Highly skilled people

This page explains how you can apply for a blue registration certificate as a highly skilled person if you are a national of Croatia. If you are successful you will receive a blue registration certificate that will allow you to access the UK labour market without restrictions.

Criteria to be met

Under the Croatian Accession Regulations, a Croatian national who meets the highly skilled criteria is exempt from needing worker authorisation provided they have been issued a blue registration certificate which contains an endorsement confirming that the holder has unconditional access to the UK labour market. The criteria to be met as a highly skilled person are:

• You must have obtained an endorsement by a designated body; or
  • A recognised bachelor, masters or doctoral degree
  • A postgraduate certificate in education or Professional Graduate Diploma of Education
  • By a Scottish higher education institution, a Higher National Diploma

What is a designated body?

A designated body is one of the following institutions:

• The Royal Society
• The Royal Academy of Engineering
• The British Academy
• The Arts Council

Obtaining an endorsement from the Royal Society, The Royal Academy of Engineering or the British Academy

To get an endorsement from one of these institutions you must complete:

• a 'Designated Competent Bodies' Tier 1(Exceptional Talent)' application form; and
• a Request for Endorsement form.

You must supply all the requested documents and send them to the Home Office at the addresses shown on the forms.

You must also meet all the mandatory criteria relating to:

• 'Exceptional Talent (world leader); or
• Exceptional Promise (potential world leader)'

You should include a number of documents with your application including:

• a short curriculum vitae outlining your career and publication history; and
• a letter of recommendation from an eminent person resident in the UK who is familiar with your particular field and your work in it.

Under no circumstances should you approach the designated competent body directly.

If you are successful in your application for an endorsement you will be contacted by the Home Office and sent a copy of the endorsement. You can then submit this copy with your application for a blue registration certificate.

For further information and the Tier 1(Exceptional Talent) application form visit our page on initial and switching applications.

More information on the designated bodies, the criteria they set, and the kind of documents that need to be submitted visit our page on Designated Competent Body criteria

Obtaining an endorsement from the Arts Council (other than work in the film, television, animation, post production and visual effects industry)

To get an endorsement from the Arts Council you must complete:

• a 'Designated Competent Bodies' Tier 1(Exceptional Talent)' application form: and
• a Request for Endorsement form.

You must supply all the requested documents and send them to the Home Office at the addresses shown on the forms.

You will also need to meet all the mandatory criteria relating to:

• 'Exceptional Talent (world leader); or
• Exceptional Promise (potential world leader)'.

You should include a number of documents with your application. These are specified on the forms.

Under no circumstances should you approach the designated competent body directly.

If you are successful in your application for an endorsement you will be contacted by the Home Office and sent a copy of the endorsement. You can then submit this copy with your application for a blue registration certificate.

For an application form for an endorsement to the Arts Council, visit our request for endorsement page.

For further information on the kind of evidence required and the criteria the Arts Council sets, visit our page on Designated Competent Body criteria.

Obtaining an endorsement from the Arts Council (for work in the film, television, animation, post production and visual effects industry)

To get an endorsement from the Arts Council you must complete:

• a 'Designated Competent Bodies' Tier 1(Exceptional Talent)' application form: and
• a Request for Endorsement form.

You must supply all the requested documents and send them to the Home Office at the addresses shown on the forms.

You will also need to meet all the mandatory criteria relating to:

• 'Exceptional Talent (world leader); or
• Exceptional Promise (potential world leader)'.

You should include a number of documents with your application. These are specified on the forms.

Under no circumstances should you approach the designated competent body directly.

If you are successful in your application for an endorsement you will be contacted by the Home Office and sent a copy of the endorsement. You can then submit this copy with your application for a blue registration certificate.

For an application form for an endorsement to the Arts Council, visit our request for endorsement page.

For further information on the kind of evidence required and the criteria the Arts Council sets, visit our page on Designated Competent Body criteria.

Applying for a Blue Registration Certificate on the basis of your qualifications

Scottish Qualifications

To qualify as a Higher National Diploma from a Scottish institution, a qualification must be at level 8 on the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework.

When the award is received

For the purposes of the Croatian Accession Regulations in order to qualify for a blue registration certificate on the basis of a qualification from a higher education institution, you will need to apply within 12 months of having been awarded the qualification. The date of the award will be taken from the date that you were first notified in writing by the awarding institution that the qualification had been granted to you.

Applying for a Blue Registration Certificate

If you think you meet all the relevant criteria and have the necessary evidence to apply for a blue registration certificate as a highly skilled person you should use application form CR2 which can be found on the right hand side. You will need to complete all the relevant sections of the form with the necessary documentary evidence. You will also need to pay the fee as specified on the form.