Travel documents
A passport or other internationally recognized identification document is
required for entering Croatia. Tourists may remain in Croatia for up to three
months.
States whose citizens do not need a visa to enter Croatia are: Argentina,
Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile,
Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain,
Greece, Hungary, Ireland , Israel, Italy, Japan,Liechtenstein,
Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malaysia, Malta, Monaco, New Zealand, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,
Turkey, USA, Uruguay and Vatican City.
If you come from another country, visas for Croatia are issued by the embassies
and consulates. In some exceptional cases a visa may be issued at border Croatian
crossings. Children must have their own passport or must be registered in the
passport of one of the parents. Pets must also have a certificate or document
of received vaccines.
Time zone
GMT plus one hour in winter, GMT plus two hours in summer.
Water
Tap water is drinkable throughout Croatia.
Electricity
220 V, frequency: 50 Hz
Currency
Kuna (1 Kuna = 100 Lipa). There are coins of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 lipa,
1, 2, 5 and 25 Kuna coins and 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500 and 1,000 Kuna.
Foreign currencies can be exchanged at banks, exchange offices, post offices,
travel agencies, hotels and campsites. Banking hours are from 7 to 19 hours
from Monday to Friday. On Saturdays banks are open until 13 pm. Some banks
in larger cities are open on Sundays.
Shopping and payment
Standard credit cards - Euro card / MasterCard, Diners, American Express and
Visa are a common method of payment in Croatia. All shops, restaurants, agencies,
hotels and other places that pay for goods and services accept credit card,
have a visible label with the logo of the credit card you can use. You can
pick up cash at ATMs that are widespread. At the post office, you can pick
up advance for the Euro card / MasterCard and Diners credit cards. Traveler’s
checks fee is 2%. Euro cheque personal checks and foreign banks can be cashed
in rate in exchange offices or banks.
Opening hour’s shops and public services:
Most shops are open on weekdays from 8 am to 20 hours, Saturdays and Sundays
until 14 pm during the summer season even longer. Public services and business
offices work from 8 to 16 hours from Monday to Friday.
Customs:
Customs fees are not charged for personal belongings. Foreign currencies can
be imported and exported freely. Domestic currency can be exported up to the
value of 2,000 Kuna. Professional and technical equipment of significant value
should be reported when entering the country. In addition to personal luggage
(including cameras and video cameras), without payment of duty, per person
is allowed to carry across the border the following:
- 200 cigarettes (or 50 cigars or 250 g tobacco)
- 1 l of alcoholic beverages
- 1 l wine
- 50 ml perfume
- 500 g of coffee or tea
Internet site: www.carina.hr , e-mail: carina@carina.hr.
Tax refund for foreign citizens
Tourists making purchases in Croatia (apart from petroleum derivatives)
which exceed 500 Kuna per receipt may reclaim VAT ("PDV"). When
you purchase, the vendor will provide a form PDV-P, which must be filled
out and seal the spot. On leaving the account must be verified by the Croatian
Customs service. VAT refund in Kuna can be obtained within six months in
the shop where the goods were purchased (in which case the refund back immediately),
or by posting the verified receipt back to the shop, together with the account
number to which the refund should be paid. In this case, the refund is paid
within 15 days of receipt.
Medical Service
Hospitals and clinics exist in all the major cities, whilst hospital
and pharmacies are in almost all smaller towns. Foreign tourists that have
medical insurance in their country during a private visit to the Republic
of Croatia do not pay for the use of emergency health care, if Croatia and
countries of origin have concluded an agreement on social security, or if
they have a contract, provided confirmation of the right to use health care.
Health care (including transport) is used for emergencies in a manner and
according to regulations valid for Croatian citizens insured, whereby the
same way participates in the costs of health care (participation). People
who come from countries with which the contract is not signed all health
care costs borne personally.
Veterinary service
Croatia has a network of veterinary clinics and centres.
Information: Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development Department
of Veterinary
Web: www.mps.hr ;
E-mail: office@mps.hr
Important phone numbers
The telephone code for Croatia: 385
First aid: 94
Fire: 93
Police 92
Assistance on the roads 987; e-mail: 987@hak.hr
General information: 981
Information for Croatia: 988
Information for overseas: 902
Weather Forecast and the traffic situation: 060 520 520
Croatian Automobile Club (HAK) 01/4554 433 en 4640 800
Internet: www.hak.hr e-mail: info@hak.hr.
In case of accident seek help at number 112!
This number can be called at any time of day or night, regardless
of where you are in Croatia.
Telephone call charge: The call is possible via all operators and
all the phone devices by selecting the 112 Centre.
In the event of an accident 112 will allow you to talk in one of foreign
languages:
- English
- German
- Italian
- French
- Hungarian
- Slovakian
Public holidays
- 1 January - New Year
- 6 January – Epiphany, Three kings
- Easter and Easter Monday
- 1 May - Labour Day
- Corpus Christi
- 22 June - Day of Antifascist Struggle
- 25th June - Statehood Day
- 5 August - Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day
- 15th August - Assumption
- 8 October - Independence Day
- 1 November - All Saints' Day
- 25th and 26 December - Christmas Holidays
Post and Telecommunications
Post offices are weekdays open from 7 to 19 hours, in smaller places from
7 to 14 pm, and some work in 2 shifts. In larger cities and tourist resorts
post offices are open Saturdays and Sundays. At all public telephones are in
use telephone cards which are sold in post offices and newsstands. From any
phone is possible to call directly overseas. www.posta.hr
Environmental protection
Protection of biodiversity is in compliance with applicable regulations of
the EU. The Croatian Adriatic sea is of high quality for bathing according
to the criteria of the EU. In case of accidental environmental contamination
on land inform Centre 112. For more information about the environment please
contact the Ministry of Environment, Physical Planning and Construction, Department
of Environmental Protection on telephone +385 1 3782-111 or e-mail: zastita_okolisa@mzopu.hr ,
www.mzopu.hr .
Fire prevention
Ensure that you have done everything to prevent a fire! Do not throw lit or
flammable objects into the environment! Signs forbidding the lighting of fires!
Make sure that your parked vehicles do not obstruct access to the fire.
Search and rescue
In case of accident on land or at sea call 112 (the number for all emergency
situations), and in the event of an accident at sea call 9155 (National Centre
for search and rescue at sea) or the 112.
Radio news in foreign languages during the tourist season
Croatian radio broadcasts programs on several stations for tourists in Croatia
in different languages. The first channel of Croatian Radio, every day at 20:05
broadcasts the show in English of up to 10 minutes. During the summer season
on the second channel of Croatian Radio (98.5 Mhz north western Croatia and
Dubrovnik coast; 105.3 Mhz Istria, Split 96.1, 98.9 Makarska Littoral, Gorski
Kotar 93.3) with regular news in Croatian language every hour (8:00 to 21:00)
news in English, German, Italian and Czech, and HAK reports on road conditions
in English and German, are broadcasted. In the same period every hour are broadcasted
news and reports on traffic directly from the studios of the Third Austrian
radio, RAI Uno, British Virgin Radio, Radio Prague and the International Program
of Croatian Radio - Voice of Croatian. During the summer Radio Prague once
a day inform through regional radio stations: Radio Split, Dubrovnik and Radio
Rijeka Radio.
Croatian angels
Unique number of tourist information for all of Croatia 062 999 999
International callers dial: +385 62 999 999
The service is available in Croatian, English, German and Italian from the
1st April 30 October