December 5, 2020 - The latest news for flights to Croatia as KLM boosts Amsterdam-Zagreb from February 2021. 

Croatian Aviation reports that Dutch KLM, the oldest airline in the world, will introduce the second daily flight on the Amsterdam - Zagreb - Amsterdam route from February 12 next year!

Until now, KLM has operated daily to Zagreb, but from February KLM will operate on this line 14 times a week.

"However, from February next year, we are happy to be able to offer 2 daily flights to Amsterdam. All KLM staff, both on the ground and on the plane, guarantee our passengers the highest level of health and safety. We have taken several sanitary measures on the plane and at the airport, as well as adjusted our sales and refund policy to ensure smooth and safe travel. I hope that this new, additional flight between Zagreb and Amsterdam will be a sign of optimism for the future, offering the opportunity to visit the world, reunite family and friends living abroad, establish new businesses between Croatia and the Netherlands, and welcome new foreign tourists in the country," said Ildikó Kiss, sales manager for the region.

"We would like to express our satisfaction with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines' decision to introduce a second daily flight on the Amsterdam-Zagreb route from February 2021. This news is especially significant in the circumstances when we face significant consequences of the pandemic in global air traffic. We are optimistic about the future and firmly believe that the additional daily flight between Amsterdam and Zagreb will be a bright sign of a new future," said Huseyin Bahadir Bedir, Executive Director of Zagreb Airport.

KLM planes will take off from Zagreb twice a day, at 06:30 in the morning (arrival in Amsterdam at 08:30), and 12:20 (arrival in Amsterdam at 14:30). E175 aircraft have been announced for both daily flights.

The introduction of KLM's second daily flight to Amsterdam will enable an even larger number of connections from Zagreb Airport, and in addition to the Dutch company's two daily flights, Air France is expected to introduce a second daily flight to Paris in the spring of next year.

For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily. 

Read the Croatian Travel Update in your language - now available in 24 languages.

Join the Total Croatia Travel INFO Viber community.

December 4, 2020 - The latest news for flights to Croatia as Eurowings cancels Cologne-Split, and Vueling terminates its recently announced winter service between Barcelona and Dubrovnik.

Croatian Aviation reports that two well-known low-cost carriers, Germany's Eurowings and Spain's Vueling, withdrew two lines to Croatian destinations, although they were announced for December and January, respectively.

In November, Eurowings announced its flight schedule for December this year, in which it will offer slightly more flights to Croatian destinations, Zagreb and Split, just in time for the holidays.

Although Eurowings has announced traffic on the direct Split-Cologne line, this will not happen. Namely, the airline's original plan was to operate on this line from December 22 to January 10 twice a week, on Tuesdays and Sundays, but low demand caused by new measures at border crossings forced the company to cancel planned operations on this line.

There will still be lines from Dusseldorf and Stuttgart to Split, as well as Eurowings lines to Zagreb.

Furthermore, Spanish low-cost airline Vueling announced at the end of October that it would launch the Barcelona-Dubrovnik route in January 2021.

Regular flights on this route were on sale twice a week, every Thursday and Sunday. Vueling was also forced to cancel these flights and is currently planning to return to Dubrovnik with the start of the summer flight schedule, in April next year.

The airline tried to motivate a certain number of passengers to visit Dubrovnik in January at very reasonable prices, but this was clearly not enough. When we take into account all the restrictions that exist today when traveling (especially international ones), the cancellation of these flights is quite an expected move by the airline.

Dubrovnik was left without its only announced scheduled flight this winter, and there will be no international flights to and from Dubrovnik until the spring of next year, while Split remains connected by Croatia Airlines to Frankfurt, Rome and Munich, Edelweiss to Zurich, KLM to Amsterdam and Eurowings for Dusseldorf and Stuttgart.

For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily. 

Read the Croatian Travel Update in your language - now available in 24 languages.

Join the Total Croatia Travel INFO Viber community.

December 3, 2020 - Confusion reigns once more, with the official advice different to the realities on the ground, as American tourists continue to arrive in Croatia, despite official advice to the contrary.

I haven't left the house all week. 

And with the blanket of snow growing thicker in the garden, that is not about to change any time soon. 

With the pandemic, the cold weather and many things closed in Croatia due to the new measures, it is not really the best time to be travelling anyway. But each to his own. 

The question is - CAN you travel to Croatia at the moment?

After months of a very clear situation, the recent update on November 30 is causing confusion once more for those (admittedly far fewer) tourists travelling at this time of year. 

The lack of clarity of the situation is not helped by erroneous reports on global B2B travel portals, such as the one we reported on yesterday that had an incorrect headline - Croatia Completely Closes to Foreign Tourists. This is completely untrue, and this article yesterday looks deeper into the issues. So please read if you are interested in the details of the current situation. 

More authoritatively, the US Embassy in Zagreb updated its travel advice for its citizens yesterday, in which it stated the following (in addition to lots of additional clauses, all of which you can read here):

• Are U.S. citizens permitted to enter? No
• IMPORTANT: Entry for tourism is not permitted.

The period of the new restrictions is currently set from December 1 - 15. 

A very authoritative and very official source.

A much less official, but in many ways very authoritative source (and one which served very well this year) is the Total Croatia Travel INFO Viber community, which has been helping tourists in real time to navigate the murky waters of clear Croatian travel information in 2020. One of the best parts about the community has been the real time feedback from the community, many of whom have posted their actual experiences at border crossings. This has enabled us to build up a true picture of what is happening on the ground. A picture that is often different to the official advice. I am not saying the official advice is technically, as it follows the official guidelines, such as they are. 

This was Total Croatia Travel INFO Maja's experience yesterday evening, after the embassy update and a day after the new rules came into effect: Maja is an American tourist, and she was flying from Los Angeles to Zagreb via Frankfurt:

Hi Everyone!  I am an American citizen traveling to Zagreb right now. I am in Frankfurt waiting for my flight.  I am still awaiting my Covid test results via email. I did my test 24 hours ago. 

I will let you know my experience at the border. Fingers crossed

A few hours later.

Ok I am in!!!!!

I showed them my paperwork from embassy that I am a tourist

My hotel accommodations

And my Rapid Covid test results

I told them my PCR test is pending. The man in customs told me to contact an epidemiologist if I have any symptoms.  Then he said, "Dobro došli "

So what is the answer? Can Americans enter for tourism at the moment?

The US Embassy is right with its advice, which errs necessarily on caution. Technically for tourism, it is not open, as it wasn't earlier this year either for non EU/EEA citizens. There was a requirement to provide proof of paid accommodation, so that the visit could be classified as economic activity. 

But can you visit Croatia as an American tourist right now? Maja's experience would suggest that you can. 

The most important thing the authorities are worried about at the moment is a negative test. The grey area is whether or not a tourist visit can be interpreted as an economic (paid accommodation) or business activity. I suspect there are different interpretations to that, and I would expect persuading boarding agents at airlines to be a little harder to convince than perhaps earlier this year. If you are flying, I would strongly recommend you print off all the documentation you can for the airport check in - this will be the biggest challenge. Proof of paid hotel reservation, email confirmation from EnterCroatia form, letter of invitation if you have, negative test results, IATA guidelines. 

Would I personally travel across the borders at the moment? 

As I said, snow is falling and I haven't left the house for a week. 

If you do have plans to travel, or have just travelled and are willing to share your experiences to improve the information flow,  join the Total Croatia Travel INFO Viber community.

Update

December 3 travel experience from American flying from Rome via the Viber community:

Here’s my experience so far, as I wait to board my flight from Rome to Zagreb. Check-in at Rome was much like check-in when I flew to Croatia directly from the US in July. What I mean by that is both times I was well-prepared with a tidy folder packed full of documents. This time I had a negative COVID test result, a letter from the dentist I will see in Zagreb, proof of accommodation for the whole trip, Enter Croatia form, and the fine print of the entry rules. Both times, I was asked if my US passport was my only passport (it is)—and today I was told I’m not allowed to enter until Dec 15th. I expected the agent would say that, and I asked if they were looking at the IATA website. They said yes, and I explained that the site does not contain the full details and exceptions. At the bottom of the Croatia info on IATA, there is a link to the official Croatia site for more info. I told the agent that, and I had that fine print ready in my folder. At that point, they gave me the A-OK to go. No one ever looked at my paperwork in detail (although I imagine they will a bit more once I land). They just took my word for it that the mass of documents I was rifling through and explaining were legit (and they are). I think in general the gate agents I’ve met with have been so surprised by the level of preparation that they know I know the ins and outs of the rules. Anyway, hopefully that is also the case at the border—otherwise it’s gonna be a long night! I’m on my plane and ready for take off. More from the other side!

December 3, 2020 - The latest news for flights to Croatia as Croatia Airlines operates to 11 international destinations from Zagreb in December. 

Croatian Aviation reports that in December, Croatia Airlines will operate to 11 international destinations from Zagreb. As before, the largest number of weekly flights will be to Frankfurt, then to Amsterdam, while the smallest number of flights will be to the airport in Sarajevo.

The Zagreb - Amsterdam - Zagreb line operates daily in December, with a morning departure from Zagreb.

The Zagreb - Vienna - Zagreb line operates once a week, every Wednesday, December 9, 16, 23, and 30.

The Zagreb - Brussels - Zagreb line operates twice a week, on Fridays and Sundays. Instead of on Christmas, the line will run exceptionally on Wednesday, December 23.

The Zagreb - Frankfurt - Zagreb line operates two to three times a day, and on Saturdays once a day.

The Zagreb - Copenhagen - Zagreb line operates twice a week, on Wednesdays and Fridays. Additionally, direct flights are on sale on Wednesday, December 16, Saturday, December 19, and Monday, December 21.

The Zagreb - London - Zagreb line operates once a week, on Mondays. Additionally, direct flights are on sale on Saturday, December 19, Wednesday, December 23, and Wednesday, December 30.

The Zagreb - Paris - Zagreb line operates twice a week, on Thursdays and Sundays. Additionally, a direct flight is on sale on Tuesday, December 22.

The Zagreb - Rome - Zagreb (via Split) line operates three times a week, on Mondays, Thursdays, and Sundays. Instead of Thursday, December 24, a direct flight is on sale on Wednesday, December. 23.

The Zagreb - Sarajevo - Zagreb line has been temporarily suspended. It will be in traffic again from December 17, with two flights a week, on Thursdays and Sundays.

The Zagreb - Skopje - Zagreb line operates twice a week, on Mondays and Fridays. It is not on sale for Christmas.

The Zagreb - Zurich - Zagreb line operates twice a week, on Wednesdays and Sundays. Additionally, direct flights are on sale on Friday the 18th, Saturday the 19th, and Saturday the 26th of December.

The Split - Frankfurt - Split line operates once a week, every Saturday. The airline offers daily flights from Split to Frankfurt with a short transfer in Zagreb.

The Split - Munich - Split line operates twice a week, on Mondays and Fridays. Additionally, flights are on sale on Saturdays (December 19 and 21), and instead of Christmas, the line will operate on Wednesday, December 23.

The Split - Rome - Split line operates three times a week, on Mondays, Thursdays and Sundays. Instead of Thursday, December 24, a direct flight is on sale on Wednesday, December 23.

On Christmas, Croatia Airlines aircraft will not operate to international destinations

Expecting a slight increase in passenger demand, Croatia Airlines. increased the number of flights on the route to Brussels, Copenhagen, London, Paris and Zurich in December. The increases are minimal, which is expected on the one hand, given that new measures are in force that will force a larger number of passengers to cancel their trips to Croatia during the Christmas and New Year holidays.

The line from Split to Munich is currently the only direct line between Croatian airports and the capital of Bavaria, after Lufthansa canceled the Munich - Zagreb line on December 1. Croatia Airlines does not currently operate on this line.

For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily. 

Read the Croatian Travel Update in your language - now available in 24 languages.

Join the Total Croatia Travel INFO Viber community.

December 2, 2020 - Confusion reigns again, as a global B2B travel portal incorrectly reports Croatia closed to foreign tourists. Here is what we know about the new rules. 

It is beginning to feel awfully like May to July again, the inbox overflowing with desperate cries of help from tourists and tourism professionals on behalf of their clients. 

Is Croatia really closed to all foreign tourists?

Wait, what?!?

FAKE NEWS!

It seems that part of the panic was set off by some of the global B2B travel media, which reported exactly that. I won't name the website concerned, but it is ranked in the top 60,000 in the world on Alexa in terms of traffic, and it boasts "a readership base with an opt-in subscriber emailing list currently running at 255,000+ worldwide, mainly travel trade professionals and specialist travel and tourism journalists."

Quite a reach in the travel industry. A reach that came to my inbox several times today, with the first request from the UK PR arm of a 5-star resort on the Adriatic coast. Was this really true? A little surprised, I clicked on the article:

Croatian government officials announced that foreign tourists will not be allowed into Croatia starting today, December 1. This decision was made by the country’s government on November 30. The official website of the Croatian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a warning that foreigners with tourist visas will not be able to enter the country. Previously, foreign tourists were allowed to enter Croatia upon presentation of a certificate of absence of COVID-19 virus.

I am not even sure where to start with that, except to say that none of it is totally accurate. 

More messages came in. We are Americans and are now told that we cannot enter Croatia as tourists. What do you advise, and where can we see the rules?

Changes to entering Croatia were announced on November 30, effective December 1 until December 15. You can read the official guidelines in English on the official website here. 

The big change is the requirement now for a negative PCR test no more than 48 hours old from travellers not coming from an EU country in the green zone (almost everywhere at the moment). However, according to the new guidelines, those countries on the EU safe list do not have this requirement, and there are no restrictions on entry:

Who can enter Croatia with tests not older than 48hours -  Citizens of EU Member States (including Croatian citizens), i.e. of Schengen Member States and Schengen Associated States, as well as members of their families and third-country nationals who are long-term residents under Council Directive 2003/109/EC of 25 November 2003 concerning the status of third-country nationals who are long-term residents and persons entitled to reside under other EU directives or national law or who have national long-term visas.

Who does not need a formal reason to enter -  Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Rwanda, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Uruguay, China and special administrative regions of the People’s Republic of China - Hong Kong and Macao or EU/EAA coming from ECDC green zones.

Who can enter with the test and reason - Third-country nationals not covered by the abovementioned points may enter the Republic of Croatia from third countries if they are persons travelling for urgent personal / family reasons, business reasons or other economic interest (supported by the PCR test result for SARS-CoV-2 not older than 48 hours or by PCR testing for SARS-CoV-2 immediately upon arriving to the Republic of Croatia and by self-isolating until they receive a negative test result).

The big question mark to me in the new rules are reasons for entering. Non-EU arrivals have hitherto been allowed as tourism was classified as an economic activity. This is why there was a requirement for proof of paid accommodation before entry. Tourists were coming with one night's paid accommodation to fulfill this requirement. 

It is unclear if this has changed, but the impression I get now is that the most important consideration for the authorities on entry is the negative test. My suggestion to be safe is to state business/economic as the reason for travel and to have proof of paid accommodation for your entire stay. A letter of invitation from a business entity would strengthen your case as well. Please note that this is my suggestion, to be acted upon at your own risk. Of course, in these certain times, you may want to reconsider your trip anyway. 

Many thanks to the very efficient Croatian Border Police for once again helping us to clarify the situation. If you want to contact them in English, German or Croatian with your specific question, you can do so in the form at the end of this FAQ article.

Whether or not one should be travelling at this time is another discussion, but TCN is here to provide the information as to what is possible. 

We are back in uncertain information times, as we were earlier this year, and things can change quickly. One of the best sources of up-to-date information and experiences is the Total Croatia Travel INFO Viber community, where travellers are posting their real-time experiences. It proved to be an invaluable resource earlier this year. Join the Total Croatia Travel INFO Viber community.

The US Embassy in Zagreb has just updated its travel advice 19:00, December 2.

Another good resource to follow is the latest IATA updates, which are used by airlines to determine who may and may not enter. Learn more here and find out the current rules for Croatia. 

It seems at time of writing that the IATA guidelines are missing some of the abovementioned categories so prepare all documents to convince your boarding agents to allow you to board - the more documentation the better, as we learned this summer with many travellers managing to convince reluctant boarding agents that Croatia would let them in. It works if you are properly prepared. The confirmation email from the Croatian border police when you fill in the EnterCroatia form was especially useful.

For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily. 

Read the Croatian Travel Update in your language - now available in 24 languages.

December 2, 2020 - Are you looking to travel from Croatia anytime soon? A look at the COVID-19 travel restrictions in place around Europe. 

Index.hr reports that the National Civil Protection Headquarters has issued a new decision which, as of December 1, tightened the measures at Croatian borders.

Thus, a measure is in force that categorizes passengers entering Croatia differently - no longer according to the citizenship of an individual, but according to the area they come from. And as things stand now, it means a mandatory negative PCR test or self-isolation if you enter Croatia from almost all countries in the world.

As far as the European Union countries are concerned, the EU Agency for Disease Prevention and Monitoring will issue one map of green and red areas every Thursday. Depending on the situation in a particular area in the EU, it will be possible to enter Croatia from these areas, from these European regions, with or without a PCR test. However, currently, only a part of southwestern Finland is green in Europe. Croats coming from third countries (non-EU countries) also need a PCR test or must go into self-isolation.

It is important to note that a PCR test not older than 48 hours now applies to Croatian citizens when entering. If they do not have a negative PCR test, they must go into self-isolation until a negative test is performed in Croatia.

An increase in international travel is expected during the holidays. Here are the countries and conditions under which Croatian citizens can travel, bearing in mind that on their return they will have to present a negative PCR test or go into self-isolation until a negative test result arrives.

SLOVENIA

As of November 8, the decision of the Slovenian government to put the entire Republic of Croatia on the red list is in force. This decision, as a rule, determines a 10-day quarantine for persons entering Slovenia from countries or regions that are on the red list. Quarantine will not be determined if a person at a border crossing presents a negative test for SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) not older than 48 hours.

There are exceptions for certain categories to which quarantine does not apply, such as cross-border workers (need to prove their status by a certificate), persons in transit through the Republic of Slovenia to another country within 12 hours of entry, evidence of scheduled medical examination, etc. Read more about all exceptions and border crossing measures here.

BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

Croatian citizens are not subject to an epidemiological measure of self-isolation or a negative test when leaving or entering Bosnia and Herzegovina. Read more information about FBiH here and here, while for more information related to RS read here and here.

SERBIA

By the decision of the Government of the Republic of Serbia on August 20, 2020, citizens of the Republic of Croatia entering the Republic of Serbia are allowed to enter if they have a negative PCR test not older than 48 hours. The mentioned rule does not apply to certain groups in the case of transit, which can last a maximum of 12 hours from the moment of entry into the territory of the Republic of Serbia. Read more information here.

HUNGARY

The decision of the Hungarian government on September 1, which was extended until the end of October 2020, prohibits the entry into Hungary of all foreign citizens, including citizens of the Republic of Croatia, who are not granted permanent or temporary residence in Hungary. Foreign nationals who have a regulated stay in Hungary upon return from abroad are subject to a 14-day self-isolation/quarantine. It may be revoked in the case of two negative SARS-COV-2 PCR tests, carried out in Hungary at personal expense, within five days, with an interval of at least 48 hours. Citizens of the Republic of Croatia living in the 30 km border zone may enter the territory of Hungary with a single stay of a maximum of 24 hours. Find more information here.

MONTENEGRO

Currently, there are no restrictions for Croatian citizens entering or leaving Montenegro. The Republic of Croatia is currently on the "green list" and as such is not subject to restrictions. All border crossings for entering Montenegro are open, except for the Vuča border crossing in the direction of Rožaje - Tutin. Read more information here.

ITALY

By the decision of the Italian Ministry of Health on October 8, Croatian citizens traveling to Italy from the Republic of Croatia are exempted from the obligation of taking the COVID-19 test. This also applies to Italian citizens returning from the Republic of Croatia to Italy. According to the regulation, all persons, including Croatian citizens, who come to Italy from Belgium, France, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Ireland, the Czech Republic, and Spain are obliged to:

- present a negative COVID-19 test not older than 72 hours or perform a test within 48 hours upon arrival in Italy.

The same rule applies to all persons who transited through the said countries within 14 days before arrival in Italy. It is still mandatory to fill out a form consisting of a statement that the person is not infected with the coronavirus, travel data, and contact. Before leaving for the trip, it is recommended to check all additional provisions of the destination regions, by direct contact or through the official website of the regions, which can be found here.

AUSTRIA

Strict measures have been introduced in Austria to restrict public gatherings and travel. From November 3 to December 6, the hotels are closed to tourists. The borders are not closed, but travel is only allowed in urgent situations. More information can be found here.

GERMANY

It is recommended to avoid all trips that are not necessary. Accommodation offers are possible only for necessary purposes that are not related to tourism. 

From November 8, 2020, all travelers who have resided in Croatia or any other country classified as a risk country in the period of 10 days before entering the Federal Republic of Germany, according to the Robert Koch Institute and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany, are obliged to go to self-isolation for 10 days without delay when entering the Federal Republic of Germany and be sure to contact the competent health office.

Before the trip, it is necessary to fill out a digital application for entry into FR Germany, which is available in Croatian. Quarantine ends at the earliest on the fifth day after entering the FR of Germany, if the person receives a negative test for SARS-CoV-2, and testing can be carried out at the earliest on the fifth day after entering the FR of Germany. It is also important to know that the German federal states issue regulations individually and there may be differences in the content of the regulations adopted.

More information here.

SWITZERLAND

According to the decision of the Federal Council of Switzerland on October 28, 2020, Croatia is no longer on the Swiss list of epidemiologically risky countries, so from October 29, 2020, Croatian citizens can enter Switzerland without the obligation of ten days of self-isolation. Read more information here.

UNITED KINGDOM

Before arriving in the territory of the United Kingdom, it is necessary to fill in the online form at least 48 hours before entering the country. The prescribed self-isolation measures are not the same for all countries within the UK and it is recommended to check the requirements for entry into the destination country before departure. When entering England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, a mandatory measure of self-isolation is prescribed for Croatian citizens. More information is here.

Details on travel to all other countries can be found on the official website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily. 

Read the Croatian Travel Update in your language - now available in 24 languages.

Join the Total Croatia Travel INFO Viber community.

December 2, 2020 - Changes in the regulations crossing Croatian border points came into effect yesterday. The latest official recommendations and instructions in full, from the official Koronavirus.hr website.

On 30 November 2020, the Civil Protection Headquarters of the Republic of Croatia issued a Decision temporarily prohibiting, i.e. restricting the crossing of persons across all border crossing points of the Republic of Croatia in order to protect the population of the Republic of Croatia from the COVID-19 disease. However, in accordance with the guidelines of the competent authorities, exceptions have been made as follows: 

Passengers travelling to the Republic of Croatia from an EU / EEA member state (regardless of their citizenship) 

Passengers coming directly from the countries and / or regions of the European Union, i.e. countries and / or regions which are Member States of the Schengen Area and Schengen Associated Countries, and which are currently in the so‑called green list of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, regardless of their citizenship, will be allowed entry into the Republic of Croatia under the same conditions as before the onset of the COVID-19 disease (they do not need to present a negative PCR test result for SARS-CoV-2 nor are they assigned the measure of self-isolation) if they show no signs of disease and they have not been in close contact with an infected person.
 
If the aforementioned persons transited to the border crossing points of the Republic of Croatia through other countries / regions without delay, they should prove at the border crossing point that they did not stay in transit areas and in that case, they will not be required to have a negative PCR test result for SARS-CoV-2 not older than 48 hours, nor stay in self-isolation.

Graphic representation of countries by colour according to the risk of the COVID-19 disease can be found on the website of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC)

All other passengers who, regardless of their citizenship, come to the Republic of Croatia from EU / EEA member states / regions, and which are currently not on the so-called green list of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, must present a negative PCR test result for SARS-CoV-2 that is not older than 48 hours (counting from the time of taking the swab to arriving at the border crossing point) or have the PCR test for SARS-CoV-2 done immediately upon arrival in the Republic of Croatia (at their own expense), with the obligation of self-isolation until they receive a negative test result. 

Exceptionally, the PCR test for SARS-CoV-2 is not obligatory for the following categories of passengers traveling from EU / EEA member states / regions on the so‑called red list:

• workers or self-employed persons performing essential tasks, including healthcare workers, frontier and posted workers and seasonal workers as specified in the Guidelines concerning the exercise of the free movement of workers during COVID-19 outbreak, provided they do not stay in the Republic of Croatia or outside the Republic of Croatia for longer than 12 hours;
• pupils, students and interns who travel abroad every day, provided that they do not stay in the Republic of Croatia or outside the Republic of Croatia for longer than 12 hours;
• seafarers and workers in the transport sector or transport service providers, including heavy goods vehicle drivers transporting goods to be used in the national territory and those who only transit;
• diplomats, staff of international organizations and persons invited by international organizations whose physical presence is necessary for the functioning of those organizations, military personnel and police officers, as well as humanitarian and civil protection personnel in the performance of their duties;
• persons traveling for necessary family or business reasons, including journalists in the performance of their duties;
• passengers in transit with the obligation to leave the Republic of Croatia within 12 hours from entry;
• patients traveling for urgent health reasons.The provisions regarding frontier workers apply adequately to other categories of passengers who, due to the nature of their job or occupation, need to cross the state border frequently (e.g. athletes playing for clubs in a neighbouring country).

Citizens of EU / EEA member states as well as members of their families traveling to the Republic of Croatia from third countries, i.e. those that are not members of the EU / EEA 

Citizens of EU Member States (including Croatian citizens), i.e. of Schengen Member States and Schengen Associated States, as well as members of their families and third-country nationals who are long-term residents under Council Directive 2003/109/EC of 25 November 2003 concerning the status of third-country nationals who are long-term residents and persons entitled to reside under other EU directives or national law or who have national long-term visas coming from third countries, upon entering the Republic of Croatia must present a negative PCR test result for SARS-CoV-2 that is not older than 48 hours regardless of their citizenship (counting from the time of taking the swab to arriving at the border crossing point) or have the PCR test for SARS-CoV-2 done immediately upon arrival in the Republic of Croatia (at their own expense), with the obligation of self-isolation until they receive a negative test result. 

Exceptionally, for the abovementioned persons, a negative PCR test result for SARS-CoV-2 not older than 48 hours will not be obligatory at the border crossing point for healthcare workers, health researchers and caregivers for the elderly, frontier workers, workers in the transport sector, diplomats, staff of international organizations and persons invited by international organizations whose physical presence is necessary for the good functioning of those organizations, military personnel and police officers, as well as humanitarian and civil protection personnel in the performance of their duties, passengers in transit and persons travelling for schooling purposes.

Third-country nationals not covered by the abovementioned points 

Third-country nationals not covered by the abovementioned points may enter the Republic of Croatia from third countries if they are:

• healthcare workers, health researchers and caregivers for the elderly;
• frontier workers (as well as e.g. athletes as stated in the exceptions for passengers within the EU / EEA);
• workers in the transport sector;
• diplomats, staff of international organizations and persons invited by international organizations whose physical presence is necessary for the good functioning of those organizations, military personnel and police officers, as well as humanitarian and civil protection personnel in the performance of their duties;
• passengers in transit;
• persons travelling for schooling purposes;
• seafarers (supported by the PCR test result for SARS-CoV-2 not older than 48 hours or by PCR testing for SARS-CoV-2 immediately upon arriving to the Republic of Croatia and by self-isolating until they receive a negative test result);
• persons travelling for urgent personal / family reasons, business reasons or other economic interest (supported by the PCR test result for SARS-CoV-2 not older than 48 hours or by PCR testing for SARS-CoV-2 immediately upon arriving to the Republic of Croatia and by self-isolating until they receive a negative test result).  

Passengers covered by Annex I to Council Recommendation (EU) 2020/912 on the temporary restriction on non-essential travel into the EU and the possible lifting of such restriction

Passengers (regardless of their citizenship) coming from countries currently covered by Annex I to Council Recommendation (EU) 2020/912 on the temporary restriction on non-essential travel into the EU and the possible lifting of such restriction, namely Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Rwanda, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Uruguay, China and special administrative regions of the People’s Republic of China - Hong Kong and Macao, do not have to present a negative test result for SARS-CoV-2 nor are they subject to self-isolation if they have not been in close contact with an infected person and show no signs of disease. During their stay in the Republic of Croatia, they are obliged to adhere to the general and special recommendations and instructions of the Croatian Institute of Public Health.At the border crossing point, the aforementioned persons, who transited to the border crossing points of the Republic of Croatia through other countries / regions without delay, should prove that they did not stay in transit areas and in that case, they will not be required to have a negative PCR test result for SARS-CoV-2 not older than 48 hours nor stay in self-isolation.

In order to shorten the procedure at the border crossing point, we advise all foreign passengers, regardless of their citizenship, to fill the announcement in advance at Enter Croatia.

General note: if the passenger’s validity of the PCR test for SARS-CoV-2 of 48 hours expired during the border control at the entrance to the Republic of Croatia or they do not have the PCR test at all and they meet other conditions of entry, they will be allowed to enter the Republic of Croatia, provided that they immediately get tested in the Republic of Croatia at their own expense, with the obligation to stay in self-isolation until they receive a negative test result. 

Persons who have a negative PCR test result made in the Republic of Croatia due to a short trip to our neighbouring or another country and return to the Republic of Croatia within less than 48 hours from the day of testing, i.e. within the period of test validity, will not be required to present a new PCR test from the country in which they have been staying for a short time, but will be allowed to enter upon presenting the test made in the Republic of Croatia.

When staying in the Republic of Croatia, all passengers, regardless of their category and country from which they came, are obliged to follow the general and special instructions and recommendations of the Croatian Institute of Public Health.

For the latest news on coronavirus in Croatia, follow the dedicated TCN section. 

December 1, 2020 - The latest news for flights to Croatia as FlyDubai cancels Zagreb this winter. However, the airline could possibly make a comeback to Croatia in the spring. 

Croatian Aviation reports that although Emirates' partner company, FlyDubai, had announced regular flights to Zagreb from December this winter, which will no longer happen.

As we announced earlier, FlyDubai will not return to Zagreb Airport so soon. The company previously announced flights in early October, which it then canceled by mid-December. Although we announced then that the company will probably not operate on the line between Dubai and Zagreb this year, this has now been confirmed. FlyDubai withdrew all flights on the said route until the beginning of February 2021, and in fact, it is only a question of when those flights will also be canceled.

After Emirates completely gave up on the Dubai - Zagreb line for 2021, it would be logical for FlyDubai to take over this line in the 2021 summer flight schedule. According to the announcements, this should happen, but only from April, with four flights a week throughout the summer flight schedule. Of course, this will depend on passenger demand and the epidemiological situation, so predicting the return of this airline (especially the number of weekly operations) at this time is not wise.

FlyDubai is a state-owned company and works closely with Emirates, operating to less attractive destinations.

FlyDubai will not be able to offer one very important element in relation to its partner Emirates, which with the B777-300ER aircraft offered space for almost 18 tons of cargo or approximately 125 cubic meters of cargo space, depending on the configuration and capacity of the passenger cabin.

Given the announcements that the B737MAX aircraft will soon be re-licensed to operate regular commercial flights, it is to be expected that once FlyDubai returns to Zagreb on a route from Dubai, it will use this type of aircraft, which in terms of comfort and passenger cabin design has significantly better characteristics compared to B737-800.

Additionally, after the news that Korean Air withdrew from Zagreb Airport, FlyDubai will have the opportunity to take on some passengers from the South Korean market, which will certainly be important in the next summer season. It is certain that both Turkish Airlines and Qatar Airways will try to create dominance in our traditional, and most important markets with their pricing policy.

For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily. 

Read the Croatian Travel Update in your language - now available in 24 languages.

Join the Total Croatia Travel INFO Viber community.

November 30, 2020 - Croatia announces new border rules for travelers coming into the country. 

THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY THAT IS BEING UPDATED AS WE RECEIVE CONFIRMATION 

Index.hr reports that at today's government session, Interior Minister Davor Bozinovic announced new measures at the borders.

"A new decision has been made on border crossings, and it is tied to European regions. Passengers coming from EU green areas do not need a PCR test or any other condition to enter Croatia. All others need a negative PCR test that is not older than 48 hours or they can be tested on arrival in Croatia and await their test result in self-isolation. 

But at the moment, the only green region in the EU is the island of Fasta in Finland," Bozinovic said.

The new rule also applies to Croatian citizens. 

The new set of rules combines two criteria for entering Croatia: the citizenship of the traveler, and where they've been prior to arriving in Croatia. So, anyone coming from the ECDC-defined "Green Area", no matter what their passport is, are allowed to enter freely. However, those arriving at the Croatian borders from elsewhere in the EU will need to present the negative PCR test, not older than 48 hours (or self-isolate in Croatia until they get tested). EU citizens + Schengen + visa/residence permit holders in the EU countries are allowed to enter Croatia from any third country if they have a negative PCR test (or self-isolate in Croatia until they get tested here). Travelers arriving from the countries on the EU safe list are allowed to enter Croatia freely without a test if they can prove they haven't spent any time in other countries, rather just transited through them. 

Third-country nationals arriving from elsewhere, not the EU, can enter Croatia if they present a negative PCR test (or self-isolate in Croatia until they get tested here) AND are coming to Croatia as sailors, or for personal/family reasons or business. 

Entry without a negative PCR test for EU citizens is allowed, for example, for seafarers and workers in the transport sector, transport providers, diplomats, staff of international organizations, persons traveling for urgent reasons, passengers in transit with the obligation to leave the country within 12 hours and patients traveling for necessary health reasons. 

Border health workers, pupils, students, and interns who travel every day do not have to have a negative PCR test, provided that they do not stay inside or outside Croatia for more than 12 hours.

Odluka o Privremenoj Zabran... by Antonija Petkovic

To read more about coronavirus in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

November 29, 2020 - As the global tourism industry is forced into a rethink due to the pandemic, some interesting comparisons and contrasts between Croatian tourism seasons from 1980 to 2020. 

If there has been anything positive about this disastrous year, it is perhaps that the chaos unleashed by the coronavirus pandemic has forced us all to take a closer look at our lives, and to reassess where things could perhaps be done differently in order to adapt to new realities. 

Nowhere is that more true than in tourism. Who remembers that buzzword of the 2019 season - overtourism? Is it a word which will ever be used again, or will it go down in Wikipedia as a unique tourism phenomenon in the 2018-9 era to describe a strange human obsession to pack themselves into confined spaces like sardines in the name of tourism?

The Kingdom of Accidental Tourism had a better season than many - including me - predicted. While it has been amusing to see our official tourism heroes claim all the credit for this relative success, small factors such as Croatia having essentially the only open driveable coastline for the markets of Central and Eastern Europe perhaps played a small role. Just ask Dubrovnik, not quite a driving destination, which registered just 12% of its 2019 tourism traffic for the first six months of the year until UK flights started in earnest. And the 110,000 Slovenian owners of holiday homes in Croatia presumably were able to find their way to their pads on the Adriatic after weeks of lockdown without the need for persuasion. 

I digress. 

The Croatian National Tourist Board seems to have unveiled a new strategy (actually, perhaps rather than saying 'a new strategy', that should read 'a strategy') for the 2021 season, and I am heartened that at least part of it appears to be based on a slogan I have been suggesting for a while - Croatia, Your Safe, Authentic, Lifestyle Destination. Director Stanicic in the Croatian media this week:

At this point, it is certain that the issue of the coronavirus pandemic will mark next year as well, with the safety factor being one of the basic preconditions in making the final decision on travel. We will focus our future activities even more strongly on digital promotion channels and social networks with a focus on the nearest European markets where Croatian destinations are easily accessible by road, such as Germany, Slovenia, Austria, Poland, Czech Republic, Italy, Hungary, etc. that in the future we expect the growth of domestic tourism in the overall result, we plan a stronger promotion of tourism and special tourism projects intended for domestic guests 

The focus on regional tourists certainly makes sense, as this is one of Croatia's key (and accidental) competitive advantages - with flights so uncertain in general, tourists from these markets have few other reliable options. It is a good job we have a national tourist board, 20 regional tourist boards, 319 local tourist boards, a Ministry of Tourism, as well as those tourism chaps from the Chamber of Economy (whatever they do) to take credit for all this. 

But for all this talk of regional markets, no mention at all about some of the closest and most loyal markets to Croatia - the countries of former Yugoslavia, with the notable exception of Slovenia. 

In the 2020 spirit of having a fresh look at all aspects of life, I decided to look back at previous tourism trends and numbers to see if there was anything we could learn. And what I found REALLY surprised me. 

Was 2020 really a disaster for Croatian tourism? Actually, if you judge it by the only currency the Kingdom's tourism gurus recognise - numbers, numbers, numbers - it was not a disaster at all. Thanks to those drive-in tourists. 

Here are the tourism numbers for 2020 so far after 10 months (I think we can all agree that they will not be changing too much now with the recent measures introduced:

(Source: Croatian National Tourist Board)

Total number of tourists so far in 2020 - 7,596,097 (official national tourist board numbers)

Total number of overnight stays so far in 2020 - 53,623,053

Now let's compare that to 1980, when tourism was booming on the Adriatic coast in particular:

Total number of tourists in 1980 - 7,929,000

Total number of overnight stays in 1980 - 53,600,000

Fast forward 30 years, to just 10 years ago, and the numbers are also very similar, although a little higher.

Total number of tourists in 2010 - 10,604,000

Total number of overnight stays in 2010 - 56,414,000. 

Was the 2010 Croatian tourist season a disaster? It was at the start of my writing career, and I remember the Croatian media writing about its success. 

So if the 2010 and 2020 seasons were very similar, why were this year's numbers so low in comparison to last year? 

The answer has something to do with what happened after 2010 - number of tourism arrivals per year on the left, number of overnights in the middle, increase in overnights on the right.

(Source Wikipedia)

So with similar numbers from 1980, 2010 and 2020, is there anything we can learn from looking at the official statistics? 

(Source: Croatian National Tourist Board)

Despite the number of overnight stays almost doubling from 1980-2019, the increase in hotel beds during that time was less than 15%, according to official figures above. 

Now take a look at the change in private rooms. Less than 200,000 back in 1980, more than 800,000 in 2018, a fourfold increase in 40 years, and about double in the last decade.  

So if Croatia had not embarked on its crazy expansion of private accommodation in the last decade, the 2020 numbers might well have been judged as successful with 2010 capacity.  It is no secret that Croatia has way too many private beds, which is a direct result of official policy to make it much more affordable with a crazy tax incentive. (Read more in How Croatia's Tourism 'Strategy' Created Tax-Free Paradise for Private Renters). Quite how and when these 800,000 rooms will be filled again is an interesting discussion, and I am sure that the banks financing many of them will be running out of patience. 

One other statistic caught my eye looking at those older statistics - the number of domestic tourists. Domestic back then of course meant the whole of former Yugoslavia, as it was before the 1991 independence. Interestingly, in 1980, this accounted for 43.7% of all tourism that year - a huge number compared to recent years. 

A captive market, with many cultural connections and familiarities due to the enforced coexistence within former Yugoslavia, what was a captive market back in 1980 could easily be in 2021, especially with the current focus on destinations which are accessible by car. And yet, of the former Yugoslav republics, only Slovenia is on the radar of current tourism promotion. 

A year ago, I did some analysis on data on the 2017 tourism season, as provided to be by the Institute of Tourism. I was surprised to see that when one combines the average length of stay and average daily spend, Serbian tourists are the fourth biggest spenders on holiday in Croatia. And that Bosnians at 69.61 euro a day outspend Slovenians at 61.72 euro - I guess that has something to do with those 110,000 Slovenian holiday homes. 

When I went to the Belgrade Tourism Fair a couple of years ago - the largest in the region - I was surprised that the Croatian National Tourist Board was not there. It was nothing to do with the war, as back in 2011, Croatia had been the headline sponsor of the very same trade fair. When I enquired, the national tourist board informed me that Serbia was not a strategic market.  I wonder if it will/should be with the new realities. 

The potential of the regional market and 2020 realities was brought home to me on a recent trip to Montenegro, where I was reporting on a complete change in strategy by the 5-star Chedi in Lustica Bay. Having been deprived not only of flights in a flight-only destination, but also with its three main markets of Germany, Russia and the UK banned from entering, the hotel had no option but to try and reinvent itself. The results have been spectacular off an admittedly much smaller base. In 2019, regional tourism accounted for just 9% of revenues for the luxury hotel, something which increased to a massive 80% this year. Most interesting is that the projections for regional revenue for 2021 are 60%. So reinvention is possible, and this is how they did it. Some lessons in there somewhere, for those who want to learn. 

It is unlikely that tourism in Croatia will return to the recent past in the short term, and that is perhaps not a bad thing.  But perhaps it is worth looking at tourism a bit longer ago to seeing if there are elements there that can help build a more sustainable tourism future with regional neighbours based on safety, lifestyle and authentic experiences. Perhaps some of the money we could save by reducing such a hopelessly bloated official tourism apparatus and using the funds to promote such a vision would be a greater benefit for all. 

For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily. 

Read the Croatian Travel Update in your language - now available in 24 languages.

Join the Total Croatia Travel INFO Viber community.