Important news - Foreigners Act

The new amendments to the Foreigners' Act entered into force on 15 March 2025.

The new changes to the law introduce an exception (Article 93, Paragraph 5) that allows foreign nationals who are staying in Croatia without a valid permit to have their application for temporary residence (Article 58, Paragraph 1, Subparagraph 2) or a residence and work permit (Article 90, Paragraph 2) reviewed instead of being automatically rejected.

However, this exception applies only if both of the following conditions are met:

1. The previous residence and work permit expired between January 15 and March 15, 2025.
2. A new application is submitted by May 14, 2025.

This means that foreign nationals who do not have a valid permit or an ongoing application to obtain one will still have a chance to legalize their stay under this special rule.