Issuance of a stay and work permit (EU Blue Card)
Highly-qualified third-country nationals have to apply for a stay and work permit (Form 4a)at a diplomatic mission/consular post of the Republic of Croatia or at a police administration/police station according to their place of stay.
A stay and work permit (EU Blue Card) for highly-qualified third-country nationals is at the same time a permit to temporarily stay and work in the Republic of Croatia.
A stay and work permit may be granted to third-country nationals who meet the general requirements for granting temporary stay (Article 59 of the Aliens Act) and who enclose the following documents:
- a contract of employment for performing highly qualified jobs for and under the direction of another person, in the duration of at least one year, which has been concluded with a company, branch office, representative office, sole trader, family farm, cooperative, association or institution registered in the Republic of Croatia,
- proof of higher education, that is, a diploma, certificate or other proof of formal qualifications issued by a higher education institution recognised in their home country,
- proof that they meet the conditions to exercise a regulated profession stipulated in the contract of employment in line with special legislation on professional qualifications.
A stay and work permit (EU Blue Card) is issued to third-country nationals in a form of a residence permit.
Administrative fee: Aliens have to pay 74,32 EUR for the issuance of a stay and work permit and 31,85 EUR for the issuance of a biometric residence card in regular procedure or 59,73 EUR in accelerated procedure. Both amounts are paid with a payment slip (separately) to the state budget account, IBAN of which can be obtained at a police administration/police station.
An administrative fee in the amount of 9,29 EUR is also to be paid for a biometric residence card to the state budget IBAN account or in revenue stamps.
NOTE: The administrative fee for the issuance of a stay and work permit (74,32 EUR) may also be paid via Internet banking, to the state budget account, IBAN HR1210010051863000160, model HR64, reference number: 5002-713-OIB (OIB of an alien who administrative fee is being paid for).
Aliens who have not been assigned an OIB will have to enter the following reference number: 5002-713-the number of their valid travel document/identity card.
(
IMPORTANT: maximum a ten-digit number, and if the number starts with zeros (0), they are omitted. Letter symbols, slashes, full stops, commas etc. are NOT to be written).
For example, if the travel document/identity card number of a foreign national is AZ004586, then the reference number reads: 5002-713-4586 (without letter symbols and zeros, maximum a ten-digit number).
The fee for the issuance of a biometric residence permit in the amount of 31,85 EUR or 59,73 EUR for accelerated procedure may also be paid via Internet banking, to the state budget account, IBAN HR1210010051863000160, model HR65, reference number: 7005-485-OIB (OIB of an alien who administrative fee is being paid for).
Aliens who have not been assigned an OIB will have to enter the following reference number: 7005-485-RKP-file number.
The administrative fee for a biometric residence permit in the amount of 9,29 EUR may also be paid via Internet banking, to the state budget account, IBAN HR1210010051863000160, model HR64, reference number: 5002-713-OIB.
Aliens who have not been assigned an OIB will have to enter the following reference number: 5002-713- the number of their valid travel document/identity card.
Working on the basis of an EU Blue Card
Third-country nationals who have been issued an EU Blue Card (hereinafter: EU Blue Card holders) may work in the Republic of Croatia only at jobs that their stay and work permit has been issued for and only with the employer they have entered into employment with.
EU Blue Card renewal
An application for an EU Blue Card renewal is submitted at a police administration/police station according to the place of stay of an EU Blue Card holder not later than 30 days before the expiry of a valid permit.
EU Blue Card holders who have applied for the renewal of their stay and work permit before it expires may stay in the Republic of Croatia until the decision concerning their application becomes enforceable.
An EU Blue Card holder who changes his employer within the first two years of his stay in the Republic of Croatia needs to submit an application for the issuance of a stay and work permit - EU Blue Card at the competent police administration or police station within eight days from the day of termination of employment with his initial employer.
After the two-year period, the EU Blue Card holder has to notify the competent police administration or police station about the change of employment within eight days from the day the change of employment occurred, and deliver a new contract of employment with the new employer. The EU Blue Card will be valid until its expiry.
Temporary stay of a family member of an EU Blue Card holder
Temporary stay for the purpose of family reunification may be granted to a family member of an EU Blue Card holder referred to in Article 64 of the Aliens Act under the conditions prescribed by the said Act. When applying for temporary stay for the purpose of family reunification (Form 1a) the following documents have to be enclosed: a photograph, a copy of a valid foreign travel document, residence permit to prove that they resided in the territory of another Member State as family members or life partners, a visa where necessary, proof of health insurance, proof of sufficient means of subsistence, proof that they have not been convicted by a final ruling of any criminal offences in a country where they resided for more than one year immediately prior to arriving in the Republic of Croatia, and
1. to prove marriage: extract from the marriage register
2. to prove common law partnership:
– extract from the birth register for a common child or an adoption decision issued by the competent authority, or
– extract from the birth register or a single status certificate, or an extract from the register of common law partnerships, a statement made by the common law partners on their life together, statements made by witnesses about the existence and the duration of the common law partnership, proof of living together in a shared household in the Republic of Croatia or abroad for at least three years immediately prior to submitting the application, or some other proof indicating to the existence of a common law partnership and the intention to continue living together
3. to prove a parental relationship: extract from the birth register or an adoption decision issued by the competent authority.
In order to prove the existence of serious personal or humanitarian reasons for family reunification, third-country nationals have to enclose the relevant documents that clearly show their kinship with the person in the Republic of Croatia with whom family reunification is requested and prove the existence of serious personal or humanitarian reasons (extract from the birth register, medical and other documents).
The documents required to prove the existence of marriage or common-law partnership equally apply to life partnership or informal life partnership (extract from the birth register or a certificate proving that the applicant is not in a life partnership with another partner, or extract from the register of informal life partnerships).
An application for family reunification) may be submitted at a diplomatic mission/consular post of the Republic of Croatia or at a police administration/police station according to one’s place of stay.
It is granted for the time corresponding to the validity of an EU Blue Card issued to a third-country national with whom reunification in the Republic of Croatia is applied for.
Long-term residence of EU Blue Card holders
Long-term residence may be granted to EU Blue Card holders who have had an EU Blue Card in the Republic of Croatia for an uninterrupted period of 5 years prior to the day of their application.
Exceptionally, long-term residence may be granted to third-country nationals who have lived in other EU Member States as EU Blue Card holders for an uninterrupted period of 5 years, at least 2 of which as EU Blue Card holders in the Republic of Croatia prior to submitting their application.
Long-term residence may be granted to an EU Blue Card holder who, prior to the submission of the application, has had a granted EU Blue Card in the Republic of Croatia for an uninterrupted period of five years.
Exceptionally, long-term residence may be granted to a third-country national who has resided as an EU Blue Card holder in the territory of other EEA Member States for an uninterrupted period of five years, of which at least two years prior to the submission of the application as an EU Blue Card holder in the Republic of Croatia.
In addition to the above condition, long-term residence will be granted to an EU Blue Card holder who holds a valid foreign travel document, has means of subsistence, health insurance, knows the Croatian language and the Latin script, and does not pose threat to public policy or national security.
