Taras Miroshnychenko

Head of practice

E-mail

miroshnychenko@prikhodko.com.ua

Phone numbers

Head of Corporate Law and Fintech Practice. Expert in the creation and reorganization of companies, support of M&A transactions, as well as legal support for opening and running a business in the EU, Asia, and North America.

Opening and supporting a business in Croatia

A typical mistake of a foreigner is to decide that “submitting standard documents” is enough. And then find out that your LLC (j.d.o.o.) is blocked due to an incorrectly filled out form in the registry, and the bank refuses to open an account because the authorized capital is the “wrong” color of ink. Seriously.

Business registration and support in Croatia from Prikhodko & Partners is not a “lawyer by your side”, but a systematic work that starts a month before submitting the application and ends… it does not end as long as your business is operating. We translate bureaucratic Croatian into human language.

Find out the cost of a legal consultation

What does “business support in Croatia” really mean?

For most Ukrainian entrepreneurs, Croatia is associated with tourism. But business there is IT, real estate, logistics, manufacturing and fintech. And each of these areas has its own “pitfalls”.

Our service is a comprehensive legal support for the life cycle of your Croatian company. From choosing the organizational and legal form to the moment when you stop shuddering at the word “Porezna uprava” (tax).

When does a business in Croatia need a lawyer, not Google Translate?

Here are three signs that your entrepreneurship is over:

You plan to open a j.d.o.o. (simple limited liability company). The authorized capital is only 10 kuna (about 1.3 euros). Sounds easy? The catch is that 25% of the profit goes to the reserve fund until you accumulate 5,000 euros. And you forget about changing the charter.
You buy a ready-made company. This is popular in Croatia. But you can be “gifted” with the previous owner’s debts to customs or a hidden lien on the property. A background check is not just one request to the registry.
Your director is a non-resident. Croatian banks (Zagrebačka banka, PBZ) are organizing a 40-day quest for a foreigner without a local address. We know what wording to include in the constituent documents so that the bank says “yes”.

Risks that you buy without legal support

Fine location penalty. You indicated an office in Zagreb, but in fact you work from home in Zadar. The check comes with a summons. The fine is up to 30,000 kuna.
Error in the activity code (NKD). Did you choose the general code “consulting”? The tax office may recognize that your IT services are “engineering” and charge VAT at a higher rate.
Dismissal of an employee. In Croatia, this is almost impossible to do legally without a lawyer. One wrong letter – and you pay 6 salaries of compensation.

What exactly is included in the service?

This is not abstract “representation in courts”. Here are three lists (yes, three – because it is important):

List 1. What we do at the “Registration” stage

Analysis of your business model for compliance with Croatian legislation (for example, cryptocurrency activities require a license).
Reservation of a unique company name in the Sudski registrar (Court Register).
Preparation of a full set of constituent documents in Croatian – with notarized signatures (without this, nothing works).
Obtaining an OIB (personal identification number) for the director and the company.
Registration with HZMO (pension fund) and HZZO (health insurance) – mandatory, even if you are alone.

List 2. What is included in “Post-registration support”

Opening a corporate bank account (choose a bank where there is no currency control fee).
Registration as a VAT payer (if the turnover exceeds 40,000 euros per year – this is an obligation, not a right).
Preparation and submission of the first financial statements (communication with an accountant is a separate service, but we keep the process).
Legal support for labor inspection inspections (they like to come without warning).

List 3. Documents you must provide (without this – no way)

A certified copy of the founder/director’s passport (apostille, if you are not in Croatia).
A certificate of no criminal record with a translation into Croatian (validity period – 3 months).
Documentary confirmation of the legal address (lease agreement or notarized consent of the owner of the premises).
For fintech companies – a business plan with a detailed description of the AML policy (anti-money laundering).

How do we register and support your business in Croatia?

Diagnostics and strategy selection. We conduct a 45-minute analysis of your model. We find out whether it is possible to register as a sole proprietorship (obrt) or better yet, a d.o.o. We warn you about “surprises”: for example, a construction business requires a certified engineer on staff.
Collection and legalization of documents. We give you a list of 5 items (no more). We translate, apostillize, notarize. You do not go to Croatia until the moment of personal submission comes (and then we can get a power of attorney).
Submission and support in the registers. We submit documents electronically or through a notary in Zagreb. We wait for the decision of the Sudski registr (usually 5-7 days). If it is refused, we appeal. Yes, this happens because of a comma in the name.
Post-registration support. We get an OIB, open an account, register a cash register (if necessary), apply for an electronic signature. After 30 days, we check whether everything has been received by the tax office.

Get legal support service

Why choose Prikhodko & Partners for Croatia?

Because we have already gone this way for dozens of clients. And we know where a Croatian official will make an unexpected demand.
We work with local notaries and lawyers in Croatia – we have a partner in Zagreb who physically submits documents.
We do not promise an “individual approach” – we provide checklists, deadlines and a fixed cost. No “maybe you will pay extra for urgency”.
We know Ukrainian realities and how to legalize income from Ukraine for a Croatian bank. This is a separate quest that we will win.

Frequently asked questions about business registration in Croatia

Is it possible to register a company in Croatia remotely, without a trip?

Yes, but with a nuance. You can give a notarized power of attorney to our partner in Croatia. Then your personal presence is not even required to open an account (some banks do this). But to get an electronic signature or personal OIB, you will have to come for the first time – it takes 1 day in Zagreb. We will organize an appointment in 30 minutes.

Can I use a Croatian company to work with cryptocurrencies?

You can, but we warn you right away: Croatia is not a “crypto-offshore”. Since 2023, strict AML law has been in effect. A HANFA license is required for crypto/fiat exchange (analogous to the NBU). For mining – simplified registration, but with an increased income tax (18%). If you simply accept crypto as payment for services – no additional permits are needed, but accounting will be specific. Prikhodko & Partners has a separate checklist for crypto business in Croatia – we will provide it during the consultation.