Global changes are directly affecting modern society, which means it is necessary to face the challenge of adapting to the new demands that these changes bring. Therefore, many documents of the European Union emphasize the need for continuous professional development of people, in order to be ready to adapt and expand their knowledge. This also applies to teachers, who should be constantly evolving in order to be able to adapt to the new demands that their role carries. This paper compares the continuous professional development of teachers in Germany and Croatia. In these two countries, educational systems, initial teacher education, but also the system of continuous professional development differ significantly. Given that the German system is decentralized and each of the 16 provinces has autonomy in creating a system of continuous professional development, two representative provinces are discussed: North Rhine-Westphalia and Baden-Württemberg. In Croatia, the system is centralized, and all decisions related to the system of continuous professional development are under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Science and Education in Zagreb. In the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia the Ministry of School and Education in Düsseldorf is responsible for such decisions, and in the state of Baden-Württemberg, those decisions are under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports in Stuttgart. In both countries, there are many laws and regulations that determine the need of teachers for continuous professional development, and while in Croatia those laws and regulations are precisely defined, such data do not exist in Germany. In Croatia, the Agency for Education and the Agency for Vocational and Adult Education are the main actors in organizing continuing professional development programs. North Rhine-Westphalia organized 53 competent teams, and Baden-Württemberg established a Center for School Quality and Teacher Education.