Craft in Croatia can be registered through several options. It is important to check the sectoral requirements for services, including minimum technical requirements.
Business establishment options
- For Croatian citizens with an active residence or residence in the Republic of Croatia
- Electronic establishment: craft
- All registration steps are done in one digital place
- START Point - an additional benefit for users of the START system at one of the 20 physical access points located in FINA offices.
- For Croatian citizens and foreigners who have permanent residence or temporary residence in Croatia (Through the e-Obrt system, requests to initiate registration of new trades, registration of changes and download of documents from the Trade Register can be submitted by citizens of the Republic of Croatia, as well as by foreigners. The condition for registering a new trade in the Trade Register is registered residence or residence in Croatia)
- Electronic establishment of a Craft (sole trader)
- All other registration steps are done separately
Physically
- For Croatian EU/EEA and foreign citizens
- Separate physical steps for registration, as follows:
Registration at the competent administrative authority
Croatian Pension Insurance Institute (HZMO)
- Within 24 hours of starting the business, data is automatically sent to the Croatian Health Insurance Fund (HZZO)
Tax Administration
- Within 8 days of starting the business.
Required documents
- Proof of identity (copy of an ID or a passport)
- Proof of meeting special health requirements (for certain craft businesses: catering, restaurants, fast food facilities, pastry shops, bakeries and others, i.e., for most that include handling of food)
- Proof of the right to use premises (if a craft business requires premises: retail, catering, tourism, different types of services such as hairdresser, cosmetician, pedicure and chemical cleaning services and so on)
- For associated crafts: appropriate secondary school qualification, master craftsman’s certificate, or vocational qualification (if applicants do not meet a special requirement of vocational training, appropriate secondary school, or master craftsman’s certificate, they may run an associated craft business if they hire a person meeting that requirement on a full-time basis).
- Work permit for third-country nationals (only for third countries - outside EU/EEA).
- Valid residence permit (only for third countries outside the EU/EEA).
Recognition of qualifications
The following documents need to be sent to poduzetnistvoiobrt@mingo.hr:
- Proof of foreign vocational qualifications
- Proof of passed exams
- List of criteria to take the exam
- Official plan and programme from which a summary of the exam passed is visible
- Proof of nationality of another EU/EEA state
- CV in Croatian
- Certificate of payment of the administrative fee (or certificate of exemption from paying the administrative fee).
Fees
None (no longer required)
Obligations
The proprietor has to start performing the activity within one year from registration if a craft business is registered without indicating the beginning of the business activity.
Forms of crafts
- Free-form crafts: not requiring a vocational qualification certificate or master craftsman’s certificate
- Associated crafts: requiring a vocational qualification certificate, an appropriate secondary school qualification, or a master craftsman’s certificate
- Privileged crafts: can be performed only based on a license, i.e., a privilege certificate.
Competent authority and regulations
Ministry of Economy (Crafts Register)
Vukovarska 78, 10000 Zagreb
+385 1 6109 720
poduzetnistvoiobrt@mingo.hr
obrtpravno@mingo.hr
Crafts Act (NN 143/13, 127/19, 41/20) - Article 9(5) - Consolidated Version
Services Act (OG 80/11) - Articles 1, 14, and 15
Ordinance on the recognition of foreign vocational qualifications on master craftsman’s degree and its individual parts to perform regulated professions in the area of associated crafts (OG 90/17)
