Croatian nationals can now enter and live in the UK without permission under the UK immigration rules. However, they will need permission to work in the UK unless they are exempt.
Students wanting to study in the UK do not need to be sponsored under Tier 4, but if they want or need to work, they must obtain an accession worker authorisation document unless they are exempt.
A Croatian national working without permission is committing a criminal offence under the Accession of Croatia (Immigration and Worker Authorisation) Regulations 2013.
This could lead to a fine and/or imprisonment for both the Croatian national and their employer.
Further information for Croatian nationals along with application forms, guidance and exemptions can be found on the UKBA Croatia pages.
Employers who wish to legally employ a Croatian national can download the leaflet ‘Employing a Croatian national in the UK.’