SPECOPSLAB
OFFICIALlast verified 2026-10-18

Zapovjedništvo specijalnih snaga (ZSS) Oružanih snaga Republike Hrvatske
Category I soldier fitness test (provjera tjelesne spremnosti, Pravilnik NN 37/2024, Prilog 18)

The Special Forces Command (Zapovjedništvo specijalnih snaga) is Croatia’s special-operations unit; according to the Ministry of Defence magazine, only 10–15% of applicants make it in, after about six months of training. Its selection norms are not published, but the regulation on soldiers’ fitness tests sets a separate Category I for the operational element of the special forces groups: a 3,200 m run, a 270 m shuttle run, push-ups, sit-ups and pull-ups, with at least 80 points in every event and 400 in total. The calculator shows those 80-point limits for operators up to 31.

Move the sliders to your latest results. The verdict updates instantly against the published standards — calculated in your browser, nothing stored.

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Pay · free · base rate €1,025.00 from 1 Aug 2026

What a Croatian Special Forces Command operator earns

Pay grade
10 · ≈10 yrs
Gross · narednik (koeficijent 2,00) · 10 · ≈10 yrs€2,757 per month, before tax
Base pay grows with service — tap a bar
Not included in the total
  • Instead of the 35% special-units allowance: parachute or diving allowance of up to 45% of the base rate for instructors (padobranski / roniteljski dodatak, Pravilnik čl. 9–10) — at most +€102.50 a month; our reading of the “one most favourable allowance” rule provisional€0 – €102.50 per month

Armed Forces Service Act, art. 136–139, with the rank coefficients of 1 Mar 2024 and the base rate of €1,025.00 that applies from August to November 2026 (€1,035.00 from 1 Dec 2026). Basic pay and both allowances are percentages of the base rate; the euro amounts are our calculation to the cent, because the law sets no rounding rule. The operator’s rank is not public — sergeant (narednik) is our assumption; master’s or doctoral pay increases, and pay for a post of a higher rank, are not included.

provisional = official source with a provisional legal status, a secondary source or our own calculation; see the sources.

The test, event by event

Event80 points in every event — Category I minimum, operators up to 31
3,200 m run (trčanje 3200 m)14:48
270 m shuttle run with changes of direction, 12 × 22.5 m (trčanje 270 m s promjenom smjera)66.5 s
Push-ups in 2 min (sklekovi na tlu)58
Sit-ups in 2 min (pregibi trupa)65
Pull-ups (zgibovi)9

Higher levels (e.g. competitive or elevated standards) and your gap to each are in the paid report.

Also required

  • Category I rules: at least 80 points in each of the five events and at least 400 points in total; 430–500 points earns the top grade (osobito se ističe). Soldiers are tested twice a year — by the end of June and by mid-October, at least 90 days apart — with a retake after 30–120 days.
  • Entry into the armed forces (initial check, početna provjera, Prilog 17): BMI of at most 30 or a waist of at most 102 cm for men, then push-ups in 2 min, sit-ups in 2 min and a 3,200 m run, with at least 30 points per event for applicants from the labour market (at least 50 for those already in the defence system). For men aged 18–21, 30 points means 20 push-ups, 33 sit-ups and 3,200 m in 18:06.
  • Selection and training: according to Hrvatski vojnik (No. 630, 14 May 2021), only 10–15% of applicants join the unit; members complete about six months of training ending with the commando oath, and instructors have at least eight years in ZSS teams. The selection norms themselves (march distances, loads, swimming) are not published.
Sources:

Questions

Are these the limits of ZSS selection?

No. The selection norms are not public. These are the regular fitness standards that operators of the special forces groups must keep meeting twice a year (Category I, the strictest in the Croatian armed forces) — so they show the level expected inside the unit, not a selection test.

Do the minimums depend on age and sex?

Only on age. In Category I everyone is scored on the men’s tables: the 22–26 table for those who turn at most 31 in the current year, and the 32–36 table for those who turn 32 or more. Shown are the values up to 31; from 32 the 80-point minimums are 15:30 for 3,200 m, 69.5 s for 270 m, 55 push-ups, 59 sit-ups and 7 pull-ups.

Where do the numbers come from?

From Annexes 17 and 18 of the Croatian regulation on entry requirements for the armed forces (Pravilnik, Narodne novine 37/2024 of 27 March 2024; the 2024 and 2026 amendments do not change these annexes), read on narodne-novine.nn.hr on 18 October 2026. The limits are taken from the official points tables. Selection figures come from the Ministry of Defence magazine Hrvatski vojnik, No. 630 (14 May 2021).

What does ZSS pay?

What a Croatian Special Forces Command operator earns: in the default scenario (narednik (koeficijent 2,00) · 10) €2,757 gross per month, base rate €1,025.00 from 1 Aug 2026. Some amounts are provisional — see the notes in the pay section. The pay calculator on this page lets you change rank, seniority and allowances. Main source: Zakon o službi u Oružanim snagama Republike Hrvatske (NN 73/13 … 136/25), čl. 136–139.

Compare with

AUSTRIAJagdkommando (Österreichisches Bundesheer) — OperatorSportliche Limits AWV 2027 — OperatorCZECHIA601. skupina speciálních sil generála MoravceBasic and extended physical examination, combat units (základní a rozšířené fyzické přezkoušení)SLOVAKIA5. pluk špeciálneho určenia (5. pšu) ŽilinaArmy entry test (previerka fyzickej zdatnosti, vyhláška 446/2022) + selection structure