
As Croatia tightens its foreign labor policies, the number of issued work permits has plunged by 70%, leaving many migrant workers facing new hurdles to legal employment.
Despite this, a recent survey reveals that nearly one in five foreign workers still hopes to build a long-term life in the country, drawn by economic opportunity and the hope of reuniting with their families.
Foreign labor takes a hit
Following amendments to the Law on Foreigners in March 2025, Croatia now issues far fewer work permits to non-nationals. The Interior Ministry reported a 70% drop in permit approvals compared to the same period last year.
The main reason? Tighter paperwork requirements and more rigorous checks on employers and applicants.
Currently, about 136,000 foreign workers live and work in Croatia. Most come from the Philippines, Nepal, and India, filling roles in construction, hospitality, and transport.
Nearly all send money back home; 90% support families abroad. Yet, despite their contribution to the economy, the path to legal employment has narrowed.
New rules frustrate employers
Ivana Šimek from the Croatian Employment Service (CES) said employers now face tougher conditions before they can hire foreign labor. “First of all, they must have a Croatian citizen employed full-time for 12 months continuously,” she said.
Employers also need to show business activity, revenue, and clean labor records.
Šimek pointed out that the CES does not reject permits directly but issues “negative opinions” when employers fail to meet these standards. Still, the result is the same; fewer approvals, more confusion.
“Employers, it seems, were not ready for everything the new law requires,” she added.
Workers weigh long-term life in Croatia
Despite legal hurdles, many foreign workers still see Croatia as a long-term opportunity. A survey by the Institute for Migration Research showed 19% of foreign workers want to stay for life, while another 20% hope to retire in the country.
More than half plan to reunite with their families here.
Dr. Iva Tadić, who led the study, said that most workers come for economic reasons. Even with high housing costs and uncertain legal status, many still prefer Croatia to their home countries.
One-third said that life here is better.
Asia, Africa lead in migrant labor
The foreign labor landscape has shifted dramatically. According to the survey conducted between December 2024 and January 2025, 84% of Croatia’s foreign workforce hails from Asia.
Filipinos made up 38%, followed by Nepalese at 26%, and Indians at 20%.
They mostly work in physically demanding, lower-wage sectors. Transport employs 22%, hospitality 19%, and construction 17%.
With labor shortages growing and an aging local population, Croatia relies heavily on these workers to keep its economy moving.
Paperwork roadblocks slow hiring
The real bottleneck isn’t just fewer applications; it’s slower approvals. Since March, about 7,000 fewer work permit requests were submitted compared to the same timeframe in 2024.
Many employers blame the excessive paperwork and tighter oversight.
Temporary employment agencies, once a go-to option for hiring foreigners, now submit fewer applications due to rising rejection rates. The new legal framework demands more from everyone, both bosses and workers.
Red tape and a new era of border control
The drop in Croatian work permits follows a policy shift emphasizing strict employment criteria. While short-term tourists remain largely unaffected, long-term visitors seeking employment face significantly more hurdles.
These developments mirror the EU’s tightening border management, especially with the upcoming European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) rollout.
Although ETIAS targets visa-exempt travelers, its implementation—alongside Croatia’s internal controls—signals a broader Schengen-wide trend of stricter mobility oversight, potentially deterring digital nomads or long-stay visitors seeking ease of entry.
Changing the immigration playbook
Croatia’s stricter work permit law is rippling across EU immigration discourse. The dramatic reduction in permit approvals suggests a pivot from labor market openness to regulatory rigor.
As more EU states anticipate secondary migration due to tightening national rules, Croatia’s model may influence broader Schengen immigration strategies, especially under the shadow of rising ETIAS enforcement and debates on the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum.
A nation at a crossroads
As Croatia tightens its grip on immigration policy, the plunge in work permits reveals more than bureaucracy; it exposes the widening gap between labor demand and legal pathways.
Yet even amid growing uncertainty, nearly one in five foreign workers dreams of building a future here.
Whether Croatia embraces these aspirations or closes its doors will shape not just its workforce but its identity.