Currently Croatia is experiencing a shortage of workers in all the fields of work. Because of this the job market is becoming more flexible to English speaking workers who don't speak Croatian yet. This is the ideal time for you to come to Croatia, or Split in particular.
This article is a brief guide to help you start with your job research. Please note that I am not a job agent, nor I am in contact with mentioned employers.
From hospitality and tourism to retail and entertainment, the opportunities for a seasonal job in Croatia cater to diverse skill sets and interests. Positions such as hotel staff, restaurant servers, drivers, beach attendants, and event coordinators are commonly available even for English speakers between April and October - when the high season lasts. In this article we take an example of Split. This second biggest city in Croatia is located in Dalmatia, in the south region of the country, only 4 hours away from Zagreb. Learn more about Split in our Expat guide!
Before we start, please note that for any of the following jobs you will need a work permit, registered residence, and possibly an approved Visa application, depending from which country you come from.
Many hotels in Split require English-speaking staff for positions such as receptionists, concierge, guest relations, and housekeeping. To stay ahead of your competition I recommend contacting the hotels directly. Below I will list some of the hotels you might want to start with, but there are many more. Unfortunately I am not able to share direct URLs to all of them, but you will find their websites easily, I trust.
Top 20 Hotels in Split:
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Top 10 Hostels in Split:
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Job portals in Croatia
In case you would like to search jobs on Job portals, the most known ones are Moj-Posao and Posao.net, but those portals are more oriented on office jobs. Therefore I did research job portals that lean more to hospitality job positions. As none of them offer search in English I will share with you the keywords that you can use to start your search. To translate job ads, you can use Google Chrome's translate feature that is available when you right-click on the mouse, or on top of the browser, right to the search bar.
The following websites offer many job opportunities even now: Careerjet, Adorio, and Jooble. Here is the list of most common jobs you will find on these portals:
Konobar or Konobarica (waiter or waitress) | djelatnik u turističkoj agenciji (tourist agency employee) |
Sobar or Sobarica (housekeeping) | referent u rent-a-caru (agent in rent a car agency) |
Kuhar or Kuharica (cook) | agent korisničke podrške (cusomter service agent) |
Recepcionar or Recepcionarka (receptionist) | Hostesa (hostess) |
Čistač or Čistačica (cleaner) | smještaj or 'sa smještajem' (with accommodation) |
Naturally, with many tourists there are an almost endless list of restaurants, food stands and fast food joints that are in need of cooks, waiters, bartenders and additional staff. I hope the following list of restaurants (sometimes called Konoba in Croatian) will shorten your research. I advise approaching these restaurants on Facebook or Instagram, as they don't always have a website and/or don't check their emails regularly. (Check International fast food lines such as McDonalds for even more job opportunities!)
Best restaurants in Split
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What is the average salary in Croatia?
This answer really depends on many factors. Croatia recently exchanged national currency Kuna to Euro, and in combination with worldwide inflation the costs of living have increased a bit more than in other countires in Europe. Still, the salaries are not following this inflation trend, but in case you are more skilled and have experience for the job you apply for, you can negotiate the salary a bit more than other candidates. To give you a brief overview what to expect, salaries between 1200 EUR and 1700 EUR (netto) are consider good salaries, but some might even earn 2000 EUR , especially if they are an experienced Chef or work on a commission in tourism.
What is the cost of living in Croatia?
It's also important to mention that prices go really high in season, especially in bigger cities such as Split. Many property owners rent their apartments and rooms for daily rental, which makes monthly rental market in high demand. Hence, there are co-living options and affordable hostels. Have in mind some employers will offer accommodation and meals. I trust this is the best option to keep your savings to maximum. Check our guide for top neighborhoods in Split to learn where is the best option for you to look for an accommodation.
I hope this article will help you in your job search. Feel free to contact me in case you need an additional information on top of these. It's free of charge.