Work and Travel in Croatia

VOLUNTEER AND PAID WORK OPPORTUNITIES IN CROATIA FOR TRAVELLERS

Work and travel in Croatia is a favourite adventure for visitors to Europe. Croatia has exploded when it comes to tourism. Part of this is Game of Thrones fandom, but it’s brought the country to centre stage in Europe. It has also brought a variety of volunteering opportunities in Croatia for travellers to take advantage of.

If you want to stay longer in this beautiful country, then work and travel in Croatia is the best option for you. This guide goes where ordinary travel guides for Croatia don’t. It introduces you to everything you need to know about successfully volunteering in Croatia.

Are you ready for a new adventure in the Balkans?

1. Help Bottlenose Dolphins on the Adriatic Sea

Travel in Croatia and you’ll soon see that the coastline is the most picturesque part of the coast. Spend some extra time there and join a conservation programme for bottlenose dolphins. This threatened species of dolphins need all the help they can get and you could be the one to help them.

You’ll get to sample Croatian food, be in easy reach of incredible destinations, and you’ll be able to help protect these majestic creatures.

2. Teach English in Zagorje

Croatia is an emerging destination and a lot of people outside of the major cities have little to no knowledge of English. Teach English in Croatia and combine it with a homestay in a rural region and get a taste for how real Croatians live.

To work in Croatia as an English teacher you only need to be a native or fluent speaker of English. The TEFL qualification is useful for paid jobs in the major cities, but for a homestay you don’t need any formal qualifications.

Work in Zagorje just north of Zagreb, a land of rolling green hills and fertile plains. It’s one of the most picturesque parts of the country.

3. Work in a Hostel in Dubrovnik

One of the best places to work during the summer months is in a hostel in Dubrovnik, or even further up the coast as you move towards Split and Zadar. Hostel work is always in abundance during the main tourist seasons as the majority of places hire volunteers to complete the extra work.

Work in Croatia in a hostel and you’ll get free accommodation and sometimes free food. The work is menial and relatively easy, so as long as you have a good work ethic and you’re willing to be punctual there are no problems finding this type of work along the coast.

VOLUNTEER WORK VISA / PERMIT REQUIREMENTS FOR CROATIA

Croatia has exactly the same requirements and restrictions as the Schengen Zone area. The problem is that it’s not actually part of the Schengen Zone. But if you have the necessary visa for the rest of Europe you can also enter Croatia under the same rules for the same amount of time.

For the majority of nationalities, this won’t cause a problem. Citizens of the UK, the whole of North America, the rest of the EU, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, and Japan should treat entering Croatia as the same as entering the rest of the Schengen Zone.

The complications arise for Russians and South Africans who need a visa. With a Schengen visa they can enter Croatia without any problems, but if they’re not going into the formal Schengen Zone they will need to apply for a separate individual visa for Croatia.

Under the rules, those outside the EU can only stay in Croatia for a period of 90 days in any 180-day period.

SEASONAL BACKPACKER SKILLS NEEDED IN CROATIA

SPRING WORK

Spring in Croatia brings about the end of the cold weather and the beginning of the new farming season. This is why a specific backpacker skill that’s needed is farm help. Many people who work and travel in Croatia choose to combine the work with a homestay.

You can work on conventional farms or you could work on a horse ranch somewhere in the Croatian countryside. Be prepared to have a good level of physical fitness and a good work ethic.

SUMMER JOBS

Summer in Croatia brings the hot weather and the bulk of the tourists. This is the time to go to the Adriatic Coast and to begin finding seasonal work in the tourism industry there. For most backpackers who travel in Croatia they’ll opt for hostel work. It can be found in abundance on the coast and in the capital Zagreb.

Diving and other water sports are also growing in popularity, so if you have training in those areas you may even be able to find paid work. For EU and UK citizens they won’t need to apply for permission as they have the ability to live and work in the EU automatically.

AUTUMN

Autumn is much the same as the summer, with slightly fewer tourists. The positions detailed in the last section are usually available in autumn. However, it can be harder to find new positions as many projects prefer volunteers who can stay for at least a few months, so many summer workers have yet to leave.

WINTER

Bitterly cold temperatures hit in the winter, but there’s little seasonal work available in the coastal areas, where it’s warmest. The ski resorts open at this time of year, so if you can deal with the sub-zero temperatures you should be able to find work as a ski instructor or a lodge worker at Mount Sljeme.

This is Croatia’s biggest ski resort and is located just outside the capital of Zagreb. Most of the work within the ski resorts is paid work, so make sure you have the necessary permits.

ATTITUDE TO FOREIGNERS WORKING OR VOLUNTEERING IN CROATIA

Work and travel in Croatia is generally as easy as the rest of Europe. You won’t be bothered and the locals are used to foreigners. However, non-Caucasian travellers should take care outside of the major areas as racism is rampant throughout the country.

Various nationalist groups are active and strong in this country, so you should take care if you don’t fall into the Caucasian bracket. But generally you won’t encounter and such groups and should therefore have no problems as you travel in Croatia.

Are you ready to take on the Jewel of the Adriatic?