One-off recruitment
The direct model: we find, verify and bring in the worker, and you employ them directly in your company. You pay once – for a successful hire – and start building your own permanent team from day one.
- A one-off fee instead of a permanent margin
- Permit support, visas and relocation handled by us
- Candidates from Asia and Eastern Europe
- Free replacement recruitment guarantee
- Employment model
- Direct
- Scale
- 1–30 workers
- Lead time
- Agreed per project
- Billing
- One-off fee
- Guarantee
- Replacement hire
What one-off recruitment means
Also called direct recruitment. Your company signs the employment contract directly with the worker – no intermediary in the employment structure. We take care of everything that happens before the first working day: finding the right person, vetting, paperwork, visa and arrival.
You employ
Employment contract, pay and supervision stay with your company.
We recruit
Sourcing, qualification checks, permit support and relocation of the candidate.
You pay once
A one-off success fee for the hire, with no ongoing margin.
Who this model is for
Manufacturing and construction
You need specific people for specific roles, not a rotating agency crew.
Teams of 1–30 people
The scale where candidate fit, certificates and retention matter most.
Companies thinking long term
A single fee instead of a permanent margin – for multi-year employment this is the cheapest model.
Employers building a core team
You want your own workforce, promoted foremen and training invested in your own people.
What exactly we handle
Six areas we take over completely. What stays with you is choosing the candidate and preparing the workplace.
Sourcing and vetting
Role profile, sourcing through licensed partners, verification of experience, certificates and references, plus a language assessment.
Shortlist presentation
You receive complete profiles with CVs, certificates and a recruiter's note. Video interviews arranged on request.
Work permit
Checking whether a labour market test applies, the residence-and-work permit, visa documentation, and liaison with the competent Police Administration/Station and the consulate.
Relocation and arrival
Tickets, airport transfer, help with accommodation, address registration and opening a bank account.
On-site onboarding
Health and safety materials in the worker's language and a foreman-interpreter for larger groups.
Compliance and paperwork
A file ready for Labour Inspectorate and Border Police checks, plus reminders about renewal deadlines.
Six stages – from the first call to day one
- 01
Discovery call and role profile
Day 1–5We agree the scope of duties, required certificates, pay, shift system and accommodation conditions.
- 02
Quote, timeline and contract
Week 1–2We present the full budget and stage deadlines. The process starts only after approval and signature.
- 03
Recruitment and shortlist
Week 2–5Pre-selection with our partner in the source country, document checks, candidate presentation and your decision.
- 04
Work permit
Formalities with the authoritiesChecking whether a labour market test applies, then the residence-and-work permit application filed with the competent Police Administration/Station.
- 05
Visa and medicals
Agreed per projectFull visa file, medical examinations, a consular appointment and the D visa.
- 06
Arrival and first day
Arrival dayTickets, transfer, accommodation, address registration, safety training and on-the-job onboarding.
Employing a non-EU worker step by step – documents and permits
The question employers ask most often is what exactly has to be arranged for a non-EU national to work legally in Croatia. Below is the full path we run for you – from checking whether a labour market test applies, through the residence-and-work permit and the D visa, to registration after arrival.
Labour market test or direct filing
For most roles the Croatian Employment Service (HZZ) runs a labour market test before the permit application is filed, unless the occupation is on the current shortage-occupation list or one of the Article 110 exemptions of the Aliens Act applies – in which case the application goes directly to the competent Police Administration/Station.
Residence-and-work permit
The core document for a non-EU national employed by an entity based in Croatia. The employer files the application with the competent Police Administration/Station for the worker's intended place of residence. The permit is tied to a specific employer, role, working time and salary, for the duration of the employment contract.
National D visa and entry
Once the permit is issued, the candidate files a full set of documents at the consulate: permit, preliminary contract, medicals, insurance and proof of accommodation. Consular appointments are the most common bottleneck, so we book them in parallel with the permit procedure.
Registration after arrival
Address registration and biometrics at the competent Police Administration/Station, opening a bank account and, for longer employment, a timely renewal application for the residence-and-work permit. We track renewal deadlines so legal employment is never interrupted.
Conditions matching the permit
The contract must match the permit: role, working time and pay no lower than declared. Any material change requires a new or amended permit – we raise it before it becomes a problem.
Inspection-ready paperwork
Copies of residence documents, translations, working-time records and safety-training confirmations in a language the worker understands, handed over ready for Labour Inspectorate and Border Police checks.
All of these steps are part of one service – the employer signs a power of attorney and provides company data, and the rest is handled by our permits team together with our partner in the candidate's home country.
What stays on the employer's side
Even with full recruitment and permit support, a few obligations remain with the hiring company. Worth knowing before the first worker walks onto the shop floor.
Contract matching the permit
A written contract before work starts, translated into a language the worker understands, on terms no worse than in the permit.
Copy of the residence document
Keeping a copy of the valid document authorising the stay for the entire period of employment.
Social security and tax filings
Registering the worker with HZMO (the Croatian Pension Insurance Institute) within the statutory deadline and settling contributions and taxes on the same basis as for local employees.
Accommodation and living conditions
In practice the market standard: housing meeting sanitary requirements, clear cost rules and cost information given before arrival.
Health and safety onboarding
Medical examinations, safety training and workstation instructions in the worker's language – also assessed during inspections.
Notifying changes
Informing the competent authority when employment ends or does not start, and about changes affecting the validity of the permit.
How long it really takes
Timings depend mainly on the candidate's nationality and on the procedure before the competent authorities.
Candidates on site within 2–3 months. The timeline depends on the processing capacity of the competent authorities, consulates, embassies and visa systems.
- • The labour market test is run by HZZ only when the occupation is not on the shortage-occupation list and no Article 110 exemption of the Aliens Act applies.
- • The residence-and-work permit application is filed by the employer with the competent Police Administration/Station; for shortage occupations the process goes directly, without a labour market test.
- • We book the D visa consular appointment in parallel with the permit procedure so stages overlap rather than run one after another.
For larger groups the stages overlap, so each following batch of workers arrives faster than the first one.
How billing works
One success fee, paid in instalments tied to milestones. Official and relocation costs are billed separately at actual amounts.
Recruitment fee
Agreed upfront, based on the role, country and headcount. Paid in instalments: on signing, on candidate approval and on arrival.
Official charges
Residence-and-work permit, visa and service fees, sworn translations and document legalisation.
Flights and relocation
Air ticket, airport transfer and first formalities on site – billed against invoices.
Accommodation
On the employer's side. We help find housing that meets sanitary requirements and set cost-sharing rules.
Where we recruit workers from
Six destinations where we work with our own partners and proven visa paths. The country determines which trades are available, the level of English and the realistic arrival schedule.
Workers from the Philippines
English-speaking, strong work culture: manufacturing, logistics, hospitality and care.
Workers from India
A broad pool of technical specialists, welders, electricians and machine operators.
Workers from Nepal
Very low turnover, proven in production, warehousing and construction.
Workers from Bangladesh
High availability of candidates for manual roles and production lines.
Workers from Sri Lanka
Candidates with NVQ certificates, strong in processing, catering and construction.
Workers from Indonesia
A growing destination – manufacturing, food industry, warehouses and hospitality.
Roles we recruit most often
The one-off model works best where specific licences and hands-on experience matter more than sheer headcount.
Manufacturing and industry
CNC operators, line workers, quality control and maintenance mechanics.
Construction
Steel fixers, carpenters, bricklayers, steel-structure fitters and certified MAG/TIG welders.
Logistics and warehousing
Warehouse staff, licensed forklift operators and order-picking teams.
Food processing
Deboners and trimmers, slaughter, packing and cold-store staff with sector experience.
HoReCa and hotels
Kitchen porters, cooks, housekeeping and guest service – especially English-speaking candidates.
Care and services
Elderly carers, cleaning staff and facility service workers.
One-off recruitment, temporary placement or mass recruitment
The three models differ mainly in who the employer is and how the cooperation is billed.
| One-off recruitment | Temporary placement | Mass recruitment | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who is the employer | Your company | Primework | Primework |
| Billing model | One-off fee | Hourly rate | Service / outcome based |
| Work supervision | Your company | Your company | Primework coordinator |
| HR and payroll | On your side | On our side | On our side |
| Best for | Core team, 1–30 people | Seasonal and peak demand | A separated process or line |
What we guarantee
Free replacement recruitment
If the worker leaves or does not meet the agreed requirements within the guarantee period, we run a new recruitment for the same role at no extra fee.
Pricing with no hidden costs
Every item – agency fee, official charges, visa, flight and relocation – is listed in the offer before the contract is signed.
One coordinator
A single person guides you through the whole process: from the role profile to a review after the first months of the engagement.
Full compliance
Contracts compliant with the Aliens Act and Croatian labour law, with documentation ready for inspections.
Photos from single-role recruitment
Interviews and document verification carried out by our recruitment team.
Frequently asked questions
How is one-off recruitment different from mass recruitment?
With one-off (direct) recruitment the worker is employed directly by your company – on your contract, in your structure and under your management. We are responsible for finding, verifying and bringing in the candidate and for support with the residence-and-work permit. Mass recruitment is the same model, just at larger scale and run in batches.
How many people can I hire in this model?
The model works from a single hire up to teams of a few dozen. Most projects cover 1–30 workers for specific roles – wherever candidate fit matters more than sheer scale.
How long does the whole process take?
We agree the arrival timeline for each project individually, depending on the candidate's nationality and the procedure before the competent authorities. The timeline depends on the processing capacity of the competent authorities, consulates, embassies and visa systems. The main stages – the labour market test or HZZ opinion (where required), the residence-and-work permit application filed with the competent Police Administration/Station, and the D visa where needed – are run largely in parallel.
How is the service billed?
A one-off success fee agreed upfront and paid in instalments tied to process milestones. Official costs (work permit, visa, document legalisation), flights and relocation are billed separately at actual cost. The full calculation is presented before the start – with no hidden items.
Do I get a guarantee on the worker?
Yes. Within the agreed guarantee period, if the worker leaves or does not meet the agreed requirements, we run a free replacement recruitment for the same role.
Who handles permits and visas?
We do. We check whether the role requires a labour market test, prepare the residence-and-work permit application that the employer files with the competent Police Administration/Station, run the full visa file and liaise with the consulate where a D visa is needed, and after arrival – handle address registration and on-site support.
Do I have to provide accommodation?
In practice yes – it is the market standard for foreign workers and often decides whether a candidate accepts the offer. We help find housing that meets sanitary requirements and set clear cost-sharing rules.
Can I see the candidates before deciding?
Yes. We present a shortlist of verified profiles with experience, certificates and a language assessment, and arrange video interviews on request. The hiring decision is always yours.
How much does one-off recruitment of a foreign worker cost?
The total cost has three parts: the one-off success fee for the hire, official charges (the residence-and-work permit, visa and service fees where a D visa is required, sworn translations) and flights plus relocation billed at actual cost. We present an itemised quote before the contract is signed, so you know the budget for the whole process upfront.
What is a residence-and-work permit and who obtains it?
It is the single permit for a non-EU national that covers both stay and work in Croatia. The employer normally files the application with the competent Police Administration/Station for the worker's intended place of residence, and the permit is issued for a specific employer and role. In practice we run the application for you.
Is a labour market test always required?
No. The labour market test (TTR) is carried out by the Croatian Employment Service (HZZ) when the occupation is not on the current shortage-occupation list and none of the exemptions under Article 110 of the Aliens Act apply (e.g. key company personnel, intra-corporate transfer, EU Blue Card and other categories filed directly with the Police Administration). We check whether a TTR applies to your role before the process starts.
What happens if a worker is employed illegally?
Employing someone without a valid permit or against its conditions is an offence punishable by sanctions for the employer. That is why all documentation we prepare is inspection-ready: a contract matching the permit conditions, working-time records, translations and renewal deadlines.
Tell us who you are looking for.
We reply within 48 hours with candidate options, costs and a timeline – no commitment and no upfront fees.