti
   uspješno završiti ispit ili test ↩︎
4. produljenje  (n.)
   činiti da nešto traje duže nego prije, davanje novog roka ↩︎
5. papirologija  (f.)
   velika količina papira i dokumenata koje treba ispuniti ili obraditi ↩︎
6. usklađivanje  (n.)
   dovođenje nečega u isto stanje ili pravila s nečim drugim ↩︎

Translation

Text comprehension

Question 1: After how long do foreign workers have to take a Croatian language exam to extend their work permit?

Question 2: Besides helping foreign workers get jobs more easily, what is one other goal of the new law?

Vocabulary

Croatian	English
predlagati	to propose
stranac  (m.)	foreigner
položiti	to pass (an exam)
produljenje  (n.)	extension
papirologija  (f.)	paperwork
usklađivanje  (n.)	alignment

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The Croatian government has proposed major changes to the Law on Foreigners, linking the renewal of work and residence permits for non-EU nationals to knowledge of the Croatian language. The draft amendments have been sent to Parliament (Sabor) and are presented as part of a wider reform of migration management and labour-market policy.

Under the proposal, foreign workers who wish to continue living and working in Croatia will, after one year of residence, have to pass a Croatian language exam at level A1.1. This is a basic level of language competence. Passing the test would become a formal condition for extending a combined residence and work permit. The government argues that this should help integration and everyday communication in workplaces and local communities.

The reform is also designed to align Croatian rules with European Union legislation, in particular the EU Single Permit Directive and the new Pact on Asylum and Migration. According to Interior Minister Davor Božinović, the amendments introduce the option of more detailed checks on third-country nationals at the EU’s external borders, an independent mechanism to monitor respect for fundamental rights during these checks, and a clearer border return procedure for people whose asylum applications are rejected.

The Ministry of the Interior says the goal is to respond more quickly to labour-market needs while at the same time offering better protection for foreign workers. The draft law aims to reduce bureaucracy in the permit process, speed up decisions, and make it easier to keep experienced staff in Croatia, all while maintaining the country’s security standards.

Several measures focus on greater flexibility in employment. Foreign workers would be allowed to change to any occupation with the same employer, not only to officially “shortage occupations”, provided that a labour-market test is carried out. They would also be able to change employer after six months with the first employer, without needing a completely new permit. At the same time, a worker employed in a shortage occupation could use that permit only in areas where that occupation is recognised as lacking staff and where a labour-market test has been performed.

The period for the authorities to decide on a combined residence and work permit would be extended to 90 days. The law would also allow a longer period of permitted unemployment while the permit is still valid: up to three months, or up to six months for those who have held a permit for more than two years. According to the proposal, a foreign worker who loses their job must register with the Croatian Employment Service (HZZ) within five days; refusing a suitable job offered by HZZ would lead to loss of the permit.

The government plans additional administrative simplifications for seasonal work. Permits that were previously issued for up to one year would, in some cases, be valid for three years if they concern the same worker and the same employer in the same occupation. With such a permit, a seasonal worker could work up to 90 days per calendar year or up to nine months a year, depending on the arrangement. For foreign students, temporary residence permits for study purposes would be extended from one year to three years, reducing the need for frequent renewals.

The draft also tightens conditions for employers. Companies and individuals placed on a so‑called “blacklist” after inspections for irregularities would be unable to obtain new work permits for foreign employees for one year. The duty to inform the police when an employment contract ends would move from the foreign worker to the employer, who would have to submit this information electronically through the e-Citizens (e-Građani) system. Employers would need to prove that their bank account has not been blocked for more than 30 days, and that there has been a sufficient inflow into their transaction account over the last 12 months – at least €100,000 for legal entities and €40,000 for individuals.

In order to receive a positive opinion from the Croatian Employment Service for hiring a foreign worker, employers would have to meet a new minimum ratio of domestic to foreign employees. The number of employees who are citizens of Croatia, an EEA member state or Switzerland, working full-time, would need to be at least 10 per cent of the number of third-country nationals on staff. The government states that this is intended to balance the employment of foreign workers with opportunities for local and EU citizens.

The amendments also clarify the role of the State Inspectorate in supervising the housing conditions of seasonal workers. According to ministry figures cited in several outlets, after earlier legal changes there has been a slight decrease in the number of issued residence and work permits: in the first nine months of 2025, around 136,000 permits were granted, compared with nearly 159,000 in the same period a year earlier. Officials present this as an adjustment rather than a major drop, but the long‑term trend is still to be seen.

On the same government session, ministers also discussed post-earthquake reconstruction. Minister Branko Bačić reported that work has been completed on 14,340 locations, including over 54,000 flats, and that about 90 per cent of public buildings and infrastructure have been repaired. Almost 500 new family houses and dozens of apartment buildings have been built. Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said that around €4.3 billion has so far been invested in reconstruction in Zagreb and Sisak‑Moslavina County, and described the government as a “friend and partner” of the City of Zagreb.

Overall, the proposed changes combine stricter language and employment requirements for third‑country nationals with easier procedures and longer validity for certain types of permits. Supporters inside the government present the package as a way to match EU standards, protect workers and respond to Croatia’s growing demand for foreign labour, while also ensuring stronger control over employers and migration flows. Public and parliamentary debate will determine the final shape of the law and how it will affect both foreign workers and Croatian society in the coming years.

Info: ‘Croatian Learner News’ is a service from ‘Let’s Learn Croatian’, a language school dedicated to teaching Croatian through various online courses and structured Croatian language classes. Through this service, we share updates and information that support learners at different stages of their Croatian studies.