We find your people, employ them on local contracts and run payroll, tax and HR. You run the work. Hires who need no permit are typically live in about 10 working days.
Croatian temporary employment agency, Ministry of Labour decisions No. 184/20 (placement) & No. 337/20 (employee leasing) · AmCham & HGK member · 10,500+ people employed through Humble Hunters since 2020.
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A local company that employs your people on its own contracts and runs payroll, tax and HR while you direct their work. In all three countries this is done as temporary agency work: in Croatia (for EU/EEA hires) and Czechia you need no entity of your own; in Serbia your company must be registered there, and a branch or representative office is enough.
An Employer of Record lets you employ someone in a country where you have no subsidiary, or where you simply don't want one. "Employer of Record" is a commercial term, not a legal form: in each country we use the route its labour law provides, usually temporary agency work, and we tell you its limits up front. We sign the compliant local contract and carry the employer obligations. You direct the work exactly as you would with your own staff.
No subsidiary to set up. No local payroll, accounting or HR to build. One monthly fee per employee.
From a signed agreement and the candidate's documents to a registered, compliant employment contract. In Croatia and Czechia this covers EU/EEA citizens; in Serbia, Serbian nationals.
The work and residence permit comes first, and its timing depends on the country and the case. In Croatia your company must already operate there. You get a dated plan before you commit.
Prove demand in Croatia, Serbia or Czechia before you commit to a permanent legal presence.
Hiring one or a handful of people doesn't justify the cost and overhead of a local subsidiary.
Local labour law, payroll and contributions handled by an in-house team, including the limits each country sets on agency work.
Move a freelancer onto compliant local employment without misclassification risk.
Skip entity registration: hires who need no permit are typically live and compliant in about 10 working days.
Employ across Croatia, Serbia and Czechia with one regional team and a local contract under each country's law.
Anonymised examples from our CRM, as of 2 October 2026. In each one we are the legal employer and the client directs the work.
The client's field sales representatives in Croatia are employed by us on Croatian contracts and assigned to the client, who directs their work. Contracts, payroll and contributions run through us, so the client's own HR does not grow with the team.
The order for 15 delivery drivers came in on 15 September 2026. By 1 October, 12 local drivers were working, employed by us and assigned to the client. No permits were needed, which is what makes timelines like this possible.
A road builder from Slovenia needed carpenters for its work in Croatia. All 15 positions are filled: the workers are employed by us under Croatian contracts and assigned to the client, with payroll and compliance handled locally.
| Capability | Humble Hunters | Global EOR platforms |
|---|---|---|
| Local team on the ground (HR·RS·CZ) | In-region specialists | Mostly remote support |
| Registered temporary-work agency in Croatia | Ministry of Labour decisions 184/20 & 337/20 | Varies by provider |
| Can also SOURCE the candidate | Recruitment is our core | Usually not included |
| Non-EU hiring: permits, housing, relocation | In-house, end to end | Permits in some countries |
| Local depth in Croatia, Serbia & Czechia | Own team in all three | Broad coverage, less local depth |
| Founder-led, human, fast | Direct senior contact | Tiered support |
An Employer of Record sits between setting up your own company and hiring a freelancer. Here is what each route means in practice.
Illustrative, not to scale. Registering a foreign-owned company takes 5 to 19 days (World Bank B-READY 2025: Serbia 5, Croatia 17, Czechia 19). Apostilled documents, translations and a bank account add weeks around that.
| Topic | Employer of Record | Your own subsidiary | Independent contractor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal employer | Our local company | Your company | No one: there is no employment contract |
| Before the first hire | A services agreement with us | Incorporation, bank account, tax and employer registration | A service contract |
| Time to a first hire | About 10 working days when no permit is needed | Registration alone takes 5–19 days; documents and a bank account add weeks | Days |
| Cost before salaries, first year | A monthly fee per employee, quoted per country | About €2,400–8,100 with local lawyers and accountants; €14,000–31,000 with an international firm | Their invoice |
| Payroll, tax and HR | We run it | You run it or outsource it | The contractor invoices you |
| Misclassification risk | None: a regular local employment contract | None | High if the person works like an employee |
| Limits | Assignment limits per country: Croatia 3 years on the same tasks, Serbia 24 months for fixed-term contracts, Czechia 12 months per client | None beyond labour law | You cannot direct them like staff |
| Best when | One to twenty hires, testing a market, a fast start | A long-term team you want under your own name | Genuinely independent, project-based work |
Indicative, as of October 2026. First-year company costs are our estimate from official court, registry and notary fees and published 2026 price lists, excluding salaries, contributions, share capital, VAT and office rent. Disguised employment is penalised in all three countries: in Croatia the employer pays €2,650 per worker on a first finding plus pay and contributions for a presumed six months of full-time work, in Serbia fines reach RSD 2,000,000 per company, and in Czechia CZK 10,000,000.
Choosing a provider? Local vs global EORCroatia offers one of the lowest employer payroll burdens in the EU, a single 16.5% employer-side contribution. Each market has its own legal route and limits, shown in the table.
| Topic | CroatiaHome market | Serbia | Czechia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Currency | EUR | RSD | CZK |
| Employer contributions | +16.5% (HZZO) | +15.15% (PIO 10% + health 5.15%) | +33.8% (social 24.8% + health 9%) |
| Minimum wage (2026) | €1,050/mo | 371 RSD net/h | 22,400 CZK/mo |
| Legal basis | Temporary agency work, up to 3 years on the same tasks | Agency work, for a client registered in Serbia | Agency work, up to 12 months per worker per client |
| Time to a live hire | ~10 working days (EU/EEA & local hires) | ~10 working days (Serbian nationals) | ~10 working days (EU/EEA & local hires) |
| Minimum annual leave | 4 weeks | 20 working days | 4 weeks |
| Probation, at most | 6 months | 6 months | 4 months (8 for managers) |
| Notice period | 2 weeks to 3 months, rising with length of service | At least 15 days when the employee resigns; 8–30 days for dismissal over performance | 2 months for both sides, whatever the length of service |
| Public holidays (2026) | 14, of which 9 on weekdays | 13 days off, 9 on weekdays | 13, of which 11 on weekdays |
| Working week | 40 hours; overtime up to 180 hours a year | 40 hours; overtime up to 8 hours a week | 40 hours; ordered overtime up to 150 hours a year |
| Sick pay paid by the employer | First 42 days, at least 70% of pay | First 30 days, at least 65% of pay | First 14 days, 60% of reduced average earnings |
| Salary due | Monthly, by the 15th of the following month | Monthly, by the end of the following month | Monthly, by the end of the following month |
| Allowances required by law | None, but Sunday work is paid at least 50% extra | Meal and annual-leave allowances, commuting, and 0.4% extra pay per year of service | None, but overtime, night and weekend work carry set premiums |
| Redundancy severance | After 2 years: ⅓ of monthly pay per year of service, up to 6 months' pay | ⅓ of monthly pay per year of service | 1 to 3 months' pay, depending on length of service |
| Country guide | Croatia EOR guide | Serbia EOR guide | Czechia EOR guide |
Rates are 2026 statutory values (Croatia +16.5% HZZO; Serbia +15.15% PIO and health; Czechia +33.8% social and health). Minimum wages change on 1 January 2027: Serbia 405 RSD net/h, Czechia 24,900 CZK/mo, Croatia's 2027 figure is pending. Actual employer cost depends on gross salary and benefits, request a country quote. Employment basics are statutory minimums as of October 2026 under the Croatian Labour Act, the Serbian Labour Law and the Czech Labour Code; collective agreements and contracts can improve on them.
Pick a market and enter a gross monthly salary to see the indicative monthly cost per employee: gross salary plus 2026 statutory employer contributions. Our service fee comes on top and is confirmed in your quote.
The agreed gross salary, before employer contributions.
How many people you plan to hire, we multiply the per-employee cost.
Employer contributions
€1,748
per employee / month
Indicative estimate using 2026 statutory employer-side rates (Croatia +16.5% HZZO; Serbia +15.15% PIO and health; Czechia +33.8% social and health). It excludes our service fee and any mandatory allowances or benefits. We confirm the full cost in a written quote.
Yes, but none of the three countries has a separate legal form called EOR. In Croatia and Czechia we employ your people through temporary agency work under local labour law. In Serbia the Agency Employment Act requires the client to be registered in Serbia, and a branch or representative office of your company is enough. Each country page sets out the rules and limits.
Candidates who can already work in the country are typically live and compliant in about 10 working days after the signed agreement and their documents. Candidates who need a work and residence permit take weeks to months, depending on the country and the case.
Registration is quick once the documents are ready: the World Bank's B-READY 2025 survey puts it at 5 days in Serbia, 17 in Croatia and 19 in Czechia for a foreign-owned company. Apostilled documents, translations and a bank account add weeks. We estimate the first year at about €2,400–8,100 with local lawyers and accountants, or €14,000–31,000 with an international firm, before salaries, contributions and office rent.
Yes. Recruitment is our core business, we've employed 10,500+ people since 2020. We can source, vet and hire the right person for you, or simply onboard someone you've already chosen.
We handle work and residence permits, housing and relocation end to end. The rules differ by country: in Croatia agency hiring of non-EU workers is open only to companies that already operate there; in Czechia agencies may not assign foreign nationals who need a permit to low-skilled roles; in Serbia every foreign national needs a single residence and work permit.
You do. You direct the work, goals and team exactly as you would with your own staff. We carry the employer obligations in the background: contract, payroll, tax, benefits, HR and compliance.
Your monthly invoice covers the employee's gross salary and the statutory employer contributions, plus one service fee per employee. The fee covers the compliant employment contract, payroll and payslips, filing and paying taxes and contributions, benefits and leave administration, onboarding and offboarding, and a dedicated local HR contact. Recruitment and work-permit support are optional add-ons.
No provider can promise that. Whether your company creates a permanent establishment depends on what your employee does, for example concluding contracts in your name, and on the tax treaty between the countries. We flag the common triggers when we plan the hire; confirm your setup with your tax adviser.
All employee and candidate data is handled in line with GDPR. Contracts, payroll records and personal documents are processed and stored securely by our in-house team, never in an anonymous ticket queue.
Tell us who you want to hire and we'll come back within one business day with a compliant, in-region plan.
Share a few details and we'll map out a compliant, in-region plan, no subsidiary, no guesswork. We reply within one business day.