Croatia is supporting affected employers whose businesses are unable to operate because of the direct or indirect consequences of the fire. The measure covers permanent jobs; seasonal and fixed-term contracts are excluded.
The support goes to employers, not as a blanket bonus to employees
The Croatian Employment Service, HZZ, has established a special measure for employers in the City of Omiš whose economic activity has become impossible because of the fire or its direct and indirect consequences. Its purpose is to preserve existing jobs during the interruption.
The money is not paid automatically to everyone in Omiš. Employers must demonstrate that they meet the conditions and submit an application. The support applies to eligible employment relationships and may not exceed the wage costs actually incurred.
The €1,500 figure is an upper limit
The measure provides up to €1,500 per eligible employee each month. At the same time, support may not exceed either the gross wage agreed in the employment contract or the total wage costs actually incurred and paid.
Treating €1,500 as a fixed payment for every job is too generous a reading of the measure. The actual amount depends on documented costs and the assessment.
The employment contract must have existed before the fire
The measure covers employees on permanent contracts concluded before 13 August 2026. This is intended to prevent employment relationships newly created after the event from being included retrospectively in the emergency support.
Employees on fixed-term and seasonal contracts are not part of the target group for this specific measure. In a tourist region, that boundary is particularly relevant: it says nothing about the value of their work, but defines the expressly established group eligible for support.
Direct and indirect consequences may qualify
A business does not have to have burnt down completely. It may also be eligible if operations became temporarily impossible because of indirect consequences of the fire, such as blocked access, damaged infrastructure or another demonstrable operational interruption.
The HZZ assessment determines whether an individual case qualifies. A mere drop in revenue or generally weaker demand is not automatically the same as business activity being made impossible by the fire.
Support ends when operations can resume
The measure may apply from August 2026 and continues until the conditions for resuming operations are restored. It ends no later than May 2027. A business able to resume work earlier is therefore not automatically covered until the maximum date.
This logic links wage support to reopening: jobs are meant to survive the interruption without turning temporary emergency aid into a permanent subsidy.
Applications must be submitted by 30 September
The HZZ gives 30 September 2026 as the application deadline. Affected employers should not wait until the final day, but should prepare employee lists, contracts, wage costs and evidence of the fire-related interruption to business early.
The measure's webpage and application form specify which evidence is required in an individual case. Incomplete documents may delay assessment; Golden Beach does not replace advice from the responsible HZZ office or tax professionals.
The €20 million forms part of a broader aid framework
The Croatian government approved €20 million to mitigate fire damage in the Omiš area. This amount covers a broader framework of state assistance and must not be presented as the budget solely for the HZZ job-retention measure.
Wage support is one component among several. Combining compensation for damage, reconstruction aid and job-retention support into a single pot creates expectations that the published programmes do not support.
The measure does not change travellers' booking rights
This is a labour-market support measure, not a statement on whether a particular hotel, restaurant or excursion business is open. Travellers should check existing bookings directly with the contracting party and should not infer a closure or reopening from an announcement about support.
The measure is nevertheless relevant to tourism in the region: it is intended to retain skilled employees and established teams through an exceptional interruption. Whether it succeeds will become clear only from approved applications and jobs actually preserved.
Evidence
Sources & date
Sources support the facts. Planning notes and recommendations are Golden Beach editorial assessments.
- Potpora za očuvanje radnih mjesta kod poslodavaca pogođenih posljedicama požara na području Grada OmišaCroatian Employment Service (HZZ) · measure amended 25 August 2026, checked 26 August 2026target group, level of support, contract cut-off date, duration, exclusions and application deadline
- Odobreno 20 milijuna eura za ublažavanje šteta od požara na području OmišaGovernment of the Republic of Croatia · 20 August 2026, checked 26 August 2026broader €20 million state aid framework; not treated as the exclusive budget for the job-retention measure
