Even though travelling through European countries (in fact, all over the world) is quite restricted at the moment, we can still make plans for the days when life goes back to normal. Once the COVID-19 pandemic is over I believe people will travel and explore the world more than ever, and Croatia is the perfect place to put on your bucket list

Some news, for all those who want to visit for a longer period of time, is that we have recently (as of January 2021) joined a short list of 18 countries in the world, where you can obtain a digital nomad visa, which enables you to legally work from here for longer periods of time – up to 12 months in one stay. With that being said, I expect that once COVID restrictions loosen, there will be many people who will take advantage of this new opportunity and come to Croatia for both work and leisure.

Image credit: M. Gašparović,  TZGZ

Rent a Local – a service which will make your life easier!

This leads us to the Rent a Local agency started by Anđela Prnjak, a veteran film producer who over the years obtained a lot of experience in making impossible things possible while trying to always keep things on schedule.

In the about section on the Rent a Local website you can find some information about Anđela's career: "As a movie producer, she worked on numerous high-budget sets in Croatia, keeping film schedules under control in often unexpected circumstances. Along the way, more than a few crazy tasks came across her desk. As in - ‘go get us a helicopter’ crazy - and it had better have been the right colour, too!"

Image credit: Anđela Prnjak (Rent a Local)

As it says on their page: “Rent a Local is a team of experts from various fields, all with extensive experience in serving foreigners. It is a Croatian company created specifically with the needs of foreigners in mind - both tourists and permanent residents. Whether it is a sunny apartment, an honest mechanic, or just a friend to grab a beer with, Rent A Local has you covered.”

So, as you can see above, they don’t only cater to digital nomads and permanent foreign residents, but also tourists who may, understandably so, get confused by Croatian laws and way of life in general. :) 

Image credit: Anđela Prnjak (Rent a Local)

I especially loved their motto: “Enjoy the best parts of Croatia. Let us handle the stressful ones!” As a person who loves to travel, I know how stressful it can be when you need a quick solution in a foreign country where you don’t know the language or culture. Knowing that you have someone who will indeed help you with any problems is a great comfort and I love the idea behind this company. You can find more about them, by clicking here.

Zagreb as a perfect workstation

But let’s get back to the start. As I already wrote, Croatia has approved digital nomad visas in January. While most people would first think of Croatian islands and coastline as the perfect spot for their remote work office, I want to highlight Zagreb.

Often overlooked as a Croatian travel destination, Zagreb has really bloomed in the last few years and offers tourists a lot of attractions and activities to enjoy. From food and music festivals, the famous Advent, quirky museum scene and a lot more, Zagreb has finally become a true European capital which left tourists longing to come back. Unfortunately, COVID put everything on hold, but I’m sure once it passes everything will go back to where it was. And become even better.  

Image credit: J. Duval, TZGZ

Alongside the lively scene in normal times, Zagreb has many more positives which will for sure attract those who want to work in Croatia on a digital nomad visa, but still enjoy life in a bigger city. Zagreb is close to big European capitals like Vienna, Budapest, Belgrade or Prague. On the other side, you have the crystal clear Adriatic Sea and the sunny Croatian coast, just a few hours drive away. Even though Zagreb is a capital, it is still not that big and it is well covered by public transport, so buses and trams are a great way of getting around town.

Zagreb food scene has also kind of exploded in the last years. There are a lot of new restaurants, bars and cafes waiting to be explored once the COVID restrictions lift, so I’m sure you will be able to fill your after work hours easily if you decide to spend a longer period of time in Zagreb once the pandemic is over.

And some important information which will surely come in hand if you decide to set your "digital office" in Zagreb: here, you can find many amazing coworking, startup and hub spaces where you can work with other people alike. I think that these spaces are an amazing opportunity to meet people with a similar mindset to you and assimilate both with locals and foreigners who live and work in Zagreb. Some of the most famous coworking spaces in Zagreb are ZICER and HUB385, but there are many more. We even wrote a whole blog post about the best coworking areas in town so definitely check it out here, if it is something you're considering once you've settled in Zagreb. 

Image credit: M. Gašparović, TZGZ

For me, Zagreb is a perfect mix of busy city life on the one hand, and on the other, the relaxed coffee culture that Balkan countries are so well known for. I hope my words have sparked an interest in you and maybe helped finalize your decision to pick Zagreb as your next work and travel destination. :)

Header image credit: M. Gašparović, TZGZ

Author: Darija Ilić