Need a bank on Hvar? Here is the list with opening hours, and everything else you may need to know.
Banks and ATMs
There might not be many reasons to visit a bank during a vacation in Croatia, with all the online banking, mobile banking and credit cards available these days. However, if you need one, here is where to look for one on the island of Hvar:
Hvar town
There are 3 branches in the Hvar town. Privredna Banka, Splitska Banka and Banka Splitsko-Dalmatinska.
Fabrika b.b., 21450 Hvar
tel: 021/421 413
e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Opening hours offseason:
Mon-Fri: 08:00-14:00
Sat: 08:00-12:00
As you walk from the main square passing the Hvar Theatre on your left and Hotel Palace on your right towards Hotel Adriana, you will find the Privredna Banka somewhere in the middle between the two mentioned hotels, on your right at the waterfront.
Splitska Banka, Societe Generale
Obala Riva 10
Tel. 021/742-641, -644
Fax. 021/741-947
Opening hours offseason:
Mon-Fri: 08:00-13:30 (until 17:00 on Wednesdays)
Sat: 08:00-12:00
As you walk from the main square passing the Hvar Theatre on your left, turn left and after passing a few buildings you will find the Splitska Banka on your left side.
Obala b.b.
21450 Hvar
Tel. 021/743-033
Opening hours off-season:
Mo-Fr: 08:00-14:30
Sat: 08:00-12:00
Just a few meters from Splitska Banka along the Riva behind the benches, there is a small branch of this bank with a BSD logo.
Jelsa
There are 2 branches in Jelsa. Privredna Banka and Splitska Banka.
Trg Hr. Nar. Preporoda 11
21465 Jelsa
Tel. 021/421-412
e-mail. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Opening hours offseason:
Mo-Fr: 08:00-14:00
Sat: 08:00-12:00
At the end of the main square, where the stairs to the church begin.
Splitska Banka, Societe Generale
Jelsa 246
Tel. 021/717-245
Fax. 021/761-050
Opening hours off-season:
Mon-Fri: 08:00-14:00
Sat: 08:00-12:00
Relocated last year to where the temporary library was located. From the main square head along the waterfront passing the park on your left, turn right at the Tourist Information office and walk further along the waterfront until you reach the bank on your left in the building with the famous sundial, which Jelsa received as the best tourist place in Croatia in 1983.
Stari Grad
After the Splitska Banka closed its branch in 2013, there is no bank in Stari Grad at the moment.
There is another possibility to use some banking services on Hvar as Hrvatska Postanska Banka is offering part of their services in all post services in Croatia. Post offices can be found in Hvar town, Jelsa and Stari Grad.
List of ATMs on the island
Hvar
• ATM "PRIVREDNA BANKA ZAGREB" - Fabrika
• ATM "REIFFEISEN BANK" - Dolac
• ATM "PRIVREDNA BANKA ZAGREB" 2 - Trg sv. Stjepana
• ATM "HYPO GROUP" - Fabrika
• ATM "ERSTE BANK" - Dolac
• ATM "SPLITSKA BANKA" Hvar - Riva
• ATM "SPLITSKA BANKA" Hvar - Dolac
• ATM "PRIVREDNA BANKA ZAGREB" 1 - Trg sv. Stjepana
• ATM "ZAGREBAČKA BANKA" - Riva
• ATM "PRIVREDNA BANKA" - Camp Vira
Jelsa
• ATM "SPLITSKA BANKA" - entrance to the parking lot
• ATM "PRIVREDNA BANKA" - Trg Hr. Nar. Preporoda
• ATM "PRIVREDNA BANKA" - Strossmayerovo šetalište
• ATM "ZAGREBAČKA BANKA" - Strossmayerovo šetalište
• ATM "RAIFFEISEN BANKA"- Riva
Stari Grad
• ATM "PRIVREDNA BANKA" - Obala dr. F. Tuđmana b.b.
• ATM "SPLITSKA BANKA" - Alojza Stepinca 1 (Market Tommy)
• ATM "ZAGREBAČKA BANKA" - Ferry Port (Shopping centar Tommy)
• ATM "ERSTE BANKA" - Ferry Port
Vrboska
• ATM "PRIVREDNA BANKA" - Vrboska b.b.
Sućuraj
• ATM "PRIVREDNA BANKA" - Ferry Port
OIB: The Personal Identity Number
For any kind of financial dealings in Croatia, including holding a bank account, you need a Personal Identity Number or OIB.
Croatians and foreigners alike who have any financial dealings in Croatia must have a Personal Identity Number, called 'Osobni identifikacijski broj' or OIB (pronounced oh-eeb) for short. The OIB consists of eleven random numbers. From January 1st 2009 it replaced the previous form of Unique Identity Number (Jedinstveni matični broj građana or JMBG, MBG), which had thirteen numbers starting with one's date of birth.
So if you have a bank account, or own a property and pay taxes and utility bills, you need an OIB. Even if for some reason you have been issued with the number itself automatically, you still need to obtain the OIB certificate, as sometimes you may have to show it.
The OIB is fully explained on the Finance Ministry website, in Croatian. The Finance Ministry previously published a brochure with full details about the OIB for foreigners, again in Croatian. In honour of Croatia joining the EU on July 1st 2013, the Finance Ministry website now has an English version. This deals especially with tax issues and the Double Taxation Agreement, but does not spell out the details of the OIB in English.
Applying for the OIB is simple: you just need the application form and a photocopy of your passport details or other identity documents.
The application form is in Croatian, English, and German and can be downloaded from the internet.
If you are given an application form in Croatian, this is how to fill it in:
The Form
Zahtjev za određivanjem i dodjeljivanjem identifikacijskog broja
- Application for an OIB to be allocated and supplied
An individual applicant (Fizička osoba) should fill in part 1.
If you have an old Croatian identity number, enter it on the line MBG.
Then you have to fill in the first three boxes and the last one.
Box 1.1 Osnovni podaci - Basic information
Line 1. Ime: put in your first or Christian name
Prezime: put in your surname
Line 2: Spol (sex): enter muški for male, ženski for female
Rođ. Prezime: (for married females) enter your maiden name
Line 3: Datum rođenja: enter your date of birth (dd/mm/year)
Mjesto rođenja: enter your place of birth (city, town, village)
Line 4: Država rođenja: enter the country where you were born
Državljanstvo: your nationality
Line 5: Adresa prebivališta: enter your home address in full.
Box 1.2 Podaci o identifikacijskom dokumentu – details of identity document
Line 1: Broj osobne iskaznice: enter the number of your Croatian ID card, if you have one, otherwise leave this blank
Datum važenja: expiry date of the ID card
Line 2: Broj putovnice: enter your passport number
Datum važenja: enter the passport's expiry date
Zemlja izdavanja: country of issue
Box 1.3 Podaci o roditeljima – parents' details
Otac – father, majka – mother
Lines 1 & 2: enter the Croatian OIB and MBG numbers if your parents have or had them.
Line 3: Ime: enter the first / Christian name for your father, then your mother
Line 4: Prezime: enter your parents' surname (mother's married name)
Line 5: Rođ. prezime: enter your mother's maiden name (below 'majka')
Box 3: Popis priloženih isprava – list of supporting documents
If you are submitting a photocopy of your passport entry, put in: preslik putovnice
Potpis podnositelja zahtjeva – applicant's signature
Datum uručivanja potvrde – date of receipt of application
The OIB is issued by the Finance Ministry's Department for Taxes. You can take your application or ask a friend to take it to your nearest tax office in person. If you go in person, take your original supporting document (usually your passport) and a photocopy to leave with the application. The OIB may be issued immediately, prepared for you to collect later, or posted out to you.
The OIB Certificate
The OIB document is in two parts. The upper part contains a system code (numbers) and explanatory statements:
1. the confirmation slip carries the weight of an official ID;
2. the slip is proof of your OIB;
3. the slip is issued free of charge by the Tax Department;
4. if you lose the original document, you can apply for a duplicate;
5. for all official purposes requiring identification, you can produce the slip or any other official document showing the OIB;
6. the OIB is used for any business activities involving accounts etc;
7. Below is the statement of the OIB (which should be detached along the perforation).
The lower part forms a slip containing your number, which you should detach and keep in your wallet or in a safe place, as it is the official proof of your OIB. File the upper part of the document for reference.
Be prepared to quote your OIB in any official transactions.
If you lose your original OIB document, you should apply to replace it as quickly as possible.
Exchange Rates
Banks and post offices publish their official exchange rates every day. In this section are the links to find the daily exchange rates at the National Bank and the main banks which operate on Hvar.
You can also check changes over past periods on each bank's site.
It's probably best to buy Croatian currency in Croatia, as buying in other countries can be a poor deal with high fees. There are ATMs (bankomati) and exchange offices in most international airports.
You can now use credit and debit cards for cash withdrawals and to make payments in a wide number of outlets, which was not the case a few years ago. However, for most foreign cards you pay significant charges to use them abroad. It's worth checking out which banks offer the best deals in this respect, especially if you are a frequent traveller.
Many places, particularly restaurants, do not accept plastic. Always check first, and make sure you have enough cash for your likely expenditure. One tip: if a Croatian bank note is torn, even a small corner missing reduces its face value. Don't accept torn notes. If one happens to come your way, you have to change it at a bank, which will refund you a part of the face value.
To check the current exchange rates (tečajna lista) at the Croatian National Bank, click here. The rates are quoted for cash exchange of foreign currency ('devize'), and non-cash or cheques ('efektiva'), up to a value of 200,000 kunas: 'kupovni' is the buying rate, 'srednji' the middle rate, and 'prodajni' the selling rate. For values above 200,000 kunas you have to contact your bank manager in person.
For the current rates at the Splitskabanka, click here.
For the current rates at the Privredna banka Zagreb, click here. On its English page, PBZ gives the current exchange rate, and there is a useful rate calculator called Exchange Office in the PBZ Tools listed on the right.
For the current rate at the Zagrebačka banka, click here.
The Kuna: A Guide to the Croatian Currency
The unit of currency in Croatia is the Croatian kuna, which was introduced to the newly independent country in 1994, replacing the Yugoslav dinar at a rate of 1 kuna for 1000 dinar. Kuna literally means 'marten', a throwback to earlier times when the currency of the region was animal skins and marten pelts were considered valuable. One kuna is sub-divided into 100 lipa (which means linden tree).
Foreign Currency Exchange and Buying Kuna
Planning a holiday to Croatia requires some currency management. Kuna can be purchased in foreign banks and at selected bureaux de change prior to travel, but the exchange rates tend to be worse than those available on arrival in Croatia.
Croatian banks dispense kuna to foreign cards from their cash machines, but a slightly better rate is sometimes obtainable by buying the currency over the counter with a card. Cash withdrawals per ATM transaction vary from bank to bank, but are in the region of 1,600 - 2,000 kuna. Dollars, Euro and Pound sterling are all widely accepted in the banks for cash exchange.
The most common foreign currency in use in Croatia is the Euro, which can be used instead of the local currency in many cases, especially in the tourist areas on the coast, where bars, restaurants and even supermarkets will accept Euro on request. The exchange rate tends to be slightly lower, however, with 1 euro converted at 7 kuna, whereas the normal exchange rate fluctuates between 7.1 and 7.5.
Using Kuna Outside Croatia
Although the Croatian kuna is not a 'hard' currency as such, it is widely accepted in Western Bosnia, in the ethnically Croat region of Herzegovina. This includes the coastal town of Neum, through which travellers from Split to Dubrovnik must pass - with prices lower in Bosnia, Neum is a good place to stock up on supplies. The generally accepted exchange rate is 4 kuna to the Bosnian Mark, about 10% higher than the rate in the bank.
Croatian Kuna Exchange Rates
The kuna is closely aligned to the euro and the exchange rate between the two currencies rarely moves more than 5% from 7.3 kuna to the euro. The weakening of the pound is reflected in a 2002 exchange rate of 11.5 kuna dipping to below 8 kuna in 2010. It is currently around 9. The US dollar fluctuates between 5 and 6 kuna to the dollar.
Croatian Coins and Banknotes
Croatian coins coming in the following denominations - 5, 2 and 1 kuna, and 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 lipa. A mildly interesting curiosity about Croatian coins is that those minted in odd years are named after plants and animals in Croatian, whereas those in even years are named in Latin.
Bank notes reflect glorious characters of Croatian history, with towns of Croatia on the back (in brackets below):
• 1000 kuna Ante Starčević (Statue of King Tomislav and Zagreb Cathedral)
• 500 kuna Marko Marulić (Diocletian's Palace in Split)
• 200 kuna Stjepan Radić (The army buiding in Tvrdja, Osijek)
• 100 kuna Ban Ivan Mažuranić (St. Vitus Cathedral in Rijeka)
• 50 kuna Ivan Gundulić (Old City of Dubrovnik)
• 20 kuna Ban Josip Jelačić (Eltz Manor in Vukovar)
• 10 kuna Bishop Juraj Dobrila (Pula Arena and Town Plan of Motovun)
• 5 kuna Fran Krsto Frankopanand Petar Zrinski (Old Town Fort in Varaždin)
A good starting point is to use comparison site MyTravelMoney.co.uk to find the best Croatian kuna exchange rates. The site compares live exchange rates from many of the leading UK travel money suppliers - check here for buying Croatian kuna online.
