You can enter, reside and work in the Republic of Croatia as an intra-corporate transferee if you are a manager, specialist or trainee employee. The definitions and conditions of admission are governed by the EU Directive on intra-corporate transfer (Articles 3 and 5 of Directive 2014/66/EU). If you fulfil the conditions, you will be issued an Intra-Corporate Transferee permit.
More information can be found here.
Please note that before being transferred from a company branch located outside of the EU to a branch in the Republic of Croatia, you must have been employed by that company for a certain time period: if you are a manager 9 months; a specialist 9 months; a trainee 6 months.
Where and how to apply | The application is submitted to a jurisdictional police administration/station, depending on the place of residence/intended residence of a third-country national or seat of a company. An application for a stay and work permit may be submitted either by a third-country national or an employer. If the application for the stay and work permit is submitted for the first time by a third-country national who is obliged to possess a visa to enter the Republic of Croatia, the third-country national has to submit the relevant application to the diplomatic mission/consular office of the Republic of Croatia. The administrative fee for issuing a decision on a residence and work permit is EUR 74,32. Moreover, the cost for issuing a biometric residence permit (in the form of a card) is EUR 31,85 for the normal procedure or EUR 59,73 for the accelerated procedure. An additional fee of EUR 9,29 should be added when issuing a biometric residence card, both for the normal and accelerated procedure. The indicative processing time: 30-60 days. The process after a permit has been granted, including how the decision is notified as well as when and how to collect the permit in question (including if a visa must be applied for) The decision on issuing a stay and work permit is decided by the competent department of the police station/police administration according to the place of residence or intended residence of the third-country national. The decision on a stay and work permit is delivered to the third-country national and the employer. If a third-country national requires a visa to enter the Republic of Croatia, he/she needs to apply for a long-term visa (visa D) in a diplomatic mission/consular office of the Republic of Croatia, or it may be issued by a diplomatic mission, namely the Consulate office of another State with which the Republic of Croatia has concluded a visa representation agreement. 3 days after the entry into the territory, third-country nationals need to register a short-term stay and provide their address in a police station/police administration. Third-country nationals will be invited to give biometric data in a police station/police administration once on the territory of Croatia in order to be issued with a biometric residence permit (within 30 days after the issuance of a D-visa). |
Documents required | Along with the application form, the following documents should be submitted:
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Further requirements | The enclosed contract of employment and transfer certificate must show the following:
The enclosed contract of employment and the transfer certificate must also clearly indicate that the following working conditions will be guaranteed:
The biometric residence permit (card) is issued only on the teritory of the Republic of Croatia, in a competent police station/police administration. If a third-country national requires a visa to enter the Republic of Croatia after the stay and work permit was granted, he/she needs to apply for a long-term visa (visa D) in a diplomatic mission/consular office of the Republic of Croatia, or it may be issued by a diplomatic mission, namely the Consulate office of another State with which the Republic of Croatia has concluded a visa representation agreement. 3 days after the entry into the territory, third-country nationals need to register a short-term stay and provide their address in a police station/police administration. Third-country nationals will be invited to give biometric data in a police station/police administration once on the territory of Croatia in order to be issued with a biometric residence permit (within 30 days after the issuance of a D-visa). |
Duration of validity of permits | The longest duration of transfer can be three years for managers and experts, and one year for trainees, upon which they shall leave the Republic of Croatia, unless they regulate their stay on other grounds. After this period, the transferee will need to be absent for 6 months before being able to apply for a new ICT permit. |
Appeals | No appeal shall be admissible against the decision of the Ministry.However, an administrative judicial dispute may be instituted against all decisions (first application, family reunification, non renewal or revocation) in line with the Act on Administrative Disputes, Official Gazette, 20/10, 143/12, 152/14, 94/16, 29/17 and 110/21. All written negative decisions shall include instructions on the legal remedy that shall inform:
Which are the competent courts? Administrative courts (Administrative court in Zagreb, Administrative Court in Split, Administrative court in Rijeka, Administrative court in Osijek). In line with the Act on Administrative Disputes, Official Gazette, 20/10, 143/12, 152/14, 94/16, 29/17 and 110/21, the administrative dispute shall be submitted to the court within 30 days after the delivery of the written individual decision (first application, non renewal or revocation), if not otherwise prescribed. |
Extension or renewal | An application for the extension of a temporary stay permit must be submitted no later than 60 days before the expiry of the period of validity of the valid temporary stay permit, at a police administration or a police station according to the location of the temporary residence of the third-country national. A third-country national who has applied for the extension of a temporary stay permit before the expiry of the valid temporary stay permit may remain in the Republic of Croatia until the decision on his/her application becomes enforceable. |
Change of status | In the procedure of extending the stay and work permit, third-country nationals can request a different type of permit (e.g. employed worker) and the application can be submitted within the territory if the stay and work permit is still valid. |
Family members | Family member may apply for a temporary residence for the purpose of family reunification. An application for temporary stay is submitted to the diplomatic mission or consular post of the Republic of Croatia. Third-country nationals who are not required to have a visa to enter the Republic of Croatia may also apply for a temporary stay at a police administration/police station according to their intended place of stay, their employer’s head office or their place of work. The competent police administration or police station processes the residence permit application for the intra-corporate transferee's family members at the same time as the application for the intra-corporate transferee’s permit, in cases where the residence permit application for the intra-corporate transferee's family members is submitted at the same time. Along with the application, the documents provided must include the following:
Family members can work without a residence and work permit. * If the document is issued outside the Republic of Croatia, it should be subject to an additional procedure so that it can be accepted as authenthic by the national authorities. Applicants shall verify if there is a bilateral or multilateral agreement between the Republic of Croatia and the third country waiving the need of further legalisation, or if the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents simplified the legalisation procedure applies. Additional information can be accessed in this link |
Other rights | Intra-corporate transferees have the same rights as Croatian citizens in relation to the following:
An intra-corporate transferee shall exercise his/her rights in accordance with the legislation of the Republic of Croatia and the collective agreement that binds the employer, if any, governing the areas. |
Long-term residence | Time spent under the ICT residence permit will not be counted for long-term residence. |
Upon the fulfilment of certain conditions, you can, on the basis of an ICT permit issued in one EU country, work in other EU countries if the entity where you will work belongs to the same company. If the duration of your mobility is shorter than 90 days during a 180-day period, you are subject to short-term mobility rules. If the duration of the mobility is longer than 90 days, you are instead subject to long-term mobility rules. The following procedures apply if you have an ICT permit in an EU Member State and intend to move and work in the Republic of Croatia: | |
Short-term mobility | Conditions/requirements for an ICT who is working in another EU country but would like to work as an ICT in the Republic of Croatia for a period shorter than 90 days. A third-country national who has a valid permit issued for the purpose of an intra-corporate transfer issued by another EEA Member State, may work in an entity established in the Republic of Croatia belonging to the same company or group of companies for a period of up to 90 days in any period of 180 days, without the obligation to grant a stay and work permit or a certificate of work registration. Applicable procedure No procedure, but third-country nationals are obliged to register a short-term stay. |
Long-term mobility | A third-country national who has a valid permit issued for the purpose of an intra-corporate transfer issued by another EEA Member State and who intends to work for more than 90 days in an entity established in the Republic of Croatia belonging to the same company or group of companies, the competent police administration or police station may authorise the work and stay permit for long-term mobility. Applicable procedure A third-country national who has a valid permit issued for the purpose of an intra-corporate transfer issued by another EEA Member State and who intends to work for more than 90 days in an entity established in the Republic of Croatia belonging to the same company or group of companies has to apply for a stay and work permit for long-term mobility. A third-country national submits a request for approval of the work and stay permit for long-term mobility in the police administration or police station or to the diplomatic mission/consular office of the Republic of Croatia. Required documents Along with application the following documents should be submitted:
A third-country national may work in the Republic of Croatia until his/her application for the approval of the stay and work permit is processed where the application was submitted before the expiration of the short-term stay and where he/she holds a valid permit issued for the purpose of an intra-corporate transfer issued by another EEA Member State. Third-country nationals must not be subject to an entry and stay ban in the Republic of Croatia and must have no alert been issued in SIS for the purpose of banning their entry. Third-country nationals must not be considered a threat to public policy, national security or public health. Family members Family members may apply for a temporary residence for the purpose of family reunification. An application for a temporary stay is submitted to the diplomatic mission or consular post of the Republic of Croatia. Third-country nationals who are not required to have a visa to enter the Republic of Croatia may also apply for a temporary stay at a police administration/police station according to their intended place of stay. Along with the application, the documents provided include the following:
* If the document is issued outside the Republic of Croatia, it should be subject to an additional procedure so that it can be accepted as uthenthic by the national authorities. Applicants shall verify if there is a bilateral or multilateral agreement between the Republic of Croatia and the third country waiving the need of further legalization, or if the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents simplified the legalization procedure applies. Additional information can be accessed in this link. |
More information can be found here.