The job is not your debt
You should not pay huge fees to get a job. Extreme recruitment fees are abuse.
Many workers arrive in Croatia already in deep debt, because a recruiter back home charged them thousands for the "chance" to work. That debt is then used to control them. You should know: the employer is meant to pay for the work permit, and charging you extreme fees is exploitation — not a normal cost of a job.
Key facts
- The employer pays for the work-permit process, not you.
- Workers are often charged 30–40 times the legal fee — that is abuse.
- A debt to a recruiter does not make you their property.
- You do not have to keep working to "pay off" an unfair fee.
- Promises of a job for a big cash payment are a common scam.
In detail
The debt trap, explained
The trap works like this: a recruiter charges you a huge fee to come and work, often paid by a loan or by selling things at home. You arrive owing money, so you feel you cannot quit even if the job is bad — because you "owe" them. That fear is the whole point. Recognising it is the first step to getting out of it.
What you can legally be asked to pay
Real costs like your own flight or a medical exam may be yours to pay, at their true price. But the work-permit procedure is paid by the employer, and "agency fees" of thousands of euros are not a normal or legal price for a job. If someone says you must pay a fortune just to be allowed to work, treat it as a warning sign.
Warning signs
- You paid thousands just to "get" the job.
- You are told you must work until the debt is "repaid".
- The fee was far more than a flight and documents cost.
- Quitting feels impossible because of money you supposedly owe.
What you can do
- Keep any proof of what you were charged and promised.
- Remember: an unfair recruitment debt does not bind you legally.
- Warn others by reviewing the employer or agency here.
- Report debt bondage to the Ombudsman or an anti-trafficking NGO.