ZAGREB, May 28, 2020 - By amending the decision which temporarily banned crossing the border, Croatia will enable the entry of citizens of Slovenia, Hungary, Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Germany and Poland, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said on Thursday.

"According to our comparative analysis of the epidemiological situation, those are the countries with either similar progress as Croatia or the trends are such that we can adopt such a decision and enable the arrival of those countries' citizens during the tourist season, with the appropriate epidemiological recommendations and the special application that has already been made," Plenkovic said at a cabinet meeting.

As the situation improves, the group of countries whose citizens can come to Croatia will expand, he added.

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May 28, 2020 — Austria will open its borders to Germany, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary in mid-June. Croatia, along with Italy, Spain, Greece and Slovenia, is not on the list yet, Jutarnji List reports.

Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg avoided explaining the conditions and criteria Austria uses when deciding which borders to open. Statements by the Austrian government, led by Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, that "good coordination" and a "narrowly coordinated approach" would allow a border to open.

Austria’s measures make re-entry into the country difficult. Under the rules, tourists returning to Austria from a holiday in Croatia will have to have a negative test for COVID-19 that is not older than four days or will have to self-isolate which can be interrupted if a taken test in Austria comes back negative.

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Since in Croatia, as in Slovenia, the epidemiological picture is one of the best in Europe, Croats dependent on Austrian guests suspect alternative motives.

Danilo Volmut, owner of the Istriaselect booking site, believes Austrian authorities are deliberately opening borders to some and not others, pursuing a discriminatory policy under the guise preventing a second wave of coronavirus infections.
“When you look at which countries Austria opens to, those are the countries from which they have the largest influx of tourists,” he said. "It is clear that they are trying to attract the largest number of tourists, and at the same time prevent domestic tourists from going to countries where they usually spend their holidays.”

Volmut studied in Austria and knows the language. He has targeted the German and Austrian markets with his booking platform. The Austrian government’s decision will lead to canceled reservations, he said.

“At the moment, they seem to be trying to literally create a barrier towards holiday countries,” Volmut added. “The German tourists we hope for arrive in Croatia mainly via Austria, and could be discouraged if the current measures remain in force, which provides for the quarantine of anyone who comes from, according to them, problematic countries.”

All this could be enough to discourage foreign tourists from even making the trip, especially Austrians and Germans who make up a bulk of Croatia’s visitors.

Last year, Austrians accounted for as much as 10.6 percent of all visitors. The director of the Croatian Tourism Association, Veljko Ostojić, said they represent one of the most important emitting markets, especially now due to the epidemiological situation.

“Austrians are our frequent guests, many of them have real estate here, and we represent the closest Mediterranean to them,” Ostojić said, lambasting Austria’s still-closed border to Croatia. “We believe that there is no reason why traffic between these two countries would not start again as soon as possible.”

The European Commission itself may have preempted Austria’s plans. Its guidelines for reopening borders explicitly cut out room for nations with favorable epidemiological situations. 

Tourism Minister Gari Cappelli is slated to talk to the Austrian Minister of Tourism Elisabeth Köstinger at the end of this week, most likely on Friday.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, bearing in mind that Croatia opens its borders on May 29, told Jutarnji that Minister of Foreign Affairs Gordan Grlić Radman is in constant contact with his Austrian counterpart Alexander Schallenberg.

According to the Croatian National Tourist Board, 12.7 percent of all Austrians who traveled abroad went to Croatia in 2018, making it their second most popular summer destination after Italy.
Given that a good part of them go on vacation by car, Austrians will be especially valuable guests this year, and Croatia could further capitalize on the fact that tourists, given the epidemiological situation, will prefer to choose countries with fewer patients, which gives Croatia an advantage over Italy.

The German government has postponed a debate on lifting travel warnings for European Union countries following protests by politicians from the Christian Social Union.
The parliament was supposed to discuss yesterday the abolition of warnings for travel to the EU, which were introduced in mid-March as a precautionary measure in stopping the spread of COVID-19. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has proposed lifting general warnings and introducing individual guidelines for each of the 31 countries (26 EU member states, the UK, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland). This would mean that the borders for countries that adhere to these guidelines would open from 15 June.

The debate was postponed until the next session on June 3, as the CSU fears that border openings and increasing travel opportunities for tourists will lead to a new wave of coronavirus.

All of which could stymie the few tourists Croatia anticipated visiting this year.

ZAGREB, May 28, 2020 - Croatian and Slovenian economy ministers, Darko Horvat and Zdravko Pocivalsek, met on Wednesday in Mursko Sredisce for the talks on economic cooperation after the crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic and on better connectivity with the construction of a new bridge across the Mura River.

After the meeting on the bridge across the Mura River and in the office of the mayor of the Croatian border town of Mursko Sredisce, Minister Horvat said that both economies were cooperating very well and they were the top five strongest trade partners to each other.

They pledged to make sure that the bilateral cooperation should be raised as soon as possible to the level it was prior to the corona crisis.

"We agree that the corona threat has warned us and compelled us to develop much better cooperation in the segment of the common European market but also as two countries that have very good economic relations," said Horvat.

With reference to Croatia's current presidency of the European Union and future chairmanship by Slovenia In the second half of 2021, he added that the two countries have been cautious when it comes to the aim of having climate-neutral industries by 2050 and where to find favourable funding to reach that target.

Minister Pocivalsek recalled that last year was a record year for trade between Croatia and Slovenia, exceeding €6 billion.

"We have to take pride that we overcame the corona crisis as far as the health aspect is concerned better than countries that are more advanced and economically developed than us. That gives me hope that we will turn this year's negative trends into positive figures. And they will be better if we cooperate better," Pocivalsek said.

He added that the first step to open the borders has been taken by allowing the owners of properties and vessels to enter the country and that as of June 1, the border should be opened for tourists.

The two ministers discussed the construction of a new bridge across the Mura River and a bypass around Mursko Sredisce which would relieve this northern Croatian town of freight traffic in the centre of town. Horvat said that determining junction points was important for the preparation of project documents for the new bridge and bypass road.

Mayor Drazen Sprak said that the road was not only important for the town but that it would also connect the Slovenian motorway from Graz through Maribor towards Budapest and Croatia's motorway from the Hungarian border at Gorican towards Zagreb and then on to Rijeka and Split.

July 1 2020 Update - We've worked hard to keep this article updated with all the changes that have been happening regarding travel in Europe. Now that the thing have drastically changed on July 1st, the information in this article will no longer be updated. To get the latest border information, please follow our main travel info article (especially its 'Border' section), which is updated daily. 

Which borders are open, which are closed, what are the restrictions? If we had a euro for each time we had this question... well, we wouldn't be doing this job. These are the questions on everyone's lips as borders begin to reopen amid the coronavirus pandemic. As HAK writes on the 8th of June, 2020, there are clear answers to be had from both EU and non-EU European countries amid the fog.

The European Union's external borders (plus those of the EEA countries: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland) remain closed. Please note that the UK is in its transition period, and therefore remains included within the EU's borders.

The measures introduced at the EU level apply to all non-EU citizens who will not be able to enter the EU if they don't have a long-term address in one of its member states, if they're not family members of EU citizens or if they're not diplomats. Two-way transport and doctors working in the EU and living in border areas in one of the non-EU European countries will continue to be admitted.

Borders
Croatia has opened its borders for tourists and businesses since May 11. Citizens of Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, Austria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovenia, and Germany can now enter Croatia without restriction, it was announced on May 28.

While you wait for the answers from Croatian Border Police to check the real-life experiences of tourists coming to Croatia and get your questions answered in our Viber community, Total Croatia Travel INFO - you will need to download the Viber app. This Viber community has been an excellent source of information exchange, where tourist questions are getting answered in real-time. Here are 10 things I learned from the Viber community in the first days. If you have a question or some verified useful travel info to contribute, join us. Please make sure you read pinned message first before asking any questions.

UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND:

All those entering the United Kingdom must go into 14-day self-isolation.

BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

Bosnia and Herzegovina has opened its borders for citizens of Croatia, Serbia, and Montenegro. 

As of April the 2nd, at 07:00, based on the agreement between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina and with the aim of preventing the spread of COVID-19 virus, 20 border crossings with Bosnia and Herzegovina were temporarily closed. These border crossings were: Svilaj, Gejkovac, Pasin Potok, Bogovolja, Kordunski Ljeskovac, Licka Kaldrma, Bili Brig, Arzano Pazar, Dvorine, Cera, Jovica Most, Sebisina, Slivno, Podprolog, Unka, Vukov Klanac, Imotica, Slano, Hrvatska Dubica, and Gabela Polje.

SLOVENIAN MEASURES

The Slovenian border is open to citizens from the EU and the European Economic Area (EEA) if they have not stayed outside of the EEA in the last 14 days. Restrictions and mandatory quarantine remain in place for third-country nationals (including nationals of European non-EU, non-EEA nations like BiH, Serbia, and Montenegro) if they enter Slovenia with the intention of staying there.

In the case of EU citizens, their entry into Slovenia may still be denied if they develop symptoms of the new coronavirus.

In agreement with countries that have a favourable epidemiological situation (Croatia and other countries), Slovenia will agree on making border crossings easier for those nationals.

MONTENEGRO OPENS BORDERS

Montenegro opens its borders on June 1st, 2020. The countries with which it will open its borders are Croatia, Slovenia, Austria, Germany, Hungary, Albania, and Greece.

HUNGARIAN MEASURES

As of June 12, Hungary has opened its borders.

ITALY'S BORDER OPENING

From June 3, 2020, you can enter and leave Italy freely. All visitors to Lombardy are given a special warning. Tourist entrances to the country will also be made possible.

AUSTRIA TAKES UP MEASURES

Austrian borders are now open again to all EU countries except for the UK, Sweden, and Portugal. Travelers from these countries will not need to quarantine or provide a medical certificate.

SERBIA HAS OPENED BORDERS

Serbia has opened its borders and proof of a negative coronavirus test is no longer needed to enter Serbia. After entering the country, one does not have to isolate oneself.

GERMANY OPENS BORDERS

Germany has re-opened its borders on June 15 for citizens of 31 European countries. 

SWITZERLAND HAS OPENED BORDERS 

Since June 15, the travel between Switzerland and all European Schengen states as well as Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein, and the United Kingdom has been allowed.

ALBANIA HAS OPENED BORDERS

Albania has opened all border crossings on June 1.

SLOVAKIA HAS PARTIALLY OPENED BORDERS

Slovak borders have re-opened for citizens of Liechtenstein, Germany, Switzerland, Croatia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Malta, Estonia, Lithuania, Finland, Latvia, Denmark, Norway, and Iceland on June 10. 

CZECH REPUBLIC OPENS BORDERS

The Czech Republic allows its citizens to travel abroad for reasons other than business (they can also travel for tourism), if they are tested for coronavirus on return and then go into two-week self-isolation.

Currently, EU citizens can enter the Czech Republic and go through a 14-day quarantine or must show a negative test for coronavirus that is not older than four days. It has been announced that from June the 8th, the Czech Republic will relax its regime at its border crossings and allow entry into the country. Upon entering the country, citizens of most countries will have to show a negative test for coronavirus. This will not apply to citizens of Croatia, Austria, Slovakia and other countries that the Czechs assess as epidemiologically low risk. Therefore, Croatian citizens will be able to go to the Czech Republic without needing to present a valid negative test for coronavirus.

POLAND HAS A NEW REGIME OF ENTRY

As of Sunday, Poland will not allow entry to those who don't have a residential address in that country. All those who live in Poland and enter that country must be in a 14-day quarantine. Foreign citizens can come to Poland only in the function of business visits (upon presentation of documentation attesting to that fact).

THE NETHERLANDS OPENS BORDERS

The borders are open to EU citizens.

FRANCE OPENS BORDERS

France has re-opened its borders on June 15 for citizens of 31 European countries. 

SPAIN OPENS BORDERS

As of June 21, Spain’s borders are open with the rest of Europe, excluding Portugal, but including the United Kingdom.

UKRAINE HAS OPENED BORDERS

Ukraine has also started the gradual process of re-opening its borders for foreigners.

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

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For more on coronavirus, follow our dedicated section.

May 26, 2020 - Croatian travel info is become clearer, and now a concrete answer to one of the most confusing issues - what kind of booking confirmation do you need to cross the border?

It has been a really interesting experience over the last two weeks seeing how the quality of travel information is evolving in these chaotic times. 

Our trip to the main Bregana border between Croatia and Slovenia on May 17 was an eye-opener. I was very impressed with the efficiency of MUP, as well as more than a little shocked that Slovenian tourists were arriving for a holiday, but then not being allowed into Croatia as they could not prove a reservation. The policy of no reservation, no entry made sense, but the fact that tourists were arriving without the reservation meant that the information was not being transmitted effectively.  

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

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Since then, the information has improved considerably (and if you join the Total Croatia Travel INFO Viber community on the link above, you can get your questions answered by the community), but one issue which was still confusing a lot of people was what exactly did a booking confirmation constitute, and what did they need to bring to the border?

The process at the border was also painfully slow. The border police not only checked the passports, but then manually had to enter the data of the reservation. This meant that each car was taking 5-8 minutes to pass. 

Thankfully this is only a temporary measure, and I understand that an online pre-arrival check-in option is being worked on.  

And this very helpful bi-lingual form is now available. My advice is to print it off, then fill in all passenger names and details before arrival and then present it with your passport. This should reduce the border waiting experience and move things along much quicker. Once the online system comes, things will be quicker still.  Please note this is not an official form. 

For the latest in Croatian travel, check out the dedicated TCN section. 

May 25, 2020 - A favorable epidemiological picture is bringing tourists back to Croatia. There are currently about 22,000 of them in the country - half are domestic guests, and of the foreign ones - most are Slovenes, but also Germans.

Dnevnik.hr reports that in Croatia, they say, they feel safe. A pleasant temperature just above 20 degrees, swimming pools, and good company are the only things that Germans need for a vacation in Croatia.

But to get here, they still needed more paperwork than in previous years. “At all borders, we had to show our reservations, passports and phone numbers,” Ali from Germany said.

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Join the Total Croatia Travel INFO Viber community.

It only took them a few extra minutes of waiting at the borders. They had no problems moving through Austria, Slovenia, and finally to Croatia.

"We left early in the morning, we waited fifteen to twenty minutes at the border with Austria, and about 30 minutes with Slovenia and Croatia. The trip was very nice," adds Ali.

The excellent epidemiological picture in Croatia, which is better than in their country, is the reason why they never thought about canceling their reservation.

"I feel safer here than in Germany because Istria has been without the coronavirus for about three weeks now, while there are many more in Germany," says Werner from Germany.

But there were cancellations and relocations of reservations, especially in the pre-season, that is, in April, May and the first half of June.

"What makes us extremely happy is the fact that we managed to keep about 90% of reservations in terms of transferring reservations to later dates, but also in the 2021 season or through vouchers that guests will use for reservations in the same facilities," said Mladen Bujanic, co-owner of the travel agency Myistria.

The facilities that will be full this season are certainly holiday homes, but also camps that provide guests with isolation and privacy. However, we must accept the fact that occupancy will not be at the level of previous years.

"We hope that from the middle or the beginning of June from the 10th to the 15th, we will really start something that will look like a pre-season and start for the main season with the opening of borders with our most important markets," said Denis Ivošević from the Istria County Tourist Board.

The travel agencies note that the amount of official information and instructions for tourists should definitely be increased. This is a year of struggle for every guest.

"What will help keep guests in the future is certainly unambiguous and clear communication of the conditions under which one can come to the Republic of Croatia as a foreign tourist," said Mladen Bujanić, co-owner of the travel agency Myistria.

There is also an increase in the number of domestic guests, who are currently Croatia's most numerous tourists, along with Slovenes and Germans. "We could hardly wait for these security measures to be lifted, for these county borders to be opened so that we can move a little," Biljana said.

And some traveled even before the measures were lifted in their country, so on their return, they will have to be quarantined, or tested for COVID-19. “When the borders reopen, everyone will come, they’re not really scared now, but the only problem is later, when they get home,” states Debbie from Austria. 

Nautical tourism is among the first to recover. Spanish media report that some multinational companies are relocating their fleets to the Croatian coast.

Guest of Dnevnik Nova TV Sean Lisjak, president of the Marina Association at the Croatian Chamber of Commerce, says he isn't sure if it is true, but that he heard the media broadcast the same news.

"We are pleased with the information. It is too early to say whether there has been any official contact with the companies located among our marinas. Tomorrow we will all be informed about all this. If so, we welcome it, our marinas are ready to receive new clients," he said.

For the past weekend, he states that the first modest arrival of clients was recorded.

"This weekend, we have already recorded a more serious arrival of clients in our marinas. No marina has not recorded a more serious arrival of individual guests, boat owners who, based on the decision on the possibility of coming to our country, used it," he said.

"We appeal to speed up the flow of guests with passes and hope that their number will grow every weekend. We also recorded the first charter clients, which makes us very happy because some marinas have vessels in their fleets that sailed. This is at the level of some 200 or 300 clients and there are about fifty ships that have come from central Dalmatia from marina to marina," said Lisjak, adding that he hoped that two ugly months were behind us.

To increase the number of guests, he states that the level of service quality in marinas is rising every year. "We are recognized by that. The Institute of Tourism evaluates services and customer satisfaction every year and we rank very high. There are some shortcomings, but they are not drastic to the point of devaluing us," Lisjak explained, adding that it is important to increase the number of client arrivals.

"It should be possible for vessels smaller than 24 meters, i.e., our real transits, clients from Slovenian and Italian marinas or anywhere in the world, to be able to enter our marinas under the same conditions without any problems," Lisjak concluded.

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

May 23, 2020 - The latest news from around Croatia’s airports for flights to Croatia with updates from Zagreb, Split and Dubrovnik.

Croatian Aviation reports that German leisure company, Condor, announced they'd be resuming regular international lines from several German cities to well-known tourist destinations across Europe, including Split.

Before the outbreak of the pandemic, this German airline regularly flew on seasonal routes from German airports to Rijeka, Zadar, Split and Dubrovnik, but in the current summer flight schedule, the lines have not yet started operating.

In its last announcement, the company announced the resumption of operations, and the first line to Croatia will be introduced from the end of June.

From June 26, Condor will fly on two routes to Split:

Frankfurt - Split, from June 26, twice a week (Fridays and Sundays),

Dusseldorf - Split, from June 26, twice a week (Fridays and Sundays).

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In addition to these two direct routes, the company, in cooperation with Lufthansa, also offers flights to Hamburg and Munich with short transfers. The mentioned lines will be operated by A320 aircraft, with a capacity of 180 seats.

Tickets are already on sale on the airline's official website. Split will thus be connected to Dusseldorf 3 times a week, considering that Eurowings, as we announced earlier, will fly between these two cities from June 20.

The airline has not yet confirmed the start of traffic from German cities to Zadar, Rijeka and Dubrovnik.

Furthermore, Croatian Aviation reported that Aegean Airlines announced new start dates for operations to destinations in Croatia.

The Greek airline plans to fly to 3 destinations in Croatia: Dubrovnik, Split and Zagreb in the current summer flight schedule. The line to Zadar was canceled in 2019.

Athens-Dubrovnik will be in operation twice a week from June 25, wit A320 aircraft. Aircraft of this type at Aegean has a capacity of 174 seats. The increase to five-week flights is planned for July 3.

The Athens-Split line has been announced four times a week from July 6, with the A319 aircraft, with a capacity of 144 seats.

The Athens-Zagreb route will again operate from July 1, three times a week, on A319 and A320 aircraft (capacity 144 and 174 seats, respectively).

Finally, Croatian Aviation reports that Emirates, an airline from the United Arab Emirates, has additionally canceled the start of operations on the Zagreb-Dubai route.

Although this seasonal line was supposed to start operating on the first day of the summer flight schedule, this did not happen due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

After that, the company repeatedly delayed the start of operations on this line, and the latest information was that this well-known company would come to the Croatian capital again from July 1 this year.

Emirates usually flies on the Dubai-Zagreb route every day, but due to reduced demand, flights are now postponed until August 1, when the line should start operating with only four flights per week (Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays). B47-300ER aircraft with a capacity of 354 seats have been announced on the route.

Given that this is the only seasonal Emirates route in the entire destination network, there is a high probability that this airline will not return to Zagreb this season.

May 21, 2020 - Travel from the UK to Croatia IS possible. Photographer timotej on his journey across Europe on May 18 - 19, 2020. 

With so much uncertainty in travel at the moment, finding credible sources on travel in the current reality is proving quite difficult. Last week TCN reported on a Belgian national had managed to drive from Brussels to the south side of Hvar, which was a very popular post. 

I am very grateful to photographer timotej for allowing me to publish details of his recent trip, from the UK to Croatia. This was timotej's experience:

If anyone is interested this was my experience driving from England to Croatia on 18-19 May, 2020?

For this journey I had to travel through England, France, Holland, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Slovenia to enter Croatia. Here was the border experience at each country. I was traveling with a British passport. 14-hour drive...

England - Asked to see and scan the passport and looked at car papers. Asked where are you traveling to and if I had Covid19 at any time. Let me through. Then into the Euro tunnel to cross the sea..

France - Shockingly no French border control after exiting the Euro tunnel. There was nothing from the French on the English side too. Nothing going out..

Holland - No border control. In and out..Belgium - No border control. In and out..Germany - No border control. In and out..

Austria - Asked to see passport and car papers. I think they are only asking for car papers because it’s a nice car and I look too young to own it. Nothing on the way out..

Slovenia - The only country that checked passport on the way in and out. Nothing more..

Croatia - Like England checked AND scanned passport. Asked destination where I’m going to in Croatia. I was entering during morning hours. They didn’t ask for any other proofs for anything..

Other observations:.

1. You must wear a mask to enter petrol stations everywhere.

2. The roads are almost empty of cars. Just trucks and lorries.

3. The women at the border controls were much more serious, and the men totally relaxed...

This was the experience. This does not mean you will 100% for sure have the same one. It’s also possible things change any day/week. Which is why I believe it’s important for every country to provide daily updates for everyone on any changes...If anyone makes a trip to Croatia by plane or car let me know how it goes. Really interested.

Have you driven across Europe to Croatia in the last few days? Please contact us with your experiences on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Subject Across Europe with your stories. 

May 20, 2020 - Tourism Minister Gari Cappelli announced on Wednesday that Croatia would open the border to citizens of Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Austria on May 29, and before that, an application would be published that would allow faster flow through the border.

Sibenik.in reports that Cappelli made the statement at the National and University Library following a video conference by EU tourism ministers, the second held in the last month as part of Croatia's EU Council presidency.

He said that when there are similar epidemiological situations in certain countries, according to the principle of non-discrimination, the possibility of opening borders will be agreed bilaterally.

"We had this agreement with Slovenia and it works for a start," says Cappelli, announcing that the same will be done on May 29 with four or five other countries, about which details are still being agreed, and that will include Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Hungary and Austria.

"The citizens from these countries, for economic reasons, owners of houses, ships and the like, can come to Croatia, similarly to Slovenes, without being quarantined," Cappelli explained.

With the opening to these Central European countries, along with Germany and later Poland, Croatia completes more than 60 percent of its total tourist traffic, says Cappelli, adding that guests from Italy can be expected later.

He notes that everyone agrees that the countries are going to bilateral agreements on the arrival of tourists, and says that most EU countries are announcing loosened measures in the tourism and hospitality sector by June 15.

He also announced that the Ministries of Administration and Tourism, together with the Ministry of the Interior, are preparing an Internet application for the fastest possible flow of citizens across the border and facilitating control, and will be completed before May 29. It will be made for entry into Croatia and will be offered to other countries.

The Commission's Economic Recovery Package on May 27

The meeting of the Ministers of Tourism was attended by, among others, the European Commissioner for the Internal Market Thierry Breton and the Commissioner for Transport Adina-Ioana Valean, in the context of the fact that tourism and transport were most affected by the coronavirus crisis.

The publication of the Commission's proposed measures for the recovery of the European economy is expected on May 27, when it should be known how much funding each country will receive, including Croatia, and how much it will be possible to help these two sectors.

Namely, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday proposed the establishment of a fund of 500 billion euro for the most affected regions and economic sectors in the Union. This is financial assistance, not credit, and the Commission should raise that amount through common bonds.

Vouchers were also discussed

European tourism ministers also discussed the issue of vouchers at the meeting, and no consensus has been reached, with some countries supporting their introduction.

“There we were still in some way at odds, this will be discussed in another two to two weeks and then some conclusions will be drawn based on which we will take a common position,” Cappelli said.

Namely, the Commission recently announced that it maintains that consumer rights must be protected, which stipulates that money must be returned for canceled flights if the passenger insists, with the proviso that it is allowed to offer a voucher, but only if the passenger agrees.

Also, the Commission proposes that the vouchers offered by travel agencies for canceled tickets be attractive enough so that citizens do not insist on a refund, which remains an unquestionable right.

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

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

March 21, 2021 - TCN Croatia Travel Update carries the most relevant updates on travel, borders, and flights to Croatia at one place, updated daily several times, while TCN Total Croatia Travel Info Viber community (click on the link to join - you will need to download the Viber app) provides you with live answers to any question, as well real-time experiences of travellers to Croatia.

Follow our live updates on the situation in the earthquake-hit areas of Croatia here; find out how you can donate here.

Those arriving to Croatia from Zanzibar (Tanzania) were added to the list of those that need to have a negative test AND self-isolate for 14 days. On January 13, the new border rules for entry were announced. On January 15, the rules are further explained, and the biggest change is that travellers arriving in Croatia from the United Kingdom, the South African Republic, the Austrian region of Tyrol and Brasil need to have a negative PCR test AND they need to self-isolate for 14 days (or have their self-isolation shortened if they pay for another test, at least 7 days after they've entered Croatia), no matter what their citizenship is.

Basic rules regarding entry in Croatia as of December 1st, 2020 are:

- travellers, regardless of their citizenship, arriving from the ECDC "Green List" region, (the list of Green List regions is increasing with every update, so please consult the website or the map below), or from a country listed on the so-called EU "Safe list", who can prove that they haven't spent any time outside of those Green/safe regions while travelling to Croatia, have no symptoms or have not had close contacts with infected persons are allowed to enter Croatia without a test;   

- citizens of the EU/EEA (EU 27 + Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway, Switzerland, as well as Andorra, Monaco, San Marino, and the Vatican and including Croatian citizens) or a non-EU citizen with an EU residence permit (or a member of their family, with documents to prove the kinship) are allowed to enter Croatia no matter where they come from and are not required to provide a reason, but need to have a negative PCR test, not older than 48 hours, or get tested upon entry (at their own expense) and self-isolate until they get the results (up to 10 days); the same rule is applied to the third-country nationals travelling from an EU/EEA region;

- third-country nationals arriving from anywhere else (except for the UK and the SAR) will be allowed entry in Croatia if they have a negative PCR test, not older than 48 hours (they will also be given an option to get tested upon entry at their own expense and self-isolate until they get the results), HOWEVER, they will have to prove they are travelling for urgent personal/family reasons, business reasons or other economic interest (including seafarers). 

You can find more details, including some exceptions to the rules listed above in the LATEST OFFICIAL GUIDELINES IN ENGLISH FROM THE CROATIAN BORDER POLICE (December 1)

834 new cases, 20 deaths in the last 24 hours; Daily Corona Update (March 21)

There have been 834 new recorded COVID-19 cases in Croatia in the last 24 hours, so 6,922 cases of COVID-19 remain active. 982 people are still hospitalized, with 90 patients on a ventilator.

6,884 people were tested in the last 24 hours, for a total of 1,475,016 since the crisis began. 257,639 people have been confirmed as infected with COVID-19 in Croatia in total (since February 25th, 2020). 244,944 people have recovered and 5,773 have died (20 patients have died in Croatia in the last 24 hours).

Click on your language to get the latest Croatia Travel Update in your language and read the of Total Croatia News in your language: German - Deutch, Slovenian - slovenščina, Polish - polski, Czech - čeština, Slovak - slovenčina, Hungarian - magyar, Serbian - srpski, Italian - italiano, French - français, Spanish - español, Portuguese - português, Dutch - Nederlands, Danish - dansk, Norwegian - norsk, Swedish - svenska, Finnish - suomi, Russian - русский, Ukrainian - українська мова, Romanian - românește, Bulgarian - български, Albanian - shqip, Korean - 한국어, Chinese - 汉语, and Croatian - hrvatski.

Travelers are advised to fill out the form at http://entercroatia.mup.hr before arriving at the border for faster border crossing.

TravelDoc.aero is a seemingly great service to check on the entry requirements for any country and nationality; however it doesn't seem to be updated to reflect the changes of November 30. Check out the website and your travel eligibility to Croatia and anywhere else here.

Check the official reopen.europa.eu website for detailed information for EU countries.

As US Embassy States Croatia Closed, American Tourists Continue to Arrive (December 3)

9There is a lot of confusion at the moment on whether or not Americans and other 3rd-party nationals can enter Croatia after the November 30 changes. Officially, tourism is not a reason to enter, but that is different from tourists not being able to enter. It is possible, as you can see from the official response above, posted in our Total Croatia Travel INFO Viber community. 

Croatia Extends Anti-Epidemic Measures After March 15 (March 10)

Cafe Terraces to Work from 6 am to 10 pm, No Music, Says COVID Response Team (February 26)

Index Finds Out New Rules for Cafes, Restaurants, and Sports in Croatia (February 25)

Prime Minister Plenkovic: Cafe Terraces Can Open on Monday (February 25)

New Official Croatian epidemiological measures (January 30)

New Official Croatian Border Crossing Rules, Recommendations (January 16)

Croats, Brits with Croatian Residence Can Return from UK to Croatia (January 1)

Latest updates from the Petrinja earthquake

Croatia Imposes Temporary Ban on Flights from UK over New Coronavirus Variant (December 21)

Travel to Croatia in December 2020: TCTI Viber Community Traveller Experiences (December 15)

Croatian Government Agreed on Fines for Violating Measures, Awaiting Parliament Confirmation (November 30)

New Measures Until December 21 Announced by Prime Minister Plenkovic (November 26)

What is the Number of Ventilators in Croatia? (November 16)

Croatia Travel Update: Answers to Recent FAQs (December 2)

Travel to Croatia: Real-Time Feedback from Total Croatia Travel INFO Viber Community (September 1)

Where Can You Get Tested for COVID-19 in Croatia? (September 1)

Where to Get Tested Before Arriving in Croatia? (August 9)

Flying to Croatia? Why You Should Print Out These IATA Guidelines (June 16)

OFFICIAL INFO PAGE FROM THE CROATIAN BORDER POLICE, with FAQ and form to ask questions is the best source of official advice (available in English, German, and Croatian, updated on December 1) .

OFFICIAL CROATIAN BORDER POLICE PAGE TO FILL OUT BORDER FORMS AHEAD OF TRAVEL, shortening your waiting time at the Croatian border

What is the entercroatia.mup.hr Form and Do You Need to Fill It? (June 22)

It is recommended that travellers fill out border entry forms at entercroatia.mup.hr, to speed their passage across the border and into Croatia. Visitors will only have to provide their name, place where they're staying, mobile phone number, and email address. An additional reason to do so that is that special fast-track Enter Croatia lanes have been introduced at some borders for quicker entry.

While you wait for the answers from Croatian Border Police, check the real-life experiences of tourists coming to Croatia and get your questions answered in our Total Croatia Travel INFO community (you will need to download the Viber app). This Viber community has been an excellent source of information exchange, where tourist questions are getting answered in real-time. Here are 10 things I learned from the Viber community in the first days. If you have a question or some verified useful travel info to contribute, join us. Please make sure you read the pinned message and our FAQ article before asking any questions.

Borders (This section is being updated regularly to reflect the changes of November 30)

LATEST OFFICIAL GUIDELINES IN ENGLISH FROM THE CROATIAN BORDER POLICE (December 1)

Croatia Announces New Border Rules, Expands PCR Test Requirements

The changes of November 30 brought some changes to just about every category of traveler to Croatia: as of December 1st, almost all Croatian and EU citizens need to have a negative PCR test in order to enter Croatia (there are few exceptions, including those arriving from the ECDC "Green list"), or get tested upon entry and self-isolate until they have the results. As for the third-country nationals, if they are arriving from within the EU, the same rules apply to them. If the third-country nationals want to enter Croatia after spending time elsewhere, they will be asked to provide proof that they are travelling for urgent personal/family reasons, business reasons or other economic interest (including seafarers). We have not been able to officially confirm if potential tourist arrivals will continue to be regarded as "other economic interest", as has been the case before this change. Please consult with your embassy and the Croatian authorities to make sure you'll be able to enter Croatia.

There is no age limit for testing in order to enter Croatia, which means that children need to get tested as well. 

One important piece of information we have heard unofficially is that those travellers who have already had COVID-19, and who have since recovered, will not be required to present a negative PCR test or be given a self-isolation measure. They need to be able to prove with medical documentation that they have had the disease. That documentation needs to reflect that the final day of their disease was not within 14 days of arrival at the Croatian border or more than 90 days before that. 

Follow our regularly updated article to find out if there are any measures imposed when you leave Croatia and enter other countries (updated on November 2)

This section gets regularly updated, as more information becomes available. For more answers in the meantime, please follow our Answers to Recent FAQs (not updated to reflect the changes of Nov 30) and Where Can You Get Tested in Croatia, as well as the Croatian Police official info page, regarding crossing the Croatian border during COVID-19, in English (not updated to reflect the changes of Nov 30). Use the e-mail address This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for additional questions and official confirmations from the Croatian Border Police. US citizens should also check the US embassy in Croatia travel advisory.

For the latest rules and information on who can enter and transit Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro please check the linked official government pages. 

3rd country citizens (Americans, Canadians, etc.) have to spend at least 15 days in an EU country (such as Croatia) to be allowed to enter Montenegro (August 7)

Update on July 16: citizens of the European Union and Schengen countries, as well as visa- or residence permit-holders in the EU countries, are allowed to enter Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a negative PCR test for coronavirus, not older than 48 hours. We've received confirmation that the Croatian citizens are exempt from this, ie. that they can enter Bosnia and Herzegovina freely. Please follow Official Bosnian travel advice for more updates. Transit through Neum will be exempt from this rule, you will just have to leave the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina in an hour (it's 23 km, so it shouldn't be a problem).

For more information regarding travel to Slovenia and Montenegro, please visit our sister sites:

Total Slovenia News (Slovenia modifies their red list: 8 Croatian counties on the Red list, other on the Orange list, September 28, 2020)

Total Montenegro News (new measures in force in Montenegro, August 7, 2020)

For comprehensive overviews on crossing the Croatian borders, check out the Total Croatia 2021 guides: Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina (updated on Feb 26, 2021)

You can see the current situation at the borders through the border webcams. Simply select 'Border Crossings' under 'Traffic cams' in the menu on the left.

What Do the Green, Yellow & Red Lists Mean for Entering Slovenia During the Corona Crisis? (July 5, Total Slovenia News)

Behind the Scenes at the Croatian Border Control System: AMAZING! (June 9)

Flights

Croatia Airlines is now operating a number of international flights to European cities. Domestic flights are running daily.

Check the latest flight situation at Croatia's airport websites: Zagreb, Split, Zadar, Pula, Dubrovnik, Rijeka, Osijek, Brač and Lošinj.

The Croatia Airlines contact center is available on the following numbers: 0800 77 77 (toll-free calls from Croatia), 072 500 505 or +385 1 66 76 555. More info and Live Schedule.

We have consolidated all the latest flight news into this section. New flight announcements will be added here.

Roads, Ferries, Buses, and Trains

Latest information on the roads from HAK.

Latest ferry information from HAK.

Jadrolinija ferry and catamaran timetable.

Krilo catamaran timetable. 

Croatia Airlines and Jadrolinija Team Up to Improve Croatia's Tourist Offer (July 24)

For the latest on the trains from HAK.

The best resource we have found for bus timetables is GetByBus.

The situation is constantly evolving, and for the latest on travel updates and all other coronavirus developments, we recommend you follow the dedicated TCN COVID-19 section.

Current Situation

Croatian Tourism Association (Hrvatska udruga turizma) has created a helpful tracker of active COVID-19 cases in various Croatian regions - https://www.croatiacovid19.info/ (the color-coding they use is similar to what ECDC has been using, and is indicative of the 14-day average). For more day-to-day visualizations of COVID-19 situation in Croatia, follow Velebit.ai.

We remind you that the best defense against this virus is to maintain personal hygiene, sanitize, and keep a social distance.

More at: https://www.koronavirus.hr/en.

TCN has a dedicated coronavirus section where you can follow all the latest news.

To see how Croatia coronavirus numbers compare to the rest of EU/EEA please check here.

Looking for more details? The latest tourism and travel articles on TCN are here.

If you have relevant and authenticated tourism updated info to add to this resource, please send it to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Subject Travel update.

Have you joined the Total Croatia Travel INFO Viber community yet? Learn more about it here.