To continue our celebrations of this year’s Global Entrepreneurship Week, allow us to take you through all the employment possibilities the local tech community in Split has to offer these days. Keep in mind that these come as a result of the work of none other than – entrepreneurs.

They are the ones whose hard work, continuous dedication, and a sprinkle of – sometimes absolutely mad – courage pushes our city’s entrepreneurial ecosystem forward and makes Split into a constantly evolving tech hub. From startups to established companies, a lot can be found in our little Mediterranean tech hub by the beach.

However, before we give you an insight into all the opportunities you can take advantage of, we will deal with a bit of bureaucracy first. More specifically – how to get a job as an international in Split.

How to get a job in Croatia?

If you want to be granted a work permit in Croatia, the first thing you need to do is get a job. You must have a job offer first, and then either the company applies for a work and residence permit on your behalf, or you do it on your own with the documents they have provided: either a signed work contract or an official offer of employment.

It is very important to say that you cannot apply for a work permit before you have a job.

To find one in our tech community go to the Jobs section of the Split Tech City website.

How to get a work permit in Croatia?

Once you find a job, you can start the process of work permit application. A work permit is legally bound to a specific work contract. Because of that, the employer must provide you with one of the following as proof that you are employed: a signed offer of employment with a Croatian company or a valid employment contract. After you obtain one or the other, then the work permit can be requested by either you or your company.

The application is submitted to the local police department or station according to the place of intended residence or work of the third-country national or the seat of the employer. The decision on issuing a residence and work permit is made by the Ministry of the Interior (MUP) regardless of the place where the application was submitted.

The important thing to be aware of is that you could be fined if you work without a valid work permit in Croatia.

Who can get a work permit in Croatia?

The work permit is a unique type of residence permit, which provides temporary residence and allows one to work for a specific Croatian company in Croatia. So, a residence and work permit is a combined approval of temporary stay and work in the Republic of Croatia.

According to the Foreigners Act, an application for a residence permit based on work (work permit) may be submitted by: the third-country national or their employer.

Here are also some of the useful links for the appropriate Ministry website: work of third-country nationals, work permits under the annual quota, work permits outside the annual quota, seasonal workers.

What is the duration of a work permit in Croatia?

Because a work permit is legally bound to a specific work contract, work and residence permits are limited to 12 months. If your work contract is terminated – either by you or the employer – your work and residence permit will be revoked within 15 days of employment termination.

There is also a possible extension on the duration of Croatia’s work permit that can be granted.

By law, applicants are allowed to extend their work permits if they need to continue working in the country. This extension has to be requested at least 60 days before the permit is set to expire.

What are the changes made to the Foreigners Act?

The new Foreigners Act regulates the terms for entry, movement, stay, and work of third-country nationals in the Republic of Croatia. As of January 1st, 2021, the work quotas are abolished. This means that there is no limit to the number of foreign workers that can be hired within Croatia.

Instead of annual quotas, a labor market test is implemented.

This means that, if a Croatian employer wishes to hire a non-EU national, they must first request permission from the Croatian Employment Service (Hrvatski zavod za zapošljavanje – HZZ) before they can request a work and residence permit for a foreign worker. CES will then perform a labor market test to determine if they will permit the company to hire a foreigner for a certain position.

What is the CES labor market test?

Before applying for a work permit, the potential employer must contact the Croatian Employment Service (HZZ) and ask for a labor market test to be conducted. Through the labor market test, CES would check its records of unemployed individuals to determine if there are suitable unemployed workers on their records who could fill the position.

CES must notify the employer about the results of the labor market test within 15 working days of the employer’s request. After employers get the green light from CES, the work permit application for their new international employee can proceed.

Are there exemptions from the CES labor market test?

Conducting a labor market test and obtaining a positive opinion of CES is not required for deficient occupations and seasonal employment of third-country nationals in agriculture, forestry, catering, and tourism for up to 90 days during one calendar year.

In any case, CES has made a list of occupations that are exempt from the labor market test which any employer can check at any given time. The occupations exempt from the labor market test are occupations from the list of worker shortages, and as a result, there is an increased and sustained demand for them in the Croatian labor market.

Now that we have gone through the dull, but necessary, bureaucracy behind internationals who would like to work in Croatia, let’s tackle the first thing from the list – finding a job – and give you an overview of what Split’s tech community has to offer.

Tech industry in Split and all opportunities it offers

The tech industry of Split and the surrounding region has been growing rapidly in recent years. Therefore, it is not surprising that many local companies are often looking for new team members.

Because Split Tech City also connects employers and potential employees, we do our best to make smart people and innovative projects find each other by featuring the job opportunities in our community on our website and social media. We always strive to create content that informs, builds, and motivates, so highlighting potential opportunities in our Jobs section is to be expected as strengthening Split’s tech community is the reason behind our work from the very beginning.

Below you can find the most recent overview of employment opportunities in Split, as well as some companies that might not be hiring at the moment, but are always willing to receive an open application and consider adding a new member to their team.

Agilno

Agilno recently celebrated its 5th birthday. Since 2016, the company has been developing dozens of web and mobile applications every day and successfully launching them in the North American market. They cover a variety of industries, from telemedicine to the trade show industry for hardware companies and many others. If you’d like to join their team, this is what they are looking for: Front-End Developer, Back-End Developer, React Native Developer.

AGILO

This sharp and agile agency unites design, culture, and technology. With a foundation of knowledge and experience, the AGILO team takes existing concepts and technologies and approaches them with up-to-date cultural and technological expansions. They are currently looking for a React.js/TypeScript Developer, so send in your application if that is your expertise!

Dept

Dept is a digital agency focused on creativity, technology, and data. They are hiring QA Engineers and UX/UI Designers. If you have experience in these positions and want to participate in the development of leading digital products, services, or campaigns – you are the right fit to become their new team member!

GetByBus

Back in July, the news about BookawayGroup acquiring GetByBus broke out. Thanks to this acquisition GetByBus is even closer to the goal of becoming an equivalent of Booking.com for land and maritime transport. The current GetByBus team consists of about 20 professionals who cover various tasks within the industry, from IT solutions to sales. They want to expand their team with the following experts: Digital Marketing Manager/Growth Marketing Manager, SEO Specialist, Junior Marketing/Digital Advertising Specialist, Web Developers (PHP).

Include

Include is a company focused on smart city solutions. We have profiled their work, as well as internationals already working at Include: Cristiano and Dana and Alexandre. Reading through those articles will give you an idea about both work at Include and life in Split. They are continuously growing and always on the lookout for a skilled professional to join their team.

Parklio

Parklio started as one of Split’s startups. The company focuses on smart parking solutions and is present in markets worldwide. You can get some behind-the-scenes insight into Parklio in the company’s startup profile. If you’d like to join the Parklio team, this is who they are currently hiring: Junior Back-End Developer, Back-End Developer, Senior Javascript Developer.

SeekandHit

SeekandHit is a tech company focused on providing services and creating custom-made solutions in the tech, data, and analytics industries. At this time, they are looking for a variety of new team members: Back-End Developer, Javascript Developer, QA Engineer, Data Analyst, Product Manager, Digital Marketing Specialist, HR Generalist.

ShardLabs

Shard Labs is a global remote R&D blockchain company from Croatia, embracing the remote work culture. Their core specializations are protocol development (bridges between chains, client forks, and upgrades), dapp development (multichain), and running blockchain infrastructure in production-grade environments. Automatisation and continuous software delivery are part of the team’s software development lifecycle. They are currently looking for an IT Recruiter!

venITure

venITure offers more than simple consulting services and agile software development. The team develops and implements solutions together with their customers and currently has over 400 clients with the tendency to continue growing. Their services are always tailored to fit each industry and company. The company’s portfolio ranges from the automotive industry and insurance companies to online shops and global IT and telecommunications companies. They are currently hiring: Linux System Administrator and Developer specializing in Java.

We hope you find your new team here in Split!