The recent change in the Croatian Maritime Law applicable from the 01st January 2008 requires every Croatian seafarer employed under a foreign-flagged vessel, if not employed through a Croatia based employer (company/agency), to report to the Harbour Master’s office and present the applicable contract before joining the vessel.
In case the seafarer is employed through the Croatia based employer, the employer will take care about this report.

This change in the Croatian Maritime law was made in order to bring the Croatian seafarers into the system regarding tax, healthcare, and benefits which the seafarer are now obliged to participate in according to pre-set amounts except in case of tax where the seafarer is free from tax if he spends more than 183 days at sea during the given year.

The responsibility to pay these commitments lies on the seafarer rather than on the company which brings the Croatian seafarers in an unpleasent position.

Croatia based employers will also take care about the seafarers obligations to pay these commitments by paying those compulsory payments while deducting the required amount from the wages of the seaferer.

The ones employed by the foreign company will have to arrange the payments by themselves.

Harbour Master’s offices are going to be the controlling body as the seafarer will have to endorse the sea service by the Harbour Master’s office and those endorsements will be relevant in order to renew national certificates.