Living in Split, Croatia

An Introduction to Split

The revered Roman emperor Diocletian chose to a build his retirement palace on an idyllic coast overlooking the Adriatic Sea. Today those palace walls enclose the cultural and political epicenter of Split, what is now Croatia’s second most populous city. The juxtaposition here between old and new is stark. Within the city center, there is a dense array of winding streets and alleys, structurally untouched for eighteen centuries. A small walk away on the outskirts of the palace, the modern expanses of the waterfront Riva sustain thousands of visitors engaging in lively banter along a backdrop of posh restaurants.

For today’s modern explorers, the region feels socially and economically dynamic. It attracts young, old, locals, and foreigners alike. While the palace walls may enclose its historical and cultural identity, Split extends beyond the downtown areas into a sprawl of diverse neighborhoods and villages. Each area with its own heartbeat and dramatic views between mountain and sea.

Living Conditions in Split

For many travelers personal safety is a top priority. Split is well regarded as a safe city. Its incidences of violent crimes are very low and pickpockets are relatively small compared to other parts of Europe. However, as with any place attracting a large number of tourists, it’s important to practice safety and diligence to avoid petty crimes.

Traveling around the city is somewhat of a challenge. Public transportation can be described as spotty and inconsistent. It’s unknown whether buses outside the city center will arrive on time and how modern the bus will be. Since Uber has now entered into the country, however, visitors have more options on how to get around the city's sprawl.

Croatia has a universal healthcare system administered by HZZO and treated as a form of public insurance. The system was designed to cover the basic healthcare needs of its populace, foreigners and residents alike. All residents pay into the system to cover basic needs, but there are additional forms of health insurance to improve coverage and non-covered health related costs. The dental practices in Croatia are also considered good near larger urban areas. Near Split there are additional services like medical evacuation and helicopter lifts to service many of the islands near Split.

Expats in Split

The conditions in Split are very welcoming to expats. Split’s residents view English as a necessary language of communication and a means of communicating to tourists who largely know little Croatian.

Capturing this excitement in welcoming expats, the Split International School is opening its doors in 2021 for English speaking foreigners. This school opening continues Split’s open door stance on welcoming multi-cultural immigrants starting with the first hostel opened in 2002. Since this time, more facilities, international cuisine, and a stronger, diverse community has developed and blossomed.

There are still some issues though for business owners and entrepreneurs in Split as well as Croatia proper. Systematic bureaucracy and governmental corruption that can make it challenging to create a successful business. Most Croatian business owners find business expediency in making bureaucratic connections instead of diligence in paperwork and compliance. This closed version of commerce protects political actors instead of consumers. For example, it’s been well documented by many Croatian newspapers how a small organization of taxi drivers have engaged in racketeering to prevent any other taxi drivers from taking passengers from the airport into Split. This organization was protected from prosecution by police and judiciary and allowed to continue for many years. Although there have been signs that entrepreneurs are being increasingly welcomed into the city, one has to be aware of the pitfalls that still remain from stagnant Croatian bureaucracy.

The Digital Nomad Community in Split

In Croatia, Zagreb continues to be the biggest draw for foreign workers. In recent years, however, Split has been at the forefront of incentives competing in digital hospitality with its beautiful views and WiFi cafes. Additionally, some entrepreneurs in Split have created Coworking spaces to cater to a growing customer base of digital nomads calling Split home. These spaces are great places to meet people and network with other local digital nomads.

January 1st, 2021 marked the change of the Aliens Act in Croatia, which set the legal framework to allow digital professionals to live and work within Croatia. Although the rollout of this Digital Nomad visa has been slow, foreigners are now being accepted into the program and are successfully working in Croatia. Although called a digital nomad visa, the terms are more akin to a residency permit, allowing temporary stays for up to one year within Croatia for employees or entrepreneurs of other countries. There are additional stipulations that are important to follow when applying for this visa. More information on the digital nomad visa can be found from the official Croatian source.

The digital nomad community outline in Split wouldn’t be complete without mentioning Jan de Jong, a Dutch expat and founder Croatian Digital Nomads Association, who lives and works in Split. He has been a leading voice in propositioning the Croatian government to make laws that to allow digital professionals to thrive in Croatia and prepare the country to be leader in the space in preparation for the digital wave of immigration expected in the coming years

Challenges to Living in Split

Over the past few years it’s become easier for individuals to move by themselves to Croatia. There has been more information that ever before online for Croatian visas, accommodations, real estate, and insurance. However it’s hard to get clear answers and real advice.

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