The Croatian authorities have revealed that the country is working to double the validity period of the EU Blue Card.
As explained by the authorities of the country, changes to the Aliens Act are being planned and as soon as they are approved, the EU Blue Card will remain valid for a period of four years instead of the current two, Schengen.News reports.
Such a change would significantly highly qualified foreigners who want to reach Croatia for work purposes as they will be able to remain in the country’s territory for a longer period.
Commenting on the move, the Prime Minister of Croatia, Andrej Plenković, said that the extension of the EU Blue Card validity would help the country resolve workforce shortage issues and, at the same time, offer better opportunities for foreign workers.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Croatia, Davor Božinović, also shared his comments on the matter, saying that the main purpose of this measure is to attract highly qualified workforce.
EU Blue Card Eligibility Will Be Expanded to Include IT Professionals Without Qualifications
As the tportal explains, in addition to working to extend the EU Blue Card’s validity period, Croatia also wants to expand the document’s eligibility criteria.
The authorities have said that as part of the changes, Croatia will enable foreigners who do not hold an educational qualification but have the necessary skills in the IT sector will be able to obtain the EU Blue Card.
However, this group of foreign workers will be required to prove that they have work experience in the field to be granted the document. Their applications will be assessed by a committee that will be appointed to carry out these matters.
Data show that since the beginning of this year until September 30, Croatia issued a total of 158,837 residence and work permits to foreign nationals.
The largest number of permits during this period was granted to nationals of Bosnia and Herzegovina (30,424), Nepal (25,392), and Serbia (23,862), with the majority of beneficiaries needing the document to work in construction, tourism and h, industry, traffic and connections, and trade.
What Are the Requirements for Obtaining Croatia’s EU Blue Card?
To be eligible to apply for Croatia’s EU Blue Card, third-country nationals must hold a valid one-year employment contract to perform a highly qualified job.
Moreover, applicants must meet the minimum salary threshold of Croatia, which stands at 1.5 the average of the annual salary. This means that in order for foreigners to be eligible for Croatia’s EU Blue Card, they need to meet the minimum annual salary of €24,845.64.
Applicants must also present documents proving that the national legal requirements are met for regulated professions, as well as proof of educational qualifications for unregulated professions.
Other requirements include the need to show proof of sufficient financial resources to support themselves and provide a copy of their travel document, among others.
The processing time of the Croatian EU Blue Card is between 30-60 days, and the initial fee for the document is €74,32.
Several EU countries issue EU Blue Cards for highly qualified foreign workers, and four of them have simplified some of their rules so far this year.