📍Hiring Foreign Workers in Croatia – New Rules for Agencies Starting 2025

Temporary employment agencies play a key role in bringing foreign labor to Croatia. However, the new Aliens Act, which came into effect in April 2025, is introducing significant changes that will fundamentally reshape how agencies operate and how they interact with end users – the companies where the workers actually perform their jobs.

If you’re an agency from Serbia or the region doing business in Croatia – or planning to – these are the changes you need to know.

🧾 What’s Changing for Agencies Hiring Foreign Workers?

The new law introduces stricter regulation and clearly defines the responsibilities of both the employment agency and the end user (the company using the workforce).

✅ 1. Permits Apply to a Specific Employer

Previously, agencies could obtain general work permits for foreign workers. However, under the new rules, that is no longer possible.

👉 Now, authorities issue permits only for a specific employer—the exact company where the worker will be assigned. This ensures transparency and accountability.

📌 Moreover, if an agency or employer wants to change the worker’s placement or location, they must formally report the change and apply for a new permit. As a result, agencies can no longer rotate workers between sites without prior approval.

---

✅ 2. Agencies and Employers Now Share Responsibility

In the past, agencies often shifted the blame to employers and vice versa. That is no longer the case.

👉 Under the new system, both the agency and the end user (employer) share full responsibility for the worker’s employment conditions.

🛑 Therefore, if the authorities find a worker in inadequate conditions, they will penalize both the agency and the company. This includes violations related to working hours, wages, accommodation standards, and legal documentation.

They must ensure:

• Fair wages – same as for local employees,

• Legal working hours and rest periods,

• Accommodation that meets legal standards,

• Legally valid and transparent contracts.

✅ 3. Mandatory Registration of All Foreign Workers

Agencies must:

• Maintain accurate records of all workers,

• Ensure every worker is officially registered with authorities.

Any “invisible” worker could lead to heavy fines or business suspension.

✅ 4. Temporary Contract Does Not Mean Fewer Rights

Workers employed through agencies must have equal rights as permanent employees at the host company, including:

• Equal pay,

• Right to leave and days off,

• Decent housing and working conditions.

🤝 New Obligations for End Users (Client Companies)

Companies using agency labor now share legal responsibility and must:

• Participate in the work permit application process, as permits are issued directly for them,

• Ensure workers only perform the registered job,

• Cooperate with the agency in overseeing accommodation and work conditions.

📌 Otherwise, they risk financial penalties or even losing the right to engage foreign workers.

🌍 What Does This Mean for Serbian Agencies?

If your agency has clients or branches in Croatia, you must:

• Understand the new employer-specific permit system,

• Strengthen your HR and administrative operations,

• Avoid unauthorized worker rotation without approval,

• Work closely with legal and labor law professionals.

💬 Conclusion – The Era of Informal Labor Is Over

The new law sends a clear message: the time of flexible, unregulated employment is behind us.

Agencies are now equal employers, and cooperation with client companies must be formal, legal, and transparent.

📲 Need Legal Support or Contract Review?

If you’re hiring foreign workers or partnering with agencies, now is the time to review your internal policies, contracts, and legal compliance.

👉 Contact us via our contact form or directly through WhatsApp:📲 Send a message