May 8, 2021 - As the season approaches, Croatia and Hungary have reached an agreement to lift restrictions on citizens crossing the border with a vaccination certificate.

The vaccination process is still underway and the cases of infections continue to decrease in Croatia, and it is thus that, as the summer season unfolds, Croatia and its neighbor to the east have reached a bilateral agreement recognizing each other's vaccination certificates with any COVID-19 vaccine.

As hrturizam.hr reports, this is an agreement which, with the presentation of a vaccination certificate, will enable unhindered travel of Croatian and Hungarian citizens between the two countries, and which will be able to cross borders without restrictions, such as mandatory self-isolation or negative test.

This is great news ahead of the main part of the tourist season, during which the highest intensity of tourist traffic is expected in Croatia.

As they point out from the CNTB, good trends from the Hungarian market are confirmed by today's virtual presentation and business workshop organized by the Representation of the Croatian Tourist Board in Budapest in cooperation with the Zadar County Tourist Board. This virtual event brought together more than 110 participants, and almost 300 individual meetings will be held during the day.

"The great interest of Hungarian partners for virtual presentations and business workshops is a good indicator for the tourist season. In addition to reminding all participants of the beauties of Croatia, and especially Zadar County, we informed them about the current travel conditions between the two countries. The news of concluding a bilateral agreement between Croatia and Hungary came at the right time, and a large number of Hungarians will surely choose Croatia as their destination", said Ivana Herceg, director of the Croatian National Tourist Board in Budapest, adding that the first airline between Budapest and Zadar, which will operate twice a week from July, will also contribute to good trends.

Follow the latest on flights to Croatia HERE and the latest travel updates and COVID-19 news from Croatia HERE.

For more on travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

March 31, 2021 - A look at the vaccines allowed in Croatia and the latest developments for vaccinated travelers wanting to cross the Croatian border.

After Greece made a decision on vaccinated travelers, all travelers who have been vaccinated with two doses, regardless of whether it has been approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA), will be able to cross the Croatian border tomorrow, Jutarnji List unofficially finds out.

Anyone with a vaccination certificate will be able to cross the border without presenting a negative PCR test, regardless of whether they have received AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Moderna, or, for example, Sputnik or the Chinese vaccine which are not approved for use in the EU.

However, Jutarnji writes that the decision will be subject to change if the European Union is set differently according to vaccines that are not approved in Europe. Also, the Decision on Borders, which will be presented today by the National Headquarters, will include the possibility of crossing the border with the presentation of a rapid antigen test, but only one that has been validated and approved by the EMA. Persons who have contracted the coronavirus within a maximum of six months, and if they have a negative PCR test, not older than 48 hours, will also cross the border without quarantine. Children under the age of seven can still cross the border without restrictions.

The news comes just a day or two after the head of the Croatian National Public Health Institute, Krunoslav Capak, told Croats that he did not advise them to go to Serbia for vaccinations, among other things, because vaccines not approved by the EMA are being used in Serbia. Still, it seems that in the Croatian case, the advantage that vaccines have for the economy, primarily tourism, has prevailed.

Before Croatia, the decision to release people vaccinated with Sputnik and Chinese vaccines across the borders was announced by our competitor Greece, which, as the media reported so far, agreed to accept the vaccination certificate with these two types of preparations with Serbia. Greece will generally begin to recognize certificates to all their holders, all in pledge to save the tourist season that left Greece empty-handed last year.

As Ivan Pukšar, a tourism consultant and owner of Coned turizam, explained to Jutarnji List, it is good for Croatia to go in the direction of facilitating border crossings and allowing people who have been vaccinated with both Chinese and Russian vaccines to enable as many tourists as possible.

This decision is important to us, among other things, because of the Hungarian market, which has already enabled its citizens to be vaccinated with Russian and Chinese vaccines, so it would be desirable for these tourists to spend the summer on the Adriatic without the need to go to quarantine or perform testing, said Pukšar, adding that he is not surprised by the great engagement of Greece in this regard, given that they work extremely actively on the promotion and image of their country.

"There are several reasons for this, and the first is certainly the fact that Greece is highly dependent on tourism, and it is also an air destination that, along with domestic guests and visitors from ships, cannot compensate for tourist traffic, so it is imperative to attract every possible guest. Third, Greece is dependent on British tourists who this year threaten not to travel before the end of July, which is why Greek tourism is in a much worse position than Croatian," Pukšar believes.

Greek Tourism Minister Haris Theoharis and Serbian Minister Tatjana Matic reached an agreement on Monday, and it will take effect on May 14. Unfortunately, Jutarnji did not receive information from the Greek Ministry of Tourism of whether this decision will be applied to citizens of other countries. However, the unofficial information Jutarnji has about Croatia says that today, the public will be presented with new conditions for entering Croatia, which will make it as easy as possible for foreign visitors to visit our country.

Formally, there are no obstacles to such a decision that would prevent EU member states from making their own decisions on recognizing certificates for Chinese and Russian vaccines, as recently announced by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen when, presenting the Covid-passport project, she noted that EU members will have to cross the borders with a digital - green certificate, but that this decision can be extended to other vaccines. 

Neighboring Slovenia was the first country in the region to allow vaccinated people to cross the border in general. Still, this decision currently applies only to vaccines registered in the EU. The Slovenian border rules say that entry is possible for everyone who has been vaccinated with the second dose of Astra Zeneca 21 days before traveling, or seven days with Pfizer and 14 days with Moderna.

For the latest travel updates and COVID-19 news from Croatia, CLICK HERE.

January 13, 2021 - The Croatian Civil Protection Headquarters announced new border rules for Croatia for travelers coming from countries with the new Covid strains, specifically the United Kingdom and South Africa.

Jutarnji List reports that the National Civil Protection Headquarters made a new decision on crossing the Croatian border, which restricts non-mandatory arrivals to Croatia, especially from countries where the new strain of coronavirus is spreading, such as the United Kingdom and South Africa. The Croatian Institute of Public Health will adopt the list of these countries and special epidemiological measures will be applied to passengers from these countries, Chief of the Headquarters, Davor Bozinovic, said at a press conference, explaining that the decision is not related to citizenship but to the area the traveler is coming from.

"Passengers from these countries must show a negative 48-hour PCR test when entering Croatia and will be ordered to 14 days of isolation. At the moment, the United Kingdom and South Africa are on that list," Bozinovic said.

He added that their quarantine could be reduced to seven days if they take a PCR test in authorized institutions and if the test is negative.

Persons from third countries coming due to urgent personal reasons such as funerals or medical treatment will have their stay in Croatia limited to a maximum of 12 hours.

"Special rules have been introduced for persons coming to deliver aid for the quake-hit areas. They will be able to enter Croatia with prior consent from the Headquarters, in other words, without a test," Bozinovic added.

Beros: The measures are yielding results, but we must be careful

Minister of Health Vili Beros said that today, for the first time since November 22 last year, we have less than 2,000 hospitalized (1993), and the number of deaths below 30.

"We must continue to be careful. However, we can conclude that our balanced measures are yielding results and that this is the optimal winning formula in Croatia when it comes to fighting the epidemic," Beros. said.

To read more about COVID-19 in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

July 2, 2020 - The Slovenian government has put Croatia on the "yellow" list of epidemiologically less secure countries due to the increase in the daily number of coronavirus infections, said government spokesman Jelko Kacin in Ljubljana.

UPDATE JULY 4: 

Croatian citizens who want to go to Slovenia from today (July 4) must show a negative test for coronavirus not older than 36 hours, made in the European Union, to a Slovenian border police officer. If they do not have it, they will be handed a decision on 14-day self-isolation at the border.

If they have nowhere to self-isolate in Slovenia, they will not be allowed to enter that country, Slovenian Interior Minister Aleš Hojs explained yesterday.

If they pass through Slovenia in transit without stopping, they must pass it within 12 hours. These new measures are valid for our citizens after Slovenia put Croatia on the yellow list, which means that it is not an epidemiologically safe country. Apart from Croatia, the Czech Republic and France have been on the Slovenian yellow list since midnight.

This means that both Czech and French tourists who go to Croatia on holiday in Slovenia will have to pass without stopping, and at the Slovenian border attach proof that they are going to Croatia. Hojs said that all border crossings to Croatia remain open, but all those who are aware that after entering Slovenia will have to self-isolate, will be able to enter the country only through four border crossings with Croatia - Gruškovje, Obrežje, Metlika and the airport in Ljubljana.

This new restrictive measure, Slovenian government spokesman Jelko Kacin admitted at a press conference yesterday, was introduced by Slovenia because of its citizens who lied to border police officers when they entered Slovenia that they were in Croatia, but were actually returning from Serbia or Bosnia and Herzegovina. They did this to avoid the 14-day quarantine they are required to go to on their return from those countries. Kacin admitted that the number of people infected with coronavirus in Slovenia has increased precisely because of such people. In an attempt to prevent this, the Slovenian authorities are introducing restrictive measures that will make Croatia one of the biggest victims.

As of July 4, all foreign citizens entering Slovenia, who were on vacation in Croatia, will have to give Slovenian border police officers proof that they have been in Croatia. Invoices for paid sojourn tax, hotel invoice or registration via the Enter Croatia application will be recognized. In order to avoid quarantine in their own country, all Slovenes returning from vacation at the Croatian Border Police will have to prove that they were in our country.

Those who own real estate in Croatia will be able to avoid going into self-isolation by providing proof of ownership, and all others by paying bills in Croatian restaurants and bars in Croatia or by confirming the paid sojourn tax. For example, those who transported someone to the Zagreb Airport will have to enclose an invoice for paid parking at the airport or an invoice from the bar where they had a drink.

Checks on proof of residence in Croatia will enormously increase congestion on the Croatian-Slovenian border, admits the Slovenian Minister of the Interior. But he succinctly explained that it is not a problem for all those waiting for quarantine to wait an hour longer at the border.

The new Slovenian regime at the border will also create great pressure on Croatian border police officers and create large crowds at the entrance to Croatia from the direction of Slovenia. Especially since the decision is starting to apply for the weekend. Regardless of the new Slovenian measures on the Croatian side, new measures were introduced at four border crossings - Bregana, Macelj, Rupe and Plovanija in order to reduce the time of crossing the border and enable better flow.

Special lanes have been established for foreign tourists who have applied to come to Croatia via the Enter Croatia application. In front of the border crossings, there are special traffic signs and lines have been drawn that direct these tourists to the part of the border crossing intended for them.

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Index.hr reports that as he explained at the press conference, the decision was made by the government on Thursday, and the measures will take effect on Saturday at midnight.

So far, Croatia has been on Slovenia's "green" list of epidemiologically safe countries.

Apart from Croatia, the Czech Republic and France have now been relegated to a lower category of safe, while Belgium and the Netherlands have been included in the higher "green" list of safe countries.

The decision for Slovenes staying in Croatia means that when they return home, they will be able to expect the border police to ask them exactly where they stayed, which they will be able to prove, for example, with a hotel bill, but they will not be quarantined.

Those returning from Croatia will have to substantiate their route at the border with evidence or give confirmation that they have a vessel or real estate in Croatia "because there have been too many attempts to deceive in that sense," Kacin said.

Apart from the increase in the number of infections in Croatia, as Kacin suggested, the measure was also adopted because there have been many cases recently when Slovenian citizens and those with permanent residence in Slovenia coming through Croatia or Hungary stated that they were in those countries, even though they were in Serbia or Bosnia and Herzegovina, which are on the "red" list of epidemiologically safe countries.

Kacin again called on Slovenes living abroad to avoid crowds and respect epidemiologically prescribed measures, and especially to avoid nightclubs and mass parties because they are a potential source of infection.

When asked what putting Croatia on the "yellow" list means for Croatian citizens, Kacin said that they would be able to come to Slovenia freely if they have real estate or booked tourist accommodation.

A few days ago, Kacin explained what it means to be on the "yellow list". "If the country is placed on the yellow list, then a Slovenian citizen or foreigner with permanent or temporary residence in Slovenia, if they come from the EU or the Schengen area, enters Slovenia without quarantine. For other persons, a 14-day quarantine is mandatory," he said, but also stated that there are 15 exceptions to that decision.

Details of the decision to move Croatia from the "green" list of safe countries to the "yellow" will be announced on Friday after the session of the Slovenian government, Health Minister Tomaz Gantar told Slovenian television on Thursday evening.

According to Gantar, a new government decision and the tightening of epidemiological measures are needed as part of the deteriorating situation in the region, but also in Slovenia, where more and more new local infections are being transmitted after the virus was imported, especially from "red list" countries such as Serbia, North Macedonia, BiH and Kosovo.

From those countries, everyone who enters Slovenia must be in a 14-day quarantine. Quarantine decisions will be issued at the border with Croatia.

For those Slovenes who continue to go to Croatia as tourists, "it is not planned for now" that they would need a binding 14-day quarantine, and for now, this only applies to those who were in the countries on the "red" list where the epidemiological situation is critical, or very bad, Gantar explained.

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June 30, 2020 - The Croatian Minister of Interior Davor Bozinovic announced yesterday that a decision would be made "no later than today" to lift the mandatory two-week self-isolation for those entering Croatia from Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Index.hr reports that the announcement came just five days after stricter measures were introduced for Serbia, Kosovo and Macedonia at the same time.

But apart from the fact that the measure, which is now being repealed, was introduced only a few days ago, there are two other important aspects of the story which should not be overlooked.

The first is the situation with the number of patients in Bosnia and Herzegovina at the time when stricter measures were introduced, and the second is the situation with the number of patients today when the measures are lifted.

It would be expected that the epidemiological situation in BiH has improved in the meantime, so that the measures will be relaxed, as announced by Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic. But that is not the case.

On the day the decision on mandatory self-isolation was made for entry from BiH, there were 84 infections in that country. The day before the decision, there were 63 infected. Even days earlier, moreover, since the beginning of the coronavirus epidemic in that country, the daily number of newly infected did not exceed 100.

So, how are things now that they've decided to lift the mandatory self-isolation for people entering Croatia from BiH?

There were twice as many cases in BiH yesterday than when stricter measures were adopted at the borders.

Yesterday, when Bozinovic announced the easing of measures, BiH had 128 newly infected.

The day before, they had 107 new cases.

They had as many as 179 new cases on Saturday, and the daily number of newly infected was well above 100 in the days before.

When the two-week self-isolation measure was introduced for travelers entering Croatia from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo and Macedonia, it was explained by the poor epidemiological situation in those countries and the fact that most new cases in Croatia came from those countries.

"As for the decisions, they are based on the opinion of the medical experts. These decisions were made based on the recommendations of epidemiologists with regard to the situation in neighboring countries. We have an increase in those infected, and most of them came from BiH and Serbia. We will monitor everything that happens. We will make decisions faster and change them if necessary. The decision is valid for everyone. All persons who come to these countries, regardless of citizenship, must be in self-isolation," Bozinovic said at the time.

But, as we can see, now that the borders with BiH are reopening unconditionally, the situation there is worse than it was, and the daily numbers of newly infected are much higher than they were when the decision was made. The logical question, therefore, is why the decision on stricter measures at the BiH border was made when the epidemiological situation in that country was significantly better than now, when the decision is revoked.

"We are in the phase of dancing with the virus, and we are analyzing it daily. The EU will probably come out with recommendations, as these talks are underway today. We will probably liberalize the border crossings to some extent when it comes to EU citizens and our neighboring countries. This will mean entering the Republic of Croatia in a way that all those who enter adhere to epidemiological measures and would no longer mean the mandatory self-isolation for those who come from BiH. I expect that no later than tomorrow," said Bozinovic yesterday, which also hinted that the borders with Serbia could be opened, where the number of newly infected people is stagnant and around 250 for several days.

It should also be mentioned that BiH authorities negatively reacted to the decision on stricter measures at the border, and the country's foreign minister Bisera Turkovic announced reciprocal measures, which she withdrew after new announcements from Croatia. However, it is unlikely that the announcement of reciprocal measures from BiH forced the Croatian authorities to withdraw the decision, which leads us to another possible and much more probable reason - the elections to be held on Sunday.

After all, the president of HDZ BiH clearly explained it yesterday: "No border can separate the Croatian being and one nation into two homelands. Thank you to Prime Minister Plenkovic for his quick reaction and rational decision."

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June 25, 2020 - Who will be able to enter Croatia from BiH, Serbia, Kosovo and North Macedonia without having to self-isolate? Head of the Border Service of the Split-Dalmatia Police, Mladen Bužančić, explains. 

Dnevnik.hr reports that encouraged by the growing number of cases in Croatia, but also in neighboring countries, the Croatian Civil Protection Headquarters introduced a new measure at border crossings and mandatory self-isolation for people entering Croatia from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Serbia.

Mladen Bužančić, head of the Border Service of the Split-Dalmatia Police Administration, revealed to Dnevnik Nova TV that there are certain exemptions to the rule. 

"The border police are ready. Everyone who enters the Republic of Croatia from those countries on June 25 must be aware that they will be self-isolated. There are exceptions for those who, due to the nature of their work and living circumstances, will not have to isolate themselves, and among them are cross-border workers and those transiting through these four countries and through Croatia," Bužančić explains, urging that travel be kept to a minimum.

Asked what will happen to those who come to Croatia from those four countries in the region for a funeral or to care for an elderly family member, Bužančić answered that they are also exempt and will not have to self-isolate.

"If it is an urgent personal reason or it is about people who are coming to a funeral or need emergency medical care or transport, they will not be subjected to the new rule," says Bužančić.

However, when it comes to tourists from those countries who already have confirmed reservations in Croatia, Bužančić says that they must be aware that this arrangement will probably not be realized.

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June 24, 2020 - The Croatian Headquarters reported on new coronavirus cases and made two new decisions. The first refers to the mandatory self-isolation for everyone coming to Croatia from BiH and Serbia, and the second that masks are now required when using public transport in the country.

Index.hr reports that in the last 24 hours, 22 new coronavirus cases were recorded, bringing the total to 2,388. So far, 2,145 people have recovered. One hundred and seven people died. Another 136 people are being treated.

Everyone coming from BiH and Serbia must go into self-isolation

New border rules have been established for people traveling from BiH, Kosovo, Serbia and North Macedonia, as they will be required to undergo self-isolation for 14 days. The obligation does not apply to those transiting through these countries. This rule applies to anyone coming from these countries, regardless of citizenship.

Masks required!

The second decision refers to a change in public transport, according to which drivers and other employees and passengers must use medical masks and adhere to general measures.

The following are questions to the Croatia Headquarters from journalists:

What about tourists?

"As for the decisions, they are based on the opinion of the medical profession. These decisions were made based on the recommendations of epidemiologists with regard to the situation in neighboring countries. We have an increase in the number of infections, and most of these people came from the direction of BiH and Serbia. We will continue to monitor everything that happens daily. We will make decisions faster and change them if necessary."

About Beroš's statement that the virus mutated

"Analyzes are being done about it, the situation is being monitored. The situation at the moment is not as it was before. Most new patients now have very mild or no symptoms, which is good. We don't have anyone on a ventilator or seriously ill. A lot of them have only a positive result, without symptoms. The amount of the virus that can be transmitted to another person is important. For now, it seems that it is not so strong. People move in the open, and there is no constant close contact. When you are apart in the open, it is harder to transmit larger amounts of the virus to someone. For now, it seems that the situation is more favorable, but it is a perception, we will see. There is no information that the clinical picture is more severe in infected countries and other countries. But distance and hygiene remain," said Markotic.

About Zadar

"Several hundred tests have been conducted. Seven positive people have been identified. Zadar has been brought under control, congratulations to colleagues," Markotic said.

Has there been a local transmission in Zagreb?

"Croatia has been on the list of countries with local transmission for some time now. We are talking about a pandemic and an epidemic. This is a completely normal thing," she added.

As for the wedding arrangements, there will be no changes, for now, she added.

Masks do not have to be medical; they can also be canvas

"It is a measure to maintain physical distance, but it is impossible in a tram. That is why it is mandatory to wear masks; they do not have to be exclusively medical masks, they can also be a canvas mask made of a thicker weave than usual. If we know that there is a crowd in public transport, we may need to leave 15 minutes earlier. People are being pushed by force. Don't do that. Face masks became inevitable. The responsibility is on us - whether we go in and work our way through the crowd or wait for the second tram," the press conference concluded.

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June 20, 2020 - Passengers who tried to enter Croatia from Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina during the last two days without a valid reason supported by documentation were returned to their home country from the Croatian border. 

T.portal reports that this is the result of stricter measures at border crossings with these countries, with which most new patients in Croatia have been connected in the last week. 

The news was confirmed for Jutarnji list by the Minister of the Interior and the Chief of the National Headquarters, Davor Bozinovic, who pointed out that the controls at these borders have been strengthened and the prescribed measures are strictly controlled.

"After new cases of the infection occurred, and most of them were related to those countries, we immediately started to carry out more intensive controls on Thursday. Anyone who wants to enter Croatia must state the reason for the trip and present documentation that supports it, such as the economic interest for our country," said Bozinovic. He also stressed that Croatia had never fully opened its borders to Serbia and BiH, as has been done to ten European countries that have a good epidemiological situation.

The complete borders closure with those countries is not yet being considered.

"Due to the current epidemiological situation, the Croatian Institute of Public Health and the Ministry of Demography, Family, Youth and Social Policy recommend that visits to residents of nursing homes should be banned in Split-Dalmatia County and the City of Zagreb until further notice. Furthermore, users should not be allowed to visit their family's homes so that they do not become infected during their stay outside the nursing home and potentially transmit the virus to other users upon their return.

In addition, the Croatian Institute of Public Health recommends that local headquarters, in cooperation with the competent public health institutes, monitor the epidemiological situation in their area and that based on continuous situational analyzes, make recommendations on further action regarding banning or permitting visits to users in the social welfare system," reported the Ministry.

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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.

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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.