Croatia is Giving 20,000 Work Visas to Foreign Workers Each Month
Croatia is addressing its domestic labor shortages by issuing nearly 20,000 work permits each month, according to the Croatian Interior Ministry and reported by Schengen.News. By the end of July 2024, the country had granted over 132,000 work permits, representing a significant increase compared to the same period in 2023.
The Interior Ministry has also adopted a more liberal stance on residence permits, issuing over 85,000 between January and July 2024. This is an increase from nearly 113,000 issued during the same period last year. Additionally, 32,000 permits were extended, making up 78% of those granted in 2023.
The issuance of seasonal work permits has risen as well, with 15,000 granted recently. This trend is evident across various Croatian cities and municipalities, with notable increases in areas such as Bjelovar-Bilogora and coastal regions including Istria, Dubrovnik-Neretva, and Split-Dalmatia.
Istria has particularly experienced a surge, approving 14,000 new permits and 3,000 extensions. In contrast, Zagreb issued 16,000 new permits and extended 10,000, which is relatively low given the city’s population size.
The demand for foreign workers is high in coastal counties due to seasonal tourism, with Lika-Senj County relying heavily on international labor. Despite its size, Zagreb has proportionally fewer seasonal workers.
Croatia’s need for foreign labor spans 30 different occupations, with a significant demand in sectors such as construction, transportation, electrical trades, and the service industry.
