Foreign workers in Croatia face health‑insurance gaps after job loss

Union representative Višnja Katalinić says many non‑EU workers in Croatia lose health insurance when they become unemployed or change employers. Unlike Croatian citizens, foreign workers must pay their own premiums during the legally permitted unemployment period of three to six months, a cost most cannot afford. Pregnant migrants are especially vulnerable; a case involving a Latin‑American restaurant employee who was dismissed while pregnant illustrates how employers can refuse to renew work permits, leaving the woman without residency status and forced onto the unemployment register while still needing medical care. Although Croatian law bans discrimination against pregnant workers, employers often cite other formal reasons to end contracts, making legal challenges difficult. Administrative delays mean some migrants wait up to 11 months for a new permit, during which they have no income, no health coverage, and risk deportation if they fail to register with the employment office within five days of job loss.