Author
Applicants have the right to work after the expiration of a period of three months from the day of lodging an application upon which the Ministry of Interior has not yet issued a decision if the applicant’s conduct has not affected the reasons for not issuing a decision.[1] The applicant shall exercise the right to work without the need for a residence and work permit or a work registration certificate until the decision on the application becomes enforceable.[2]
The Ministry of Interior should issue a document at the request of an applicant to certify that the applicant has acquired the right to work. On the other hand, if the applicant does not meet the conditions, the Ministry shall issue a decision refusing to issue the certificate.[3] No appeal is permissible against the decision refusing to issue the certificate, but a lawsuit may be brought before an administrative court, within eight days of the day of delivery of the decision.[4]
The applicant must inform the Reception Center for Applicants for International protection in writing about the establishment of an employment relationship and submit the employer’s certificate of the concluded employment contract, within 15 days from the conclusion of the employment contract.[5]
A person whose status as an applicant has ceased must, within 15 days of the cessation of the status, return the certificate on the right to work to the Ministry of Interior for annulment.[6]
In 2024, 247 applicants for international protection applied for a work certificate, of which 236 were approved and 11 were rejected.[7]
In 2024, the Administrative Court in Zagreb received 8 lawsuits against the Ministry of Interior’s decisions refusing to issue a certificate of the right to work, and all of them were rejected. The average processing time for administrative disputes against decisions refusing to issue a certificate of the right to work before Administrative Court in Zagreb was 198 days in 2024.[8] The High Administrative Court had one case in 2024 in which an appeal against a judgment of the Administrative Court in a case related to the issuance of certificate of the right to work was rejected.[9]
According to the Croatian Employment Service (CES), registration in the records of the CES is regulated by the Law on Labour Market. The applicant for international protection and their family members can register at the Employment Service if the Ministry of Interior has not made a decision on the application for international protection within the legally prescribed period. They should apply and register at the Employment Service according to their place of residence, i.e., residential address.[10] According to the data of the CES, 35 applicants for international protection (of whom 13 women) were registered in the records of unemployed persons on 31 December 2024. In 2024, 53 applicants for international protection were receiving individual counselling at CES and 32 applicants for international protection were employed through CES. During 2024, 16 applicants were included in the measures of the active employment policy with the aim of a more successful and faster integration into the labour market.[11]
Applicants can work on a voluntary basis in both Reception Centres.[12] According to the Ordinance on the Realisation of Material Reception Conditions, applicants accommodated in the Reception Centre for Applicants for International Protection may, at their own request and with a signed statement, assist in activities related to the maintenance of the centre and housing such as cleaning, landscaping, gardening, help in storehouse, washing, ironing, painting the walls, etc., and can be voluntarily involved in work for the benefit of local community or the work of humanitarian organisations. The Croatian Red Cross runs the Job Center within which the applicants participate in the maintenance of the Reception Centre for Applicants for International Protection and its environment.
Are You Syrious (AYS) reported that, in 2024, they provided information to applicants for international protection on the right to work and provided support in job searching (e.g., writing CVs, contacting employers).[13] According to AYS, the problems that appeared during 2024 include non-payment of wages or overtime hours, failure to inform applicants about employee rights and avoidance of signing contracts by employers.
Jesuit Refugee Service,[14] also provided support in job searching.
In 2024, the Croatian Law Centre, as an implementing partner of UNHCR, in collaboration with the Croatian Employment Service produced the brochure „The right to work – applicants for international protection, persons granted international protection and foreigners under temporary protection”. The brochure provides key information on the right to employment and work, as well as the protection of these rights.The brochure is available in Croatian, English, Ukrainian, Russian, French, Turkish, Arabic and Farsi.[15] The brochure is available to beneficiaries in all regional offices and services of CES.
[1] Article 61(1) LITP.
[2] Article 61(5) LITP.
[3] Article 61(2)-(3) LITP.
[4] Article 61(4) LITP.
[5] Article 61(6) LITP.
[6] Article 61(7) LITP.
[7] Croatian Law Centre: The Croatian Asylum System in 2024- National Report; available at: https://www.hpc.hr/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/National-Asylum-Report-2024_CLC.pdf.
[8] Information provided by Administrative Court in Zagreb, 17 January 2025.
[9] Information provided by High Administrative Court, 22 January 2025.
[10] Article 14 Law on Labour Market, Official Gazette 118/2018, 32/2020, 18/2022, 156/2023, 152/2024.
[11] Information provided by the Croatian Employment Service, 27 January 2025.
[12] Article 19 Ordinance on the Realisation of Material Reception Conditions.
[13] Information provided by AYS, 15 January 2025.
[14] Information provided by Jesuit Refugee Service, 15 January 2025.
[15] CLC: brochure „The right to work – applicants for international protection, persons granted international protection and foreigners under temporary protection”, available in in Croatian, English, Ukrainian, Russian at: https://www.hpc.hr/2024/02/05/izradena-brosura-pravo-na-rad-trazitelja-medunarodne-zastite-osoba-s-odobrenom-medunarodnom-zastitom-i-osoba-pod-privremenom-zastitom/ and in French, Turkish, Arabic and Farsi at: https://www.hpc.hr/2024/08/23/brosura-o-pravu-na-rad-dostupna-i-na-francuskom-turskom-i-farsi-jeziku/.