Top Ten Countries by Work Permits Issued: Croatia

Foreign Workers in Croatia 2025 – Simple Overview

In 2025, Croatia issued a record number of work permits to foreign workers. According to official data from the Croatian Ministry of the Interior (MUP), more than 160,000 residence and work permits were issued between January and November 2025.

This shows that foreign workers are now very important for Croatia’s economy, especially in sectors like tourism, construction, hospitality, and services.

Total Work Permits Issued in 2025

From January to November 2025, Croatia issued a total of 160,176 residence and work permits.

Breakdown of permits

• 76,700 permits – for new employment
• 64,009 permits – for extension of existing permits
• 19,467 permits – for seasonal work

This data shows that many foreign workers are not only coming to Croatia for the first time, but are also renewing their permits and staying longer.

Top Countries Foreign Workers Come From

Foreign workers in Croatia come from many different countries. In 2025, the highest number of permits were issued to workers from the following countries:

• Bosnia and Herzegovina – 30,188 permits
• Nepal – 29,579 permits
• Serbia – 23,145 permits
• Philippines – 16,195 permits
• India – 14,500 permits
• North Macedonia – 11,384 permits
• Kosovo – 5,860 permits
• Uzbekistan – 5,161 permits
• Egypt – 5,149 permits
• Bangladesh – 3,183 permits

This clearly shows that Croatia now relies on workers from both neighboring Balkan countries and Asian countries.

Regions in Croatia Issuing the Most Work Permits

Work permits were not issued equally across Croatia. Most permits were issued in areas with strong tourism and economic activity.

Top regions

• Zagreb Police Department – 40,170 permits
• Istria Police Department – 22,824 permits
• Split-Dalmatia Police Department – 16,602 permits

Smaller regions such as Požega-Slavonia, Virovitica-Podravina, and Bjelovar-Bilogora issued far fewer permits.

What This Means for Foreign Workers

• ✔ Croatia has a high demand for foreign workers
• ✔ Many workers are renewing permits and staying longer
• ✔ Job opportunities are strong in tourism, construction, hospitality, and services
• ✔ Asian workers (Nepal, India, Philippines, Bangladesh) play a growing role

For job seekers, this data confirms that Croatia will continue to depend on foreign workers in the coming years.