Changing or losing your job
Losing one job is not the end. You have time and the right to move on.
For a long time foreign workers were trapped: leave a bad employer and you lost everything. The law has changed. Now you can move to a better job, and losing one position does not mean instant deportation. Knowing this takes away the biggest threat an employer can use against you.
Key facts
- After 6 months you can apply to change employer.
- If your job ends, you get about 3 months to find a new one.
- That grace period is 6 months if you have held permits over 2 years.
- A change of employer goes through HZZ — usually quick when conditions are met.
- Being unemployed for a short while does not automatically cancel your stay.
In detail
How changing employer works
After your first six months, a new employer can apply to take you on, and the change is approved through the Employment Service (HZZ) when the conditions are met. You do not have to leave Croatia to do this. A good new employer will know the process; if they pretend it is impossible, that may be a sign they prefer you trapped.
If you lose your job
If your contract ends or you are let go, you are not immediately illegal. You get a grace period — around three months, or six if you have held permits for over two years — to find new work. Use that time, ask the community and HZZ, and do not let anyone rush you into a worse situation by lying that you must leave tonight.
Warning signs
- Your employer says you can never legally leave them.
- You are told changing jobs means instant deportation.
- A new employer claims the transfer is "impossible".
- You are pressured to sign a new bad contract out of fear.
What you can do
- Check the dates on your permit so you know your timeline.
- Start looking early and ask the community for leads.
- Confirm the rules yourself with HZZ — do not rely on your boss.
- If threatened to keep you from leaving, contact a union or the Ombudsman.