Short answer: We found no public website where you can check a Croatian work permit by passport number or OIB. The real process runs between your employer, the Croatian Employment Service (HZZ) and the police administration. You only need proof of the issued permit to apply for a D visa at VFS. So check the paper trail and the employer instead.
In a case reported in June 2026, police in Panipat arrested one of two men, a father and son, accused of promising Croatia work permits and visas for ₹30 lakh. According to the report, they staged a fake embassy appointment and collected the money in two phases (the420.in).
This guide covers how a real Croatian permit is issued, what you should and shouldn't receive, how to check the employer, what to pay, and the warning signs.
Can you check a Croatian work permit by passport number?
A Croatian work permit can't be checked by passport number or OIB in any public database we found. In the standard route, your employer files the application and the police administration decides and notifies the employer. You then use proof of the issued permit to apply for a D visa. Confirm it with the employer, not the agent.
- Who files and who decides. The employer applies online. The competent police administration or police station decides on the residence and work permit, and the employer is notified (Ministry of the Interior, MUP; MUP employer guide).
- Your part. Once the permit is issued, you apply for a long-stay D visa at VFS with proof of the permit (Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, MVEP).
- The practical route. Ask the employer directly, using contact details you found yourself, whether it applied for your permit and when, and check that the details match your passport.
Got a Croatian permit scan? Get it checked →
How is a real Croatian work permit issued?
A real Croatian work permit follows five steps. The employer asks the Croatian Employment Service (HZZ) for a labour-market test, unless an exception applies. The employer then applies online within 90 days. The police administration decides. You apply for a D visa with proof of the permit. After arrival, you get a biometric residence permit.
| Step | Who acts | What happens | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Labour-market test, or an exception | Employer → HZZ | HZZ looks for local workers and must give its result within 15 days at most; if none are found, it sends the employer a notice. Exceptions include shortage occupations on the HZZ list, seasonal work of up to 90 days in agriculture, forestry, hospitality and tourism, and certain special categories | MUP; NN 55/2026 |
| 2. Application | Employer, within 90 days of the HZZ notice | Filed online through the joint HZZ and MUP system; HZZ sends its opinion electronically | MUP |
| 3. Decision | Police administration or police station | Decides on the residence and work permit within 90 days at most, extendable by 30 (legal maximums, not promises); the employer is notified. The permit is valid only for the police administration areas named in it | MUP; NN 55/2026; employer guide |
| 4. D visa | You | Apply at VFS with proof of the issued permit; fee €93; apply from three months before to three months after the permit's start date | MVEP |
| 5. Arrival | You | Register and get the biometric residence permit within 30 days | MVEP |
Croatia has had no annual quota for foreign workers since the Aliens Act came into force on 1 January 2021 (MUP). The employer's application includes your passport, the signed contract, a criminal record certificate and proof of qualifications (MUP employer guide).
Croatia amended the Aliens Act in 2026 (NN 55/2026, in force since 4 June 2026). The core steps above are unchanged. Cases pending on 4 June 2026 are decided under the old law, and permits already issued stay valid until they expire, so an older permit isn't suspect just because it predates the change.
A permit scan alone can't show whether the employer really applied. Get your documents checked →
What is a genuine Croatian work permit, and what isn't?
In Croatia, temporary residence for work is granted as a residence and work permit (dozvola za boravak i rad), tied to a specific employer and job. The physical card is a biometric residence permit issued after you arrive. It shows your OIB and the grounds of your stay. A "work permit card" sent before you travel is not genuine.
The Croatian Employment Service explains the residence and work permit and the biometric card on its page for third-country nationals.
Three rules from the 2026 amendment matter to you (NN 55/2026):
- Named areas only. Since 4 June 2026 the permit is valid only for the police administration areas named in it (Art. 88 and 91(5)). Check that the place of work in your contract is in one of those areas; if not, ask about it.
- Changing employer. Allowed while the permit is valid; with a first permit, only after 6 months, or earlier if there are proceedings against the employer or wages are unpaid. The new employer requests a labour-market test, and the police decide within 45 days at most. It isn't possible during renewal, less than 30 days before expiry, or for seasonal workers (Art. 103.d).
- If you lose your job. You may stay unemployed for 3 or 6 months, depending on your permit, but you must register with HZZ within 5 days (Art. 103.a).
Red flags:
- A "work permit card" or "biometric permit" handed over before you have travelled.
- An English-only "Work Permit Certificate" without the employer's details.
- A "permit" naming an employer you can't find in the court register.
- A "visa approval" sent by the agent instead of a decision from VFS or the embassy.
How do you check a Croatian job offer and permit, step by step?
Work through six checks: find the employer in the official court register, contact it directly, compare every document, ask which legal basis the job uses, check your Indian agent, and book your D visa at VFS yourself. Each step uses an official Croatian or Indian source. If one check fails, stop paying.
1. Check the employer
Search the company in the official court register, sudreg.pravosudje.hr, by name or OIB. Compare its name, address and activity with your contract. Since 4 June 2026, an employer hiring foreign workers must, among other things, have had receipts of at least €100,000 in the last 12 months (€40,000 for a natural person), an account not blocked for more than 30 days, and an active business matching the job (NN 55/2026, Art. 99(1)). A tiny or brand-new company "hiring" many workers: ask about it.
2. Contact the employer directly
Ask whether it filed a residence and work permit application for you, for which job and when. Use contact details from the company's own website, not from the agent.
3. Compare the documents
Your name, passport number, job title, salary, place of work and dates should match across the contract and the permit.
4. Check the legal basis
Ask whether the job is on the shortage list, went through a labour-market test, or is seasonal work. A genuine employer knows which one applies.
5. Check your agent
Your Indian recruiting agent should be registered on the Ministry of External Affairs' eMigrate portal.
6. Book the D visa at VFS yourself
Apply for the D visa through VFS with proof of the issued permit, and pay only the official fees (MVEP).
Done all six and still unsure? Verify your documents →
What should you pay, and what shouldn't you?
A Croatian D visa costs €93, listed by Croatia's foreign ministry, plus the VFS service fee. The permit's administrative fee is paid by the employer when the permit is collected, not by you. Any "embassy fee", "permit fee", "HZZ test fee" or "biometric fee" demanded by an agent in India is a red flag.
- D visa. €93, plus the VFS service fee (MVEP).
- Permit fee. Paid by the employer at collection (MUP employer guide). Since 4 June 2026, the employer may not reclaim it from you (NN 55/2026, Art. 88(20)).
- Placement. Croatian law says job placement is free for job seekers, and HZZ's services are free too (Labour Market Act, Art. 4(6) and 29). This binds agencies in Croatia and the EEA, not agents in India, so ask an Indian agent what any fee is for and check it on eMigrate.
- Employer-side steps. The labour-market test, the application and the permit decision are all handled by the employer and Croatian authorities. You shouldn't be paying an agent for them.
Do seasonal jobs in Croatia follow different rules?
Partly: seasonal jobs in Croatia skip the labour-market test but still need a permit. Seasonal work of up to 90 days in agriculture, forestry, hospitality and tourism needs no test, but needs a residence and work permit from the police administration. Since 4 June 2026, a seasonal permit can last up to 3 years with the same employer.
A seasonal permit ends when the employment ends, and seasonal workers can't use the new change-of-employer route. Agents use "seasonal" to sell short-notice packages, so the same checks apply.
Sources: MUP; NN 55/2026, Art. 97(7), 103.d, 104 and 107.
What are the warning signs of a fake Croatian job offer?
The clearest warning signs are a "check your permit by passport number" link, a permit card sent before you travel, an employer you can't find in the court register, fees to the agent for employer-side steps, and a "private" embassy appointment. Any one of them is a reason to stop and check before you pay more.
- "Check your permit by passport number on our link." We found no such official tool, and fake status pages exist.
- A permit card or "biometric permit" sent before you've travelled.
- An English-only "Work Permit Certificate" without the employer's details, or with an employer that isn't in the court register.
- The agent won't say whether the job is on the shortage list, labour-market-tested or seasonal.
- Fees to the agent for the "permit", "embassy", "biometrics" or "HZZ test".
- A request to repay the employer's permit fee. This hasn't been allowed since 4 June 2026 (NN 55/2026, Art. 88(20)).
- A demand for a Croatian language-test fee "for the permit" now. The A1.1 Croatian-language requirement applies only from 4 June 2027 (NN 55/2026, Art. 92.a), so ask about it.
- A staged or "private" embassy appointment, as in the Panipat case, or any appointment not booked through VFS.
- Payments demanded in phases tied to "permit approved" and "visa approved".
- Requests to send your original passport to the agent.
Have Indians been cheated with fake Croatian work permits?
Yes, Indians have been cheated with fake Croatian work permits. In a case reported in June 2026, police in Panipat arrested a man accused, with his son, of promising Croatia work permits and visas for ₹30 lakh. According to the report, the pair staged a fake embassy appointment and collected payments in two phases.
- Panipat, reported June 2026. ₹30 lakh promised for Croatia work permits and visas; a staged fake embassy appointment; payments in two phases; one accused arrested (the420.in).
What should you check before you pay?
Before you pay anyone more, confirm that the employer is in the court register and has confirmed your application directly, that you know the legal basis of the job, that every document matches, that you have no card before arrival, and that you book VFS yourself. If any line fails, pause.
- The employer is in the court register (sudreg.pravosudje.hr)
- The employer confirmed the application to me directly
- I know the basis: shortage list, labour-market test or seasonal
- My contract and permit match (name, passport number, job, salary, place, dates)
- Nobody has given me a card before arrival
- I book my VFS appointment myself
- I pay only the D visa fee (€93) and the VFS fee
- No agent fees for "permit", "embassy" or "biometrics"
- Nobody has asked me to repay the employer's permit fee
- My place of work is inside the areas named on the permit
- My Indian agent is registered on eMigrate
- My passport is still with me
Already paid and think it's a fraud? Report it on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, cybercrime.gov.in, or call the National Cyber Crime Helpline 1930 (PIB), and file a police complaint.
Verify before you pay. Verify your documents →
What if you can't check it yourself?
If the Croatian employer doesn't reply, you only have PDFs or scans, or your family needs an answer before the next instalment, an independent document check can help. Testiy examines the documents themselves after you've done the official checks above.
Testiy is an independent document check for overseas job offers, work permits and visas, run by ARK Tech & Logistics in Thrissur, Kerala. Testiy is not affiliated with any embassy, VFS Global or immigration agency. An AI scan helps a human expert in Germany find signs of editing, and the expert, not the AI, gives the verdict, often after contacting the employer named in the document. The verdict comes within 24 hours, with a certificate and a public verify link, from ₹1,600 incl. GST.
See who runs the service, pricing and the refund terms.
What the check doesn't do: issue permits or visas, access MUP or HZZ systems, contact the embassy for you, or guarantee a visa.
FAQ
Can I check my Croatia work permit online by passport number?
A Croatian work permit can't be checked by passport number or OIB on any public website we found. Your employer files the application and is notified of the decision, so ask the employer directly and compare the details with your passport and contract.
Who applies for a Croatian work permit?
A Croatian work permit is applied for by the Croatian employer in the standard route. The employer first requests a labour-market test from the Croatian Employment Service (HZZ), unless the job is on the shortage list or another exception applies, then applies online within 90 days, and the police administration decides.
How do I get a Croatian work visa from India?
A Croatian work visa (long-stay D visa) is applied for at VFS once the residence and work permit has been issued, with proof of the permit. Croatia's foreign ministry lists a €93 fee, and you can apply from three months before to three months after the permit's start date.
Do I get a work permit card before travelling?
A Croatian work permit card is not issued before you travel. The biometric residence permit is issued in Croatia after you arrive and register, within 30 days. A "work permit card" sent by an agent before you travel is a warning sign.
Can an agent charge me for a Croatian job?
Croatian law says job placement must be free for job seekers, and since June 2026 the employer can't pass the permit fee on to the worker. These rules bind agencies in Croatia and the EEA, not agents in India, so check an Indian agent on eMigrate and ask what any payment is for.
How do I check if a Croatian company is real?
A Croatian company can be checked in the official court register (sudreg.pravosudje.hr) by name or OIB: compare its address and activity with your contract, and contact it using details you found yourself. A genuine employer can confirm that it applied for your permit.
What is an OIB and can I use it to check my permit?
The OIB is Croatia's personal identification number, shown on the biometric residence permit you receive after arrival. We found no public tool that uses an OIB to check a work permit.
Related guides
Last checked against official sources: 8 October 2026.