Get in croatia

Entry requirements

Croatia became a member of the European Union on the 1st of July 2013, however it is not part of the Schengen Area. This means that immigration controls still take place, but travellers from another EU state are exempt from customs checks.

EU, EEA, Swiss, Andorran, Monégasque, San Marinese and Vatican City citizens can enter Croatia visa-free for up to 90 days with either a passport or a national identity card.

Foreign nationals of the following countries/territories can enter Croatia visa-free for up to 90 days with a passport: Albania, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, Japan, Macedonia, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, 
Montenegro, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan(Republic of China), Turkey, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela, additionally persons holding British National (Overseas), Hong Kong SAR or Macau SAR passports.

Any person not covered by one of the visa exemptions listed above will need to apply for a visa at a Croatian embassy or consulate in advance. The application fee for a short stay Croatian visa is 35€.

More information about visa exemptions and the visa application procedure is available at the website of the Croatian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs web immigration.

Get in by plane

Currently, the only non-European flights to Croatia are from Qatar and Tel Aviv. There are occasional charter flights from Tokyo and Seoul. If coming from North America, you will have to transfer at a hub such as London or Frankfurt. From Asia, Africa or Australasia, transferring in Doha or Istanbul will be quicker than back-tracking through the main European hubs.

Get in by train

The rail network connects all major Croatian cities, except Dubrovnik (you can take a train to Split then take one of the frequent buses or the more scenic ferry to Dubrovnik, the train station is at the pier). There are direct lines from Austria, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Germany, Hungary, Slovenia, Italy, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, and Greece. There are indirect lines from almost all other European countries.

Tourists coming from or going to neighbouring countries should note the following EuroCity and InterCity railway lines:

• EC "Mimara": Berlin - Leipzig - Munich - Salzburg - Ljubljana - Zagreb
• IC "Croatia": Vienna - Maribor - Zagreb
• IC "Kvarner": Budapest - Zagreb - Rijeka

While Croatia (paired with Slovenia) is covered on some Eurail passes, staff at domestic ticket windows will tend to have no idea about validating the pass on the first day of use. There are recorded instances of staff saying that the conductor would validate the pass, and the conductor simply treating it as a regular ticket. Fortunately, the international ticket staff (particularly in Zagreb) are aware of how to validate the pass, and have been known to validate it retroactively where necessary. They even ask for the details of the domestic ticket seller who gave the wrong information.

The traveller is therefore recommended to have already validated their Eurail pass on arrival in Croatia, or to have it validated at an international window even if the first trip on it will be domestic.

By car

To enter Croatia, a driving licence, a vehicle registration card and insurance documents are required. If you need road assistance, you should dial 1987. The following speeds are permitted:

• 50km/h - within built-up areas
• 90km/h - outside built-up areas
• 110km/h - on major motor routes
• 130km/h - on motorways
• 80km/h - for motor vehicles with a caravan trailer
• 80km/h - for buses and buses with a light trailer

When driving in the rain, you should adjust speed to conditions on wet roads. Driving with headlights is not obligatory during the day (during Daylight Savings Time; it is obligatory during winter months). Use of mobile phones while driving is not permitted. Maximum permitted amount of alcohol in blood is currently 0.5 ‰ (matching neighbouring Slovenia and Bosnia Herzegovina) although this has varied recently and was down to 0.0 ‰ until that was found to not be tenable in the country. Use of seat belts is obligatory.

Hrvatski Auto Klub web is the Croatian Automobile Club dedicated to assisting drivers and promoting greater traffic security. Its site offers minute-by-minute updates, status of national traffic, weather, numerous maps and webcams located all over Croatia. Content is available in Croatian, English, German and Italian.

By bus

Very good network of buses once in the country - cheap and regular.

Dubrovnik and Split are the main destinations of international buses from Bosnia and Hercegovina or Montenegro, with daily buses traveling to cities such as Sarajevo, Mostar and Kotor (some lines such as Split-Mostar operate every few hours). Seasonal lines also extend through to Skopje from Dubrovnik. Border formalities on the buses are extremely efficient, and do not involve leaving the bus (previous services from Dubrovnik to Kotor involved changing buses at the Croatian border).

• From Germany with Čazmatrans (web).

Get in by boat

Ferries are cheap and go regularly between various places by the coast. Although not the fastest, they are probably the best way to see the beautiful Croatian islands of the Adriatic Sea.

Jadrolinea web is the main Croatian passenger shipping line that maintains the largest number of regular international and domestic ferry and shipping lines. The following international lines are serviced by car ferries:

• Rijeka - Zadar - Split - Hvar - Korčula -Dubrovnik - Bari
• Split - Ancona - Split
• Korčula - Hvar - Split - Ancona
• Zadar - Ancona - Zadar
• Zadar - Dugi otok - Ancona
• Dubrovnik - Bari - Dubrovnik

Blue Line International web also covers the international line:

• Split - Ancona - Split

Venezia Lines web has regular catamaran lines between Venice and the Croatian cities of Poreč, Pula, Rovinj and Rabac.

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