July 13, 2020 - The Split Airport and Ferry Port recorded around 45,000 passengers last weekend, which is this year's record for weekend tourist traffic.

"Saturday and Sunday until midnight at Split Airport, we will have 125 landings and as many takeoffs of commercial and private aircraft, which will carry about 15,000 passengers on arrival and departure, which in the circumstances of the coronavirus epidemic is the biggest traffic during one weekend this year," said Mate Melvan, Head of the Reception and Dispatch Service at Split Airport, on Sunday for Slobodna Dalmacija.

That’s about 25 percent of the turnover achieved compared to the second weekend in July last year, but given the epidemiological circumstances, that’s a positive trend, he estimated. Recall, in the first six months of this year, Split Airport generated only 10 percent of traffic compared to last year's first half of the year, he added.

"In July this year, 30 airlines flying on 45 international routes have been hired at Split Airport so far," Melvan said.

He expects that the number of airlines and the number of passengers at Split Airport will increase by the end of July.

"We believe that by the end of July about 150,000 passengers will be passing through our Airport, which is about one-fifth of last year's total traffic in July, but given the circumstances, we are satisfied with this kind of traffic. In fact, we can say that we have a ‘new normal season’ in epidemiological circumstances,"  Melvan pointed out.

He reminded us that at Split Airport, it is obligatory to wear protective masks, as well as to practice social distance and use hand sanitizer. He points out that guests who come to Split Airport are disciplined and adhere to these epidemiological measures.

The head of Jadrolinija in Split, Jelena Ivulic, said that about 30,000 passengers and 7,000 vehicles would run through Split's Ferry Port last weekend, which is about 40 percent of the traffic compared to last year's second weekend in July, but a record in this year's weekend traffic.

"Guests from Slovenia and Germany have the most traffic through Split's Ferry Port this weekend, and most travel to the island of Brac, so on Saturday we had to introduce two extraordinary ferry lines to Supetar on Brac," Ivulic said on Sunday.

She also assessed that, given the epidemiological circumstances, the traffic in Split's Ferry Port is satisfactory.

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.

July 26, 2020* - The Croatian Ministry of the Interior has updated its official border guidelines in English, German and Croatian.

INTRODUCTORY NOTES

Croatian nationals and their family members, regardless of their citizenship, are free to enter the Republic of Croatia, without the need to prove their reasons for entry, but they must present a document proving kinship with a Croatian national (e.g. birth certificate).
 
When entering the Republic of Croatia, nationals of Member States of the European Union, i.e. Schengen Member States and Member States associated with the Schengen area, as well as their family members (regardless of their residence), 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 persons who hold national long-term visas are not required to provide any special reason for their entry (business, economic, tourist, etc.), but can enter the country under the same conditions as before the COVID-19 outbreak, although still under epidemiological control and by mandatory compliance with general and special recommendations issued by the Croatian Institute of Public Health.
This also applies to nationals of the Principality of Andorra, the Republic of San Marino, the Principality of Monaco and the Holy See.
 
THIRD-COUNTRY NATIONALS

1.         If foreigners do not hold the citizenship of an EU/EEA Member State or the aforementioned countries, nor have regulated stay in those countries and travel from a non-member country due to urgent personal reasons, they must prove their reason for entering the Republic of Croatia upon arriving at the border crossing point which could be:

• urgent personal reasons – it is necessary to present valid documentation for example in case of:

- going to a funeral (e.g. death certificate, obituary)
- going to a treatment or accompanying the person going to a treatment (e.g. medical call, confirmation of a scheduled medical / dental examination, doctor’s recommendation)

 

• if you are the owner or lessee (also applies to leaseholders) of real estate, movable property or seagoing vessel (ship, yacht, etc.) in the Republic of Croatia, border control at the border crossing point in the Republic of Croatia must be accompanied by presenting the documentation proving the ownership of real estate / movable property in the Republic of Croatia (e.g. title deed/contract); members of the owner’s family will be allowed to enter upon presenting a valid document from which the kinship with the owner is visible.

A quarantine/self-isolation measure with health supervision for 14 days has been determined for these persons, with the possibility of shortening its duration to 7 days, if a person gets their nose and throat swabbed at their own expense seven days after entering Croatia and receives a negative PCR test result for SARS-CoV-2.
 
2.         If foreigners who do not hold the citizenship of an EU/EEA Member State or the aforementioned countries nor have regulated stay in those countries want to enter the Republic of Croatia due to:
 

• Business reasons or economic interest of the Republic of Croatia – it is necessary to present documentation proving the business reason for visiting the Republic of Croatia or the economic interest of the Republic of Croatia, such as an invitation to a meeting of an economic entity from the Republic of Croatia, proof of a board membership, proof of ownership or co-ownership share in a company registered in the Republic of Croatia, documentation on the agreed business obligation with a natural or legal person etc.

• Tourist reasons – it is necessary to present a confirmation of paid accommodation in one of the accommodation facilities in the Republic of Croatia (lease contract or lump sum payment of a camp, permanent berth contract in a nautical tourism port, etc.) and

• Education - it is necessary to present a proof of education / studying (e.g. index, certificate of an educational institution, etc.).

 
These persons are not subject to a quarantine/self-isolation measure if they present a negative PCR result of a nasal and throat swab for SARS-Cov-2 at the border crossing point, which is not older than 48 hours (counting from the time of taking the swab to arriving at the border crossing point).
Persons who do not present a negative PCR result are subject to a mandatory 14-day quarantine / self-isolation measure.

(Additional clarification of this rule: Those whose test is older than 48 hours will be allowed to enter Croatia, but they will be issued a self-isolation order and will have to be tested again locally, at their own expense. Having an expired PCR test upon arrival will allow for a shortened period of time in self-isolation pending a negative result of a local PCR test. Those who do not provide a negative PCR test upon arrival will be ordered to quarantine/self-isolate for at least 7 days prior to taking a local PCR test.) 

Passengers entering Croatia without the obligation of self-isolation shall comply with the following measures during the first two weeks of their stay in Croatia:
During the first 14 days after entering the Republic of Croatia, exits from accommodation are limited only to the necessary ones: performance of work if it is a business reason for entering the Republic of Croatia, or of necessary activities with the continuous intensified implementation of hygiene measures: https://www.hzjz.hr/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Recommendations-and-Instructions_EN-1.pdf
 
In order to shorten the procedure at the border crossing point, we advise you to fill the announcement in advance at https://entercroatia.mup.hr.

TRANSIT 

Passengers in transit may travel through the Republic of Croatia provided that it is possible to enter or transit through the neighbouring country. During transit, the shortest traffic routes should be used without undue delay, including the motorway where possible. It is necessary to leave the Republic of Croatia as soon as possible and no longer than 12 hours from the moment of entry, which will be checked by the border police.
 

July 12, 2020 - The latest news from around Croatia’s airports for flights to Croatia with updates from Zagreb, Split, Dubrovnik, Pula, and Zadar.

After we announced the flight schedule of low-cost airline easyJet to Split, Croatian Aviation reports that they decided to launch traffic to other airports in Croatia at the end of this month.

easyJet will additionally return to Dubrovnik, Zadar and Pula, but in a significantly reduced form, with very few destinations and a small number of weekly flights compared to the 2019 season.

Lines to Dubrovnik

Amsterdam - Dubrovnik, from July 23, twice a week, on Thursdays and Sundays, from July 28 four times a week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays,

Edinburgh - Dubrovnik, from July 21, twice a week, Tuesdays and Saturdays,

Manchester - Dubrovnik, from July 22, twice a week, Wednesdays and Saturdays,

Naples - Dubrovnik, from July 20, twice a week, Mondays and Fridays.

Return to Pula

Amsterdam - Pula, from July 22, twice a week, Wednesdays and Saturdays,

London Luton - Pula, from July 25, once a week, Saturdays,

Basel - Pula, from July 25, once a week, on Saturdays,

Berlin - Pula, from July 25, once a week, on Saturdays.

Lines to Zadar

Amsterdam - Zadar, from July 26, twice a week, on Tuesdays and Saturdays,

Basel - Zadar, from July 25, three times a week, on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays,

Berlin - Zadar, from July 25, once a week, on Saturdays,

London Luton - Zadar, from July 25, twice a week, Wednesdays and Saturdays.

The company will launch 12 international routes to the 3 mentioned airports, not including Split to which easyJet has been flying since the beginning of July this year. Changes are still possible and depend on the epidemiological situation in Croatia.

Croatian Aviation also reports that Air France started traffic to Croatia at the beginning of July (except for Split, which will begin in the middle of the month), and the company has already announced an increase in the number of weekly flights:

From August 1, the Paris-Dubrovnik line will operate four times a week (until then only two flights a week), on Mondays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

From July 27, the Paris-Split line will operate as many as 6 times a week (until the specified date 3 times a week), every day except Saturday.

The Paris-Zagreb route currently operates four times a week, but as of July 27, there will be as many as 11 flights a week on the route. Namely, Air France will significantly increase the number of flights, introducing two flights a day every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, while on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, it will operate once a day.

Aircraft type A319 / 320/321 has been announced on all routes to Croatia, while aircraft of smaller capacity, type E190, will operate towards Split.

Furthermore, British TUI, an extremely important airline that normally operates to 4 airports in Croatia during the summer flight schedule; Dubrovnik, Split, Rijeka and Pula, will likely not start regular traffic to destinations in Croatia this summer.

Croatian Aviation reports that due to the impact of the pandemic, the company grounded its fleet and canceled numerous destinations in its network, including those in Croatia.

This summer, TUI will not operate on as many as 8 lines to Dubrovnik:

London (Gatwick) - Dubrovnik,

Cardiff - Dubrovnik,

Glasgow - Dubrovnik,

Manchester - Dubrovnik,

Birmingham - Dubrovnik,

Bristol - Dubrovnik

Sheffield - Dubrovnik,

East Midlands - Dubrovnik.

It is important to note that all routes to Dubrovnik from Great Britain had one or two flights a week, they were mainly used to transport tourists from the TUI group (cruisers and packages that include hotel accommodation), and wide-body aircraft came to Dubrovnik regularly, like the B787-8 or even a larger version of B787-9.

As for Split Airport, 3 lines have been canceled:

London (Gatwick) - Split,

Birmingham - Split,

Manchester - Split.

At Pula Airport, TUI canceled 6 lines:

London (Gatwick) - Pula,

Birmingham - Pula,

Bristol - Pula,

Sheffield - Pula,

East Midlands - Pula,

Manchester - Pula.

TUI used wide-body aircraft, mostly B787-8. The only line to Rijeka (London Gatwick - Rijeka) has also been canceled for this summer season.

In addition to the significant loss for airports to which TUI UK normally flies in the summer flight schedule, the loss is even greater for the tourism sector, which has collaborated with this company in the sale of travel arrangements.

Finally, Croatian Aviation reports that Italian national airline Alitalia has announced its modified flight schedule for August, which has no destinations in Croatia.

The company will significantly increase the number of destinations from August, mainly to destinations from which many tourists traditionally come to Italy (a significant increase in weekly flights to Asia and the USA).

During the summer flight schedule, the company operated to Split and Dubrovnik from Rome (Leonardo da Vinci Airport - Fiumicino). The lines are not currently in operation, and the company does not intend to launch them in August, either. Given that both lines were in operation until the end of September, we can expect that the well-known Italian company will not return to Croatia this year.

Croatia Airlines operates from Zagreb via Split and Dubrovnik to Rome, and on direct flights from Rome to Croatia, there is also Vueling, so passengers who want to travel between Croatia and Italy have a choice in the form of direct flights, as well as those with one stop on the way from or towards Zagreb.

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.

July 12, 2020 - Confusion reigns for thousands of tourists from non-EU countries heading to Croatia after a sudden change in border entry requirements which was implemented almost immediately. 

Yesterday was supposed to be a very quiet day. Things were calming down on the work front and I was looking forward to a more relaxing day. So quiet in fact that I gave three TCN writers the day off. The Manjgura interns, who are being so helpful with the Total Croatia Trave INFO Viber community were also off the weekend, as was Kreso Macan, who is the brains behind - and the most resourceful part of -  our Viber community. 

And then late on Friday, some unexpected measures were announced  - changes on border entry and the introduction of masks. Just two days after the New York Times told the world that there was just one country in the world which welcomed Americans with no testing, self-isolating or temperature checks, Croatia introduced the need for a test no older than 48 hours, or a mandatory 14-day self-isolation would be necessary. There was the possibility to lessen this to 7 days with proof of a negative test once inside Croatia. 

There were two separate announcements, taking effect on two different dates. 

Necessary Measure of Obligatory Use of Face Masks - effective July 13.

Recommendations, Instructions for Crossing Croatian Border - effecting at midnight July 10, just a few hours after the change was announced. 

So while we had three days to get used to the idea of masks in more places, the new border rules came into effect almost immediately. 

I awoke early to a flood of messages on Viber, including a panicked one from Ukraine. The lady had been informed of the news, and was already at the airport. She had not known she needed a test, did not have one, was only coming for 7 days to Croatia. Would she be allowed on the plane, into Croatia at all? Her flight was due to depart at 12:30. 

I hunted around for whatever information I could find - nothing. 

Pomalo. It is the weekend in peak season during the corona era. What's the urgency? 

I checked the national tourist board website, which is always full of life, but rarely full of information. And I checked it again at 05:51 this morning. Very helpful. Good job guys, I hope the summer rush is not too stressful.

I then contacted the Swiss aviation data guys at ch-aviation, who are simply the best with the latest info. They told me about the Timatic information system where governments update the system in real time, so that passengers who are ineligible for entry to the country will be denied boarding. As things change quickly, this is updated in real time and is the system that airlines use to check the latest rules. 

TIMATIC:

Visa/Entry Requirements National USA (US) /Embarkation USA (US) Destination Croatia (HR)

[Visa Information - Destination] Croatia (HR) [Information For Normal Passports] Passport required.

- Passports and other documents accepted for entry must be valid for a minimum of 3 months beyond the period of intended stay. Passport Exemptions:

- Nationals of USA with an emergency passport. Admission and Transit Restrictions:

- Passengers are not allowed to enter.

- This does not apply to family members of nationals of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland (Rep.), Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

- This does not apply to family members of British nationals.

- This does not apply to passengers entering Croatia to transit by land to a third country. They must prove that they can enter the destination country.

- This does not apply to passengers traveling as tourists.

- This does not apply to passengers traveling on business.

- This does not apply to passengers traveling as students. Visa required, except for Nationals of USA for a maximum stay of 90 days. (SEE NOTE 53527) NOTE 53527: The maximum stay is granted within 180 days.

Additional Information:

- Visitors are required to hold proof of sufficient funds to cover their stay as follows: - at least EUR 70.- per day of stay; or - at least EUR 30.- per day of stay if holding a confirmed invitation or a tourist voucher.

Warning:

- Passports and passport replacing documents issued more than 10 years prior to date of travel are not accepted.

- Passengers traveling as tourist must have a confirmation of accommodation booking.

- Passengers traveling on business must have an invitation letter for a business meeting from a company in Croatia.

- Visitors not holding return/onward tickets could be refused entry .

- Brexit: The United Kingdom stopped being member of the European Union (EU) and of the European Economic Area (EEA). Regulations related to the EU and the EEA apply to the United Kingdom until 31 December 2020. [Health Information] Croatia (HR) Vaccinations not required. CHECK [[TINEWS]] - CHECK LATEST NEWS AND UPDATES ON TRAVEL INFORMATION 12 Jul 2020 / 05:03 [UTC] 

The Swiss guys checked again, and yep - nobody has managed to inform Timatic, it would appear, as the travel data corresponds to that of before the announcement, which was made 36 hours ago. 

Pomalo, it is the weekend in peak season in the corona era. 

Meanwhile, on the runway somewhere in Ukraine, the clock was ticking...

And the airline, Windrose, seemingly did a magnificent job. Here is what they announced on social media:

Followed by this.

The test cost 75 euro, and my understanding (am still hoping to get a first-hand account from the lady posting in our Viber community) is that all 200 passengers were negative after waiting 6 hours to get their test results. The plane left about 21:00 and the tourists entered Croatia without problem. 

More questions on the Viber community, from Americans on the way to the airport who did not have time to take a test and get a result before departure. What where they supposed to do?

Who to ask? Pomalo, it is the weekend in peak season in the corona era. Tourism is only 20% of GDP, so why stress? 

Thankfully, the two outstanding official bodies who have been heroes throughout this crisis - the Koronavirus.hr website and MUP, the Croatian police (and border control) - came at least partially to the rescue. Koronavirus published three articles with official guidelines, and the fabulous Marina Mandic at MUP answered some of my questions. THe MUP FAQ were updated in Croatian and subsequently in both English and German. 

MUP confirmed that the new regulations were already in effect, and that they also applied to the 15 non-EU countries on the EU's safe list. 

But there are SO many questions that have come out of this, and confusion reigns once more. I am hoping that there will be more clarity tomorrow when officials get back to their offices, and it is hard to know what to say to incoming tourists who have paid good money to visit Croatia, and then have nobody to be able to answer their basic questions. Another great example of the outstanding performance of the Kings of  Accidental Tourism this summer. 

My understanding (and PLEASE do not take this as official advice - we hope to bring you that tomorrow) is that original copies of tests will be required if taken in places such as Serbia and BiH (creative fake test results are apparently in circulation there), but it is not clear if that will be the same elsewhere, or if an email confirmation from the testing clinic will be enough. 

What happens if your stay is shorter than a week?

What does self-isolation actually mean? Do you have to stay inside the whole time, or can you move around at distance? It seems that you have to stay at the same address for the self-isolation period, which makes sense. 

What happens if your test results are not ready by the time you land?

If you are a non-EU citizen with a temporary residency in an EU country, do the testing restrictions apply?

Can you get tested at a Croatian airport?

How will the self-isolation be monitored and enforced?

And 100 questions more. The answer to most of them at the moment is I just don't know. 

But we should know more tomorrow. 

For anyone who is travelling and has experiences to share, they are invaluable right now. Please share them in our Viber community (you will need to download the app), or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Subject Borders. Here is one success story just in from our Viber community.

And one more early piece of feedback on the new rules from the Viber community:

MUP just answered me that if I enter without the test I have to prove paid acomodation at only ONE place for 14 days. Coming from Serbia

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.

The Netherlands - as of July 21, Croatia is placed on the "Orange" list by the Dutch government, which means that both the Croatian nationals and the Dutch nationals returning to the Netherlands from Croatia are strongly advised to self-quarantine for 14 days.

July 10, 2020 - The official Koronavirus.hr website has published new guidelines for organizing events.

July 26, 2020* - The official Koronavirus.hr website has published new guidelines for crossing the border. 

Recommendations and instructions of the Croatian Institute of public Health for passengers crossing the state border of the Republic of Croatia.

The Decision on temporary prohibition of crossing the border crossings of the Republic of Croatia (NN 74/20) prohibits or restricts the crossing of passengers through border crossings, of which are exempt:

1. EU nationals (irrespective of their place of residence), the Schengen area and Schengen associated countries, as well as members of their families and third-country nationals who are long-term residents under Council Directive 2003/109/EZ of 25 November 2003 on the status of long-term nationals of third countries and persons entitled to stay under other EU or national Directives or having national long-term visas.
2. The temporary prohibition on entry into the Republic of Croatia from third countries, with the exception of passengers referred to in point 1, shall not apply to:

2a) Health care professionals, health researchers and associates, nursing professionals and persons requiring urgent medical treatment
2b) Cross-border workers
2c) Carriers of goods and other transport personnel to the extent necessary
2d) Diplomats, police officers in the performance of their duties, civil protection services and teams, staff of international organisations and international military personnel in the performance of their functions
2e) Transit passengers
2f) Passengers travelling for tourism or other business reasons or having other economic interest, and passengers travelling for the purpose of education
2g) Passengers travelling for urgent personal reasons (e.g. they own a property in the Republic of Croatia) or have any other immediate personal reason
 
Instructions for the health supervision of passengers entering the Republic of Croatia from third countries:
a) For all passengers entering the Republic of Croatia from third countries, under exemption from the prohibition to cross the border referred to in point 2g, health supervision with 14 days quarantine/self-isolation is mandatory.
 
Quarantine/self-isolation can be shortened to seven days if a passenger does a nasal and pharynx swab at his/her expense seven days after entering Croatia and gets a negative PCR test result for SARS-CoV-2.
 
b) The obligation of self-isolation for passengers entering the Republic of Croatia from third countries does not apply to passengers referred to in points 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, and:

2e) Transit passengers:

• For transit passengers, the border police will, after they have been granted entry, check whether they have left the territory of the Republic of Croatia within 12 hours
• This rule can only be applied if the departure from the Republic of Croatia to a neighbouring country enables it to enter. 

2f) – Passengers entering the Republic of Croatia for tourism or other business reasons or having other economic interest, as well as persons travelling for educational purposes.
 
These passengers may enter Croatia without the obligation of self-isolation upon presentation of a negative PCR test of the nose and pharynx for SARS-CoV-2, not older than 48 hours (starting from the time of taking the swab until arrival at the border crossing), or with the obligation of 14 days quarantine/self-isolation if they do not have a negative PCR test.

Update, July 13 (the following sentence was added to the rules regarding the passengers entering Croatia under 2f conditions): If the third-country nationals entering Croatia have a test older than 48 hours, they will be allowed to enter Croatia with the obligatory self-isolation measure, but they will be able to get re-tested in Croatia (they'll have to pay for the test in Croatia themselves). That can be applied to passengers and crew members on yachts.

(Additional clarification of this rule: Those whose test is older than 48 hours will be allowed to enter Croatia, but they will be issued a self-isolation order and will have to be tested again locally, at their own expense. Having an expired PCR test upon arrival will allow for a shortened period of time in self-isolation pending a negative result of a local PCR test. Those who do not provide a negative PCR test upon arrival will be ordered to quarantine/self-isolate for at least 7 days prior to taking a local PCR test.) 
 
Passengers entering Croatia without the obligation of self-isolation shall comply with the following measures during the first two weeks of their stay in Croatia:

• During the first 14 days after entering the Republic of Croatia, exits from accommodation are limited only to the necessary ones: performance of work if it is a business reason for entering the Republic of Croatia, performance of necessary activities with continuous intensified implementation of hygiene measures.
• During the necessary exit from accommodation it is recommended to use a mask or covers for the nose and mouth, maintain physical distance from other persons (minimum 1.5 meters) and conduct hand hygiene.
• Hands wash as often as possible with warm water and soap and/or use a hand disinfectant that needs to be rubbed in the palms. Avoid touching the face, mouth, nose and eyes.
• Avoid the use of public transport. In a means of transport, it is desirable that a person is alone or exclusively with persons sharing a common accommodation.
• Gatherings should be consistently avoided
• During business meetings it is necessary to meet as few people as possible, ensure a physical distance of 1.5 meters and availability of disinfectants, and avoid unnecessary meetings.
• Payment services are performed by non-cash card payments or on-line services.
• Every morning it is necessary to measure the body temperature if it is higher than 37.2C, the measurement should be repeated after 10 minutes, and if the temperature is higher than 37.2 C it is necessary to stay at home/in accommodation and contact a doctor in a tourist or COVID-19 infirmary or a territorially responsible epidemiologist.
• In case of symptoms of acute respiratory infection (cough, sore throat, fever, short breathing/difficulty or loss of smell), it is necessary to stay at home/in accommodation and contact a doctor in a tourist or A COVID-19 infirmary or a territorially responsible epidemiologist.
• In case of sudden onset of severe, life-threatening symptoms, contact emergency medical service at 194.

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.

July 11, 2020 - Croatia has seen a spike in COVID-19 cases in recent days in the peak tourist season - are they more due to tourist arrivals or unenforced measures?

It is 38 days since Croatia's Minister of Tourism Gari Cappelli met with me at his ministry to discuss a number of tourism issues. At the time, Croatia held the EU Presidency, and therefore he was the most important man in European tourism. At the end of the meeting, I asked for an on-the-record interview, to which he agreed on condition that he would authorise the interview prior to publication. He argued that it was sensitive EU information, and so I agreed. In the end, only one word was added to the article I sent for approval. You can read the full interview here - Exclusive Interview: EU Presidency Tourism Minister on Border Openings, Air Bridges and More - but I want to focus on one question from the interview:

What about external EU borders and continental flights?

We are currently working with the airlines towards an opening of external borders on July 1, but ONLY for countries which have a good epidemiological situation.

Exactly four weeks after that interview, Germany took over the EU Presidency, and new rules for the EU's external borders were announced. As Minister Cappelli hinted, there was a 'safe list' of 15 non-EU/EEA countries with good epidemiological records who were included in the list. 

That list did not include the United States, and so travel to the Schengen zone for tourism for Americans was not possible without special circumstances. But there was one EU country which decided to welcome Americans and anyone else with a pulse if they could get to its border.

Croatia. 

Unshackled by the rules of Schengen, Croatia had a little more freedom to make up its own rules. With four days to the general election, and a tourism minister now unburdened with EU presidency duties who famously announced in perhaps the finest corona motto ever - Croatia Breathes Tourism - the Kingdom of Accidental Tourism's Balkan solution for tourism continued. Anyone could enter with proof of paid accommodation (to make the visit an economic one). No temperature check, no test required, no self-isolation. 

It is worth taking a second to see how other tourism countries have prepared for this most unusual of seasons - meet Turkey. Safe Tourism Certificate Program: How Turkey is Handling Tourism, Reports Croatian Correspondent.

The ruling party ran a successful campaign on the slogan #SigurnaHrvatska (Safe Croatia) and were returned to power with a large increase in seats in Parliament. Life was good. 

And then the New York Times did a story on places that Americans can travel and told the world what we had been telling people for weeks in our little Total Croatia Travel INFO Viber community.

Global interest in the story grew. CBS News found our Viber community and contacted me for more background on the story. Last night Forbes published an article featuring TCN extensively. 

And then, late last night, 5 days after the election and 9 days after the new EU border directive, and 2 days after the NY Times story, a sudden - and immediate - clampdown. No more entry with just paid accommodation for anyone outside the EU/EEA/UK - a recent negative test or quarantine on arrival would be necessary.

No more Balkan solutions,  now everything was transparent and out in the open, as TCN has tried to be throughout this saga. 

One of the biggest ironies, to me at least, is that Croatia won praise all over the world for its fantastic initial response. And it WAS fantastic. Then the economy, tourism and ultimately politics entered the equation. And so now we have the situation that countries such as Norway have Croatia on a red list, while they give the green light to the UK, for example. 

Croatia is on Slovenia's yellow list as well, and even the UK - one of the worst countries for infections - almost left Croatia off its list of countries to visit without mandatory self-isolation on return. 

Was this spike in cases caused by tourists?

I have seen a couple of stories of an American and a Swede being infected, a lot more of people returning from Bosnia, Serbia and Kosovo and bringing the infections with them - two nuns from Djakovo brought it back from Kosovo and now there are dozens of infections. If you look at the map of active cases (as of 13:00 on July 11), it shows that the main hot spots are not the coast, but Zagreb and Slavonia - presumably due to contact with the worse situation across the eastern borders. 

Could the rise of infections also be due to unenforced measures?

One of the observations I have had through the Total Croatia Travel INFO Viber community is how shocked tourists are from countries badly affected by corona at how relaxed things are in Croatia. 

I am too. 

Croatia introduced new measures on June 24, requiring masks to be worn on public transport. I have been on a ferry and a bus since then. On the ferry, I wore my mask, as did the crew and perhaps 10% of passengers. On the bus from Zagreb to Split, the bus conductor, who was checking the tickets and in contact with everyone on the bus, did not wear a mask. 

As the Premier League resumed in the empty stadia of Anfield, Old Trafford and Stamford Bridge, Croatia was busy organising the Djokovic Adria Tour with fans packed inside the stadium, despite it being reported several days earlier that Djokovic had been in contact with an infected basketball player in Belgrade. The Prime Minister came, was photographed touching Djokovic for a photo op, then next to Goran Ivanisevic. Both tennis icons subsequently tested positive, but PM Plenkovic decided not to self-isolate, as Angela Merkel had done, for example. This was 12 days before a bruising election. 

It was - at least to me - the mirror image of Boris Johnson's Chief of Staff, Dominic Cummings - one rule for us, one rule for you. 

And with such leadership, why bother to follow the rules yourself? Few people are following them, so why not enjoy that big wedding and kiss the bride. 

We all have our own corona story, perspective and experiences. Not so many of us have been to several countries since lockdown. I have, and I think it is worthwhile sharing a few observations to add to the discussion. 

I self-isolated on idyllic Hvar, 63 days of island bliss. As such, my viewpoint is necessarily different from someone holed up in an earthquake-ravaged apartment in Zagreb for months, or Queens in New York City. 

There have been two cases on Hvar, both imported from Austria from locals returning from jobs. I was terrified when I heard of the first, just 3km from our home. But the fear passed, as did the infection. My lockdown was spent on an essentially corona-free island, one of the most beautiful in the world. 

I was nervous on that first trip to the mainland after 63 days. What would Zagreb be like? All socially distanced and masked up? The first bar I passed shocked me. No masks in sight, people packed in like sardines. 

There were other places, of course, that took things more seriously. Sanitiser was everywhere, but I quickly realised that it was more a legal requirement for many. Handshakes, hugs, all as before, but with some more cautious folk keeping their distance. Some shops insisted on keeping distance until the current customer was out of the building, but they were few and far between. People joked - do we shake hands and hug, or do the elbow greet? Looking back, I guess they were just happy to be outside after all the confinement. They hadn't had the luxury of gorgeous Hvar. 

I was invited to go on a business trip to Munich, Luxemburg and Brussels. I was curious how things were in other countries, as well as the business itself in the trip. But should I go? Looking around at the tourists mingling, the hugging and the lack of adherence to measures in general, what to do? I could always self-isolate in Varazdin and get some work done.

It was a fascinating trip on all levels. 

In Austria, we stopped for fuel, put on our masks and entered the shop. The shop assistants had their masks on but several customers did not. There was no enforcement. 

In Germany, they were MUCH stricter. No mask, no entry. 

In Luxemburg and southern Belgium, it was more a feeling of 'if you want to do the mask thing then we will.'

In Brussels, it was more like Zagreb, but with more masks. But not that many more.  

And then we came to Munich on the way back, where our contact urged us to hurry for all bars and restaurants shut at 10pm? Really? And not only that - if you entered a restaurant, it was with a mask and you left your name and number so that they could contact you in the event of an outbreak. The same in shops, the same on the U-Bahn. There were no examples of people not adhering to the system. The rules were the rules, and Germans were abiding by them, which is probably why they are so shocked at what they are finding in Croatia. 

I was stunned - and a little terrified - at the ease with which the Croatian police confined us to our homes in March. So simple, so effective. They could have cut the phones, TV and internet, and we would have been back in the Middle Ages. 

Why are the measures not being enforced as strictly now? The election, the season, corona is not that real as we contained it so well, who knows? If the Prime Minister can hang out with COVID-positive tennis stars with impunity, what makes it so different for the rest of us? 

My opinion on corona doesn't matter, as I am not an expert.

Will there be less infections with less tourists? Yes.

Will there be less infections if measures are enforced? Yes. 

Does the corona tourism risk outweigh the economic benefits, and are we ready to adhere to stricter measures to combat the virus? 

Those are questions I cannot answer - one for Dominic Cummings wannabes, perhaps? 

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.

The Netherlands - as of July 21, Croatia is placed on the "Orange" list by the Dutch government, which means that both the Croatian nationals and the Dutch nationals returning to the Netherlands from Croatia are strongly advised to self-quarantine for 14 days.

ZAGREB, July 11, 2020 - A mobile application in support of contact tracing for COVID-19 in Croatia is likely to get approval soon for its publishing by Google Play Store and Apple App Store, the Jutarnji List daily reported on Saturday.

Contact tracing is perceived to be of particular significance as containment measures are lifted.

Specialists of the APIS IT,  Croatian agency that provides professional and implementation services to the public and government sector in planning, development and maintenance of their information systems, are working on the design of the Croatian version of this application.

The use of such application on Slovenia was on Friday approved by its national parliament.

Mobile applications are seen in the European Union as a means that can help trace and alert more contacts as they do not rely on the memory of the infected case. Apps can also trace contacts unknown to the case and can notify contacts quickly and can facilitate cross-border contact tracing, according to a guidance for EU EEA Member States.

Jutarnji List recalls that the application will be on a voluntary basis. It will not enable geolocation tracking of the mobile telephone owner, the daily added.

July 10, 2020 - The official Koronavirus.hr website has published new guidelines for the wearing of face masks. 

This Decision introduces the necessary measure of mandatory use of face masks or medical masks.

Face masks or medical masks are required for: 

• employees of health care institutions and persons visiting patients, if visits are allowed
• drivers, other employees in public transport vehicles and public transport passengers
• trade employees and customers during their stay in stores
• employees in hospitality business who are in contact with guests or participate in serving and preparing meals and beverages 
• other persons bound to do so by special instructions and recommendations of the Croatian Institute of public Health

The Decision shall apply from 13th of July. 

Update: On July 13th, the National Civil Protection Headquarters issued a clarification of their measure of mandatory mask use in Croatia, in which they listed the groups of people who are not obligated to wear masks. Those groups include:
- children under the age of two,
- children between the ages of two and before school-age, if they exhibit strong resistance towards wearing a mask,
- children should wear masks for a limited period of time, up to an hour or two,
- people with mental health issues, where their mental health problems cause strong resistance towards wearing a mask or inability to remove it on their own,
- people communicating with hearing-impaired persons, who need to lip-read to communicate, as well as hearing-impaired persons themselves
- people with breathing problems caused by existing chronic diseases or conditions,
- people in an altered state of consciousness, or while unconscious,
- everyone else who is unable to remove the mask from their face without someone else's help.

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.

ZAGREB, July 11, 2020 - Tourism Minister Gari Cappelli said on Friday evening that Slovenian tourists did not need to worry about their arrivals in Croatia, particularly in the coastal Adriatic area where the epidemiological situation was good.

Cappelli, who was in Croatia's delegation led by Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic for the talks with their Slovenian hosts in Otocec ob Krki on Friday, said that the meeting had also revolved around tourism-related issues against a backdrop of the epidemiological situation.

 "During the meeting in Slovenia we emphasised the importance of Slovenian visitors for the Croatian tourism industry. Currently, there are 92,000 Slovenians vacationing here, and 70% of them are in three Adriatic counties: Istria, Promorje-Gorski Kotar and Zadar, which are labelled as green areas that is epidemiologically safe and favourbale just as the remaining four coastal counties," the minister told Hina.

The minister said that most Slovenian guests were staying in camp-site facilities and reassured them that that they did not have to worry about self-isolation.

In the coming days, Croatian and Slovenian epidemiologists will give additional recommendations for monitoring trends in the tourist trade and other events between the two countries na daily basis, he said.

Special attention will be paid to efforts to prevent the emerging of any new hotspots of the virus in connection with public and private gatherings.

"I urge all tourists to abide by the current and new measures from the Croatian COVID-19 crisis management team. This is the only way to ensure the tourist trade and other economical activities can go on this year," Cappelli concluded.

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.