February the 1st, 2022 - Croatian covid rules for travel outside of the country's borders are in force as of today. On top of that, a few other things are changing in regard to the epidemiological measures.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, when will the self-isolation rule for students be abolished, when does their mass testing begin? How will all of this be implemented? Are the schools ready for it? What will the new rules for determining the need for self-isolation look like amid the spread of Omicron and when can the application of these new Croatian covid rules be expected? These are all of the questions floating around as new Croatian covid rules enter into force.

The deputy director of the Croatian Institute of Public Health, Ivana Pavic Simetin, advisor to the Minister of Education Bozo Pavicin and the president of the Split-Dalmatia branch of the Association of Primary School Principals. Djuro Baloevic, all talked about this as guests of a recent Croatian Radio show.

Ivana Pavic Simetin first spoke about today's Croatian covid rules, with a special emphasis placed on people planning to travel outside of Croatia. She said the move was done to harmonise Croatian covid rules with those regarding travel at the European Union (EU) level.

''For the first time now, the European Commission (EC) is prescribing how long a covid certificate based on vaccination lasts. These certificates are valid for nine months as of full vaccination from today. The booster dose validity is unlimited for now, but administratively speaking, it will most likely remain valid for year from its receipt. If the scientific evidence reveals anything new about the long-term immunity following a person having their booster dose, then it would be extended depending on new findings,'' she said.

For those who were vaccinated with two doses of the vaccine and then caught and recovered from the new Omicron variant of the novel coronavirus, she said that as far as EU digital certificates are concerned, all three types of certificates can be requested.

''One can be requested based on vaccination, one can be requested based on recovery, and then someone who catches Omicron following their vaccination can get a covid certificate which is valid for six months based on their recovery,'' she explained.

Regarding the shortening of the self-isolation period in the wake of Omicron, she said that the document which will go over every detail will be agreed upon in the coming days.

"The whole idea is based on new knowledge about the Omicron variant,'' said Pavic Simetin.

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January the 21st, 2022 - Should the Croatian covid certificate system be scrapped? With all eyes now on 2022's summer tourist season and the arrival of the much more mild but highly infectious Omicron variant, questions are hanging in the air.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, at a recently held coalition meeting, the situation with the spread of coronavirus, the new Omicron variant, and all of the accompanying epidemiological measures, including the issue of the Croatian covid certificate were discussed.

"What is good is that the Prime Minister comes and listens to us every Tuesday, and new proposals are always on the table. I talked publicly recently at the coalition meeting about what Israel has done, I think Israel is doing a good job as far as the coronavirus pandemic is concerned, I think we're doing a good job too, but it's precisely because I think we're doing a good job that we need to rethink some things. We have 16 thousand infected people, and yet hospitalisations are drastically dropping, the number of positive results among those tested is still growing, I don't think there is any need to test people anymore. As soon as over 50 percent of those being tested return positive results, there is no longer any need for testing.

I'm going to be open now, I always speak responsibly, but I always try to speak with common sense as well. We also have to think about the upcoming summer tourist season. We now need to simply revoke the Croatian covid certificate. They should have been adopted when they were adopted, but now is the time to abolish them, I suggested that at the meeting of the ruling coalition,'' said Dario Hrebak, president of the Croatian Social Liberal Party (HSLS) for HTV's Otvoreno (Open).

Asked whether or not the ruling party, HDZ, was ready to support this proposal, Josip Boric, vice president of the HDZ MPs' Club, said he had not been to the meeting and did not know what the discussions were, but has always listened to what the Civil Protection Directorate advised and said.

PM Andrej Plenkovic has since stated that the Croatian covid certificate system will remain in place for now, with Beros adding that the vaccination rate among the domicile population is still much too low to consider removing any epidemiological restrictions.

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November the 29th, 2021 - Much like with everything else in the world, there is always a chance to exploit something and make some quick cash. Croatian covid certificates appear to be no different and have been being issued for payment.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, three middle-aged men told Jutarnji list that they had arranged for fake vaccinations with medical staff in doctor's offices in both Zagreb and Karlovac.

Four categories of citizens can currently obtain Croatian covid certificates: persons who have been vaccinated with the novel coronavirus, those who have returned a recently negative PCR test or rapid antigen test result, and all those who have recovered from COVID-19 no sooner than the eleventh day from the date of their first positive PCR test result.

That is only three groups, you might be thinking. What about the fourth one? Well, the fourth group aren't vaccinated, haven't recovered, and can't be bothered to take ''frequent'' tests, they simply purchased their Croatian covid certificates for cash.

What can be revealed is that the interlocutors of Jutarnji list are three Croatian men aged 35 to 50. One of them went through the whole process and purchased his certificate for 1000 kuna, the others didn't manage to complete the ''job'' entirely.

These Croatian covid certificates have been issued exclusively by medical staff who, in doing so, have committed the criminal offenses of the forgery of documents and the abuse of their positions and authority. The contracting authorities, as well as intermediaries in this "business", are also committing the act of forgery of documents by way of their assistance.

It is impossible to estimate the scale of this type of crime, and as things stand, it appears to be quite large - there is almost no county in Croatia with at least one office where the matter can be "sorted out".

EU digital covid certificates for foreign travel became all but mandatory not so long ago and since November the 16th, Croatian covid certificates have been mandatory for all employees in the public sector and in state and city companies, as well as for the users of these services.

The details surrounding one incident of the ''obtaining'' of a fake certificate are as follows: The nurse authorised the entering of the date of vaccinated persons into the information system, used her position and power, entered this untrue information for two persons that they were vaccinated in August, for which, through a criminal investigation, it was determined that they were not vaccinated at all.''

The procedure is the same as with the usual vaccination process, except that the vaccine is "injected" into thin air and not into an arm, then the person isn't vaccinated but it is entered into the system that they have been. For this reason, such actions are practically unprovable, that is, it is very difficult to track down the perpetrators, reports Jutarnji list.

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November the 17th, 2021 - The issue of Croatian covid certificates is continuing. New rules have been in place since yesterday and now a valid certificate is required not only to enter healthcare and social care institutions, but also to access state and public services. The rules for unvaccinated people who have recovered from the novel coronavirus, however, are still unclear for many.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, as of Tuesday the 16th of November, about 370,000 people employed in the public and state sector will not be able to go to their places of work without valid Croatian covid certificates, and the services these institutions offer will also not be able to be used by people who don't possess the same document. Those who aren't vaccinated will only be able to go to their places of work (if they work in one of the above sectors) if they have a certificate issued on the basis of having contracted and since recovered from the novel virus.

It all seems more or less clear enough (for Croatian standards), but there's still a lack of clarity - can people who have suffered from coronavirus in the last six months or in the last twelve months go to work if they work in public services? Can they enter a post office?

Croatian covid certificates with a QR code, either in digital or physical/paper form, can be obtained by those who have had the virus in the last six months and can prove it with a positive PCR test result from within that exact time frame. This is done exclusively with a PCR test result only, which is clearly written on the page where covid certificates are taken out in digital form.

Namely, according to the appropriate EU regulation, proof of having had and since overcome this illness is proven exclusively in this way and a certificate issued on that basis will be valid for six months. But Croatia has its own rules.

According to the Croatian rules, for all those who work in the healthcare and social care system, and as of today for all employees in state and public services, other ''appropriate evidence'' is valid, apart from simply presenting Croatian covid certificates.

Namely, if you overcame the coronavirus eight or maybe eleven months ago, you cannot get a covid certificate, but you can still go to work or to a parent-teacher meeting at your child's school. To be able to do this, you must have a certificate from your GP. In this case, the condition is not overcoming the illness in the last six months, but in the last twelve.

In addition, there is no condition that you must have tested positive with a PCR test only, as is the case with regular Croatian covid certificates. In this case, a positive rapid antigen test result is enough.

The Decision, which was put into force yesterday, states that it isn't actually necessary to have a covid-certificate, nor a certificate from your GP confirming the illness. Instead, your GP can put you down as a so-called ''probable case'' if someone in your household has tested positive and you had contact with that individual. It's easy to see where the confusion lies here as the situation is being overcomplicated and muddied in typical Croatian style.

So, in short, if you work in state or public services and you aren't vaccinated, you can still go to work with the confirmation from your GP that someone in your family has been positive for coronavirus in the last year, and you had contact with that person. Persons who had properly diagnosed coronavirus patients in their family and had contact with these patients can be declared so-called ''probable cases'' even if the presence of the virus was never confirmed with a test, the Decision states.

It is not stated whether this refers to a case in which you were officially reported as someone's contact and as such put into self-isolation, or if it's enough to give your doctor a positive test result from the aforementioned time period from a family member.

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November the 14th, 2021 - As the list of institutions and locations that will only be able to visited if the visitor possesses a Croatian covid pass gradually widens, the powers that be have released a full list of locations where people can be tested for the novel virus and where people can obtain a Croatian covid pass if they don't own one yet.

The vaccination rollout across the country has ramped up recently with record numbers of Croatia's residents turning up for either their first or second doses of the vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 at various vaccination points located nationwide. Perhaps this is owing to heightened concern at the climbing infection rate, or perhaps it is because the National Civil Protection Directorate intends to implement the much wider use of the controversial Croatian covid pass as of Monday the 15th of November. It's more likely the latter.

As the 15th of this month approaches, many have decided to make their lives easier as it seems that a negative test result will also not be enough to grant an individual a pass by the time the beginning of next year rolls around if things continue to go south in regard to infection rates.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, HZZO's Jelena Curac spoke about the situation at a recently held regular press conference of the National Civil Protection Directorate, in which she stated that over 6,500 new institutions which can offer people a Croatian covid pass. These are primarily GP's surgeries, pediatric and dental surgeries and more over 460 existing locations in which around 20,000 people are employed.

Even though the aforementioned change in January, in which a negative test result will no longer be enough to obtain a pass is still very much a possibility, at the moment, anyone who comes to be tested in one of the listed laboratories or institutions can get an EU digital covid certificate/Croatian covid pass, and all of the additional details on obtaining a certificate can be found by clicking here.

The list of test sites, which will be regularly updated and divided up into individual cities can be found here.

For all you need to know about coronavirus specific to Croatia, make sure to bookmark our dedicated section and select your preferred language if it isn't English.

November the 14th, 2021 - As the scope of the use of Croatian covid certificates gradually begins to widen, parents visiting their childrens' schools for parents' evenings will also need to be in possession of Croatian covid certificates.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, all public sector employees, as well as all people who need their services for whatever reason, will need to have proof of them having previously contrated and recovered from the illness caused by the novel coronavirus, vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 or a recently obtained negative test result as of next week.

The decision on the measure should be published, after which - in the case of the system of education and science - the competent ministry will send out a decision to all kindergartens, schools, faculties and scientific institutes with additional clarifications and information for those in charge. The responsibility for organising everything to be in line with these new epidemiological measures will have to be taken over by the heads of the institutions, directors, or deans.

As Jutarnji list has since unofficially found out, parents will not be exempted from the need to present Croatian covid certificates or a negative test result upon arrival at school. Although it was previously announced that parents of students will not be covered by the measure, the new plan - as advocated by school staff - is that in case of coming to school for information, parents' evenings or any other long stay inside the school, parents or guardians must present evidence of their recovery, full vaccination, or a negative test result.

In the case of a short stay at school, for example, due to the accompaniment of a child with disabilities, they will not need to present Croatian covid certificates.

The exception will be parents who are bringing and taking their children out of kindergarten. According to current announcements, they will not have to have Croatian covid certificates either.

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ZAGREB, 11 Nov, 2021 - Those who have received the third dose of the vaccine, got infected with COVID-19 even after getting vaccinated with two doses or got infected for the second time will receive a COVID certificate that will be valid one year after the last event, the Jutarnji List daily said on Thursday.

However, the IT part of the job has not been entirely figured out so citizens cannot receive new certification with the new duration date just yet, the daily wrote, citing the Croatian Public Health Institute. Until this is resolved, only old COVID certificates will be available.

The duration of COVID certificates has already been extended in Croatia once, in September, from six to 12 months, but citizens are now more frequently opting for a booster.

Experts claim that there is no doubt that the third, booster dose, as well as an infection after inoculation or a new infection significantly increase immunity, possibly even longer than a year, the daily wrote.

For more on COVID-19, follow TCN's dedicated page.

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September the 29th, 2021 - Croatian covid certificates will be needed for both patients and hospital staff, regardless of their employment status within hospitals, in order to enter Croatian hospitals as of Monday.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, Croatian covid certificates or mandatory testing for those who haven't been vaccinated will be introduced as of this Monday.

One decision refers to the introduction of mandatory testing of all employees of healthcare institutions, companies performing healthcare activities and healthcare workers, the second refers to the mandatory testing of all employees in social care, and the third to patients, ie the introduction of special safety measures which healthcare institutions, companies that perform healthcare activities and private healthcare professionals are obliged to perform when receiving patients.

Employees without Croatian covid certificates must be tested twice a week. Those who refuse to be tested will not be allowed to go to work Healthcare and social workers who have not been vaccinated or have not recovered from the virus will need to be tested twice a week.

Employees who refuse testing or refuse to present Croatian covid certificate cannot remain on their employer's premises, it is stated in the Decision.

Rules for patients in hospitals

Patients coming to hospital for a planned hospitalisation or planned procedure, childbirth, parents or guardians staying with children and persons coming to accompany patients and visit hospitalised persons will be required to provide a Croatian covid certificate or other appropriate evidence of their vaccination status, proof of their recovery or their recently obtained negative test result. Everything will be checked by authorised persons of the healthcare provider themselves.

Children under the age of 12 who are accompanied by patients because they have no one to stay at home with or are visiting hospitalised parents or siblings don't need to have a certificate or other evidence of vaccination, recovery or a negative test result.

Those needing emergency treatment are also exempt.

For all you need to know about coronavirus in Croatia, make sure to bookmark our dedicated section and select your preferred language. 

June the 6th, 2021 - The newly launched and much talked about Croatian digital covid certificates are already causing issues among many, even with the desire not to discriminate being put first. For some reason, those who have recovered from the infection are struggling to have their certificates approved.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, as of Wednesday, Croatian digital covid certificates have been being issued here in Croatia. However, in the first two days of them being ''live'' alone, it was shown that this system of confirmation with which vaccinated people or those who have already recovered from COVID-19 can freely cross the border without additional tests has multiple shortcomings.

More precisely, a grey zone has opened up which includes a huge number of people who contracted and have since recovered from the disease, but are not registered anywhere in the system. Their requests for Croatian digital covid certificates were all rejected.

"This is discrimination, I don't know how else to describe it. We've found ourselves in the grey zone, not through our own fault, but because of the official recommendation of epidemiologists and GPs,'' stated an indignant Zadar native for Slobodna Dalmacija who immediately asked for a Croatian digital covid certificate through the e-Citizens (e-Gradjani) system so that she could travel. However, the answer she received was clear - no.

"If I want to travel now, and that's the main reason why I want this certificate, I can't do it without paying yet again, this time I need to fork out eight hundred kuna because PCR testing at the Zadar County Public Health Institute costs that much. It's the most expensive in the country. And not once, but twice, when entering and then when leaving Croatia. If that's not discrimination, then I don’t know what is. Especially in light of these announcements that we're going to co-finance antigen tests for foreign tourists to come to us for holidays. That is simply not fair,'' she explained.

In Zadar County, more than fourteen thousand people have officially contracted the coronavirus. However, the main Zadar epidemiologist, Dr. Alan Medic, has repeatedly warned that the actual number of people who have become infected and since recovered with no record of that anyway is at least two to three times higher. This doesn't only apply to Zadar, but to the whole of Croatia. It is these people who are the grey zone today because they aren't registered anywhere, nor can they get Croatian digital covid certificates.

Why indivituals who have recovered from COVID-19 cannot get Croatian digital covid certificates and how we might resolve this issue was answered by Dr. Alan Medic, the head of epidemiology at the Zadar Institute of Public Health.

"The rules for obtaining Croatian digital covid certificates were adopted by the Ministry of Health and the Croatian Institute of Public Health, and you should forward this inquiry to them. What we can say is that at the time when we had the largest number of coronavirus patients in all of Croatia, it was the practice to test only one family member, and the rest, if they developed symptoms, were to contact their GP who then listed them as probably positive, but without any evidence. I believe that all people who have recovered from COVID-19, who have a sufficient number of antibodies or who have been registered with their doctor as probably positive should have the same rights as the proven positive ones,'' said Medic.

For all you need to know about coronavirus specific to Croatia, including travel, border and quarantine rules, as well as the locations of testing centres and vaccination points across the country, make sure to bookmark our dedicated COVID-19 section and select your preferred language.