Can a digital nomad in Croatia work for a Croatian company or take on Croatian clients?

Croatia defines a digital nomad as a non-EU/EEA/Swiss national who works through communication technology for a company that is not registered in Croatia, or for their own company abroad. The whole point of the status is that your income comes from outside the country.

Because of this, you are not permitted to take a job with a Croatian employer or sell services to clients based in Croatia. If you want to do that, you would need a different residence and work permit. Keeping your work strictly foreign-facing is a condition of the stay, and breaching it can put your status at risk.