As of January 1, 2017, Croatian nationals do not need to obtain a long stay entry visa in their home country prior to traveling to Switzerland. They will still, however, require a work permit. During an initial transition period, they will continue to be subject to a labor market test and a quota for stays up to four months, however, they will be considered over non-EU/European Economic Area nationals.
In case of a serious disruption of the Swiss labor market during the initial transition period, the same measures may continue to apply for up to seven years. Moreover, the Swiss government reserves the right to maintain a quota for Croatian nationals for an overall duration of up to 10 years, should the immigration numbers exceed 10% of the average of the three prior years.
What This Means For Employers and Croatian Nationals
Since Croatian nationals will still be subject to a quota and a labor market test, in practice, this will not result in immediate consequences for Croatian work permit applicants but indicates the start of a transition period.
Croatian nationals who already hold a work permit in Switzerland will not be affected by the change and may continue working in Switzerland.
This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].
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