A foreign investor establishes or participates in the establishment of companies in the Republic of Croatia, acquires rights and assumes obligations in them under the same conditions and has the same position as a local person. A foreign capital company, which has its registered office in a country that is not a member of the European Union or a contracting party to the Treaty on the European Economic Area, can be a member that is personally liable for the company's obligations in the company of a person with its registered office in the Republic of Croatia only if it is with him in the company at least one other member of the capital company that has its registered office in the Republic of Croatia, a member state of the European Union or a state that is a contracting party to the Treaty on the European Economic Area or a natural person who is a citizen of the Republic of Croatia, a member state of the European Union or a state that is a contracting party to the Treaty on the European Economic Area, which is personally responsible for these obligations.

By law, foreign trading companies and individual traders are equal in doing business in the territory of the Republic of Croatia with domestic persons. However, foreign trading companies and individual foreign traders cannot permanently perform activities in the territory of the Republic of Croatia until they establish a branch office. The performance of an activity is not considered, for example, the occasional or one-time performance of an activity, that is, the performance of an individual job.

Establishment of the company

Foreign investors can acquire ownership and shares in joint stock companies. The minimum amount of share capital for establishment joint stock company is HRK 200.000, and the nominal value per share cannot be less than HRK 10. Minimum share capital for establishment limited liability companies is HRK 20.000, and the nominal amount of the business share cannot be less than HRK 200. Before registering the company in the court register, each founder must pay at least one quarter of the stake he pays in money, with the fact that the total amount of all payments in money cannot be less than one quarter of the share capital. The cash deposit must be entered in full within one year of entry in the court register.

A company with a maximum of five members and one board member can be established in a simplified manner as simple limited liability company. The minimum amount of the share capital of such a company is HRK 10, and the minimum nominal amount of the business share cannot be less than HRK 1.

START – electronic business start-up

The Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development launched the START system, which enables the electronic start-up of a business - the establishment of a limited liability company (doo) and a simple limited liability company (jdoo) with one or more domestic founders of the trade.

Entrepreneurs can also use the HITRO.hr system, a service of the Government of the Republic of Croatia, with the aim of speeding up communication between entrepreneurs and the state administration, through which it is possible to establish a limited liability company or a simple limited liability company.

Source: https://investcroatia.gov.hr/osnivanje-trgovackog-drustva/