Recognition of professional qualifications in Croatia

Recognition of qualifications for regulated professions is subject to mutual recognition in the internal market, which applies to EU/EEA citizens

The freedom to provide services means the absence of recognition of a foreign professional qualification (unless exceptionally required before the first provision of services). Only an e‑declaration is sent to the competent authority regarding cross‑border service provision. More detailed information is contained in the specific sectoral requirements for services.

In the case of operating on a permanent basis, with a business establishment in Croatia, recognition of the qualification is mandatory.

Two Systems of Qualification Recognition

The automatic system means that throughout the EU, there is a minimum harmonized curriculum applicable to seven professions: medical doctors, nurses for general healthcare, dental practitioners, midwives, pharmacists, veterinarians, and architects.

The general system means that a person must demonstrate appropriate education and additional knowledge, skills and work experience, and often language proficiency.
More detailed information is contained in the specific sectoral conditions for service activities.

Recognition Process

In the recognition process, a distinction is made between educational and professional qualifications:

An educational qualification refers to the formal title for a certain level of acquired knowledge, skills and competences, proven by a foreign school certificate, diploma or other public document issued by the competent institution. Thus, an educational qualification is obtained upon completion of formal education and is proven by a diploma, certificate or other public document issued by the competent educational institution.

If you hold only an educational qualification obtained abroad (certificate or diploma), you should contact the Agency for Science and Higher Education for recognition of higher‑education qualifications, and the Agency for Vocational Education and Training and Adult Education for recognition of secondary‑school qualifications.

A professional qualification, besides the educational qualification as a basic requirement, also involves an upgrade of knowledge and skills after formal education, such as work experience, passing a professional exam, or obtaining authorization for independent practice from the competent professional chamber.

If you hold a foreign professional qualification and have authorization for independent practice from the competent authority or professional organization in another country, you can recognize your qualifications with the relevant Croatian authority, depending on the specific sectoral conditions for service activities.

EPC Card

The EPC card is an electronic procedure for recognizing professional qualifications used for five professions: nurses for general healthcare, pharmacists, physiotherapists, mountain guides and real‑estate agents. The EPC is not a physical card; data on the holder of the professional qualification is exchanged by competent public administration bodies via the Internal Market Information System (IMI).

EU Certificate

The EU certificate is issued to Croatian legal and natural persons for the unobstructed free provision of services in the EU/EEA internal market and Switzerland. When a person goes to work in another Member State for the first time, the host‑state authority can request Croatia to provide the EU certificate. It confirms that the person has an establishment in Croatia, has performed certain activities and does not have (even temporarily) a ban on practicing the profession.
If you obtained your professional qualification in Croatia and want to work in another European country, you can contact the ENIC‑NARIC network. Also, the EUGO network of Points of Single Contact provides information on activity requirements in EU/EEA countries.

Competent Authority and Regulations