Croatia issues important health warning for employers hiring foreign workers

ZAGREB, 31 July 2026 – The Croatian Institute of Public Health (HZJZ) has issued an important reminder today to employers and employment agencies hiring foreign workers, stressing that certain third country nationals must complete mandatory health examinations before travelling to Croatia.

The warning applies to citizens of third countries who require a visa to enter Croatia and are applying for their first temporary residence permit for employment.

According to HZJZ, these workers must submit a completed Certificate of Health Status and Vaccination Status (Form 18a) as part of their application for temporary residence. The certificate must be no older than 90 days when the application is submitted.

Crucially, all required medical examinations and tests must be completed in the worker’s country of origin before arriving in Croatia.

Form 18a is completed in English. The worker fills in their personal details and signs a declaration confirming they are not suffering from chronic illnesses that would affect their health or ability to work.

A licensed doctor must complete the medical section of the form, which must include the doctor’s signature and stamp, along with the official stamp of the healthcare institution.

The required medical information includes:

• confirmation of whether the person is being treated for active tuberculosis

• a chest X ray, taken within the previous three months

• laboratory results confirming the absence of Salmonella Typhi and Salmonella Paratyphi A, B and C, also no older than three months

• vaccination records showing doses and the date of the latest vaccination against diphtheria, tetanus, polio and measles

Employers responsible for checking documentation

Employers, or those submitting the application on behalf of the worker, must include the completed and certified Form 18a with the documentation submitted to Croatia’s Ministry of the Interior when applying for a residence and work permit.

HZJZ stressed that the form is a mandatory document for first time temporary residence applications by visa required third country nationals.

Without a correctly completed form, the application process cannot be properly carried out.

The public health authority also highlighted that county and city public health institutes, as well as HZJZ itself, will not complete Form 18a or carry out the required examinations after a worker arrives in Croatia.

Employers and recruitment agencies are therefore advised to ensure that every section of the form has been correctly completed, signed and certified before arranging a worker’s travel.

HZJZ also clarified that Form 18a should not be confused with the medical examination required when extending a temporary residence permit.

The two procedures are separate. Form 18a applies only before a worker’s first arrival in Croatia, while medical examinations carried out in Croatia relate to certain foreign nationals extending their temporary residence after arriving in the country.

The institute is urging employers and foreign workers to complete all required documentation in advance to avoid delays in the residence and work permit process.