Croatia's UGP decries bureaucratic delays in foreign work permits, citing seasonal losses

The Croatian business association Udruga Glas poduzetnika (UGP) has lodged formal requests for information with the Ministry of Labour, the Ministry of the Interior, the State Inspectorate and the Croatian Employment Service (HZZ) over a surge in complaints from employers about the implementation of the Law on Foreigners and the issuance of residence and work permits for foreign workers.

UGP says employers across the country – particularly in tourism, hospitality and construction – submit complete applications on time, but state agencies delay approval, leaving workers unable to start, causing businesses to miss the seasonal peak and exposing employers to fines. As the association puts it, "Poduzetnici ne osporavaju zakonito zapošljavanje… Problem je u tome što poslodavci na vrijeme predaju uredne zahtjeve, a zatim čekaju državu."

UGP is demanding transparent processing times, data on pending cases, reasons for delays, better inter‑agency coordination and proportional inspection practices. It also calls for digitalisation of procedures, including electronic submission, real‑time status tracking and automatic notifications, and an urgent coordination meeting of the ministries and business representatives to establish a unified practice.