How many paid holiday days do you get in Croatia? 5 rules every worker should know

The Labour Act gives at least four weeks of paid annual leave. Here are the five rules on waiting time, carry-over and what you are owed if you quit.

Published 2026-10-22 · Source checked 2026-10-21

Many workers do not know how much paid holiday they are owed, and employers do not always explain. The Croatian Labour Act (Zakon o radu) is clear on the basics.

Rule 1: every worker gets at least four weeks of paid annual leave (godišnji odmor) for each calendar year. Minors and people in jobs with unavoidable health hazards get at least five weeks. Your contract or company rules can give more, never less.

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Rule 2: if this is your first job, or you had a break of more than eight days between jobs, you earn the full right after six months of continuous work with that employer.

Rule 3: before that, you still get a share. For each month of work you are entitled to one twelfth of your yearly leave. The same proportional share applies in the year your job ends.

Rule 4: unused leave generally has to be taken by 30 June of the following year, and leave lost to illness can be taken after you return, by the same date. Your employer must set the leave schedule by 30 June and tell you at least 15 days before your leave starts. You may also take one day whenever you choose if you give three days notice, unless the employer has a justified reason to refuse.

Rule 5: if your contract ends and you have unused leave, the employer must pay you compensation for those days. Check your final payslip for it.

What to do: count your days now, ask your employer in writing how many you have left, and keep the answer. Tell us on our Facebook page: did your employer ever refuse your leave dates? Related guides: sick leave pay and ending a job.

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