March the 29th, 2023 - While we always hope crime won't come knocking, it can and does, and sometimes more often than most of us would like. If you're a foreign national in Croatia, reporting a crime to the Croatian police might seem daunting. It need not be.

Croatia is an extremely safe country and the vast majority of crimes are not heinous when compared to other countries. This little nation of just under four million inhabitants prides itself precisely on its enviable level of safety, and the chances are you'll never need this information. That said, crime can and does happen, and it's important to know the steps you need to take if you end up caught in the middle of a legally punishable offence. Whether you're living here or just visiting, knowing how to report a crime to the Croatian police is an important bit of knowledge to have, even if it takes up space only in the back of your mind.

The Croatian police are available to the public 24 hours per day, seven days per week, and you'll often see them wandering or driving around. This is especially the case in larger towns and cities, as well as in tourist destinations during the warmer months. In tourist destinations which aren't otherwise towns or cities with a large number of residents outside of the tourist season, or if you're in a rural area, you'll naturally see less police presence.

In emergencies

Unlike in the UK or the USA, you won't need to call 999 or 911, but 192.

You can also approach any Croatian police officer you see in the area.

You can also go to the nearest police station to you to report a crime, and you can do so while choosing to remain anonymous if you so wish, although it's worth noting that this does depend on the way you've decided to report the crime in question. I'll explain that in more detail below:

If you don't go in person to the police station but instead choose to contact the authorities in writing, you don't need to provide any of your personal information. 

If you do go to the police station in person, you must still provide the personal information the officer(s) ask for, and a record of the situation will also be made and kept. 

If it isn't an emergency

Just like in any other country, you shouldn't call 192 unless the situation you're in is an emergency which requires a quick response from the Croatian police. While this country has far less inhabitants than most others in Europe, and is absolutely not comparable in this sense to let's say, France or the UK, resources are still stretched thin and police officers do need to be available for actual emergencies.

In the case of you not needing a quick police response, you can always submit your report to the police (in writing) or to the State Attorney's Office.

Caveats

Most people in Croatia speak some degree of English. The level of English fluency is incredibly high in this country and you wouldn't be being ignorant or unwise to expect to come across a police officer who can at the very least communicate the basics with you or understand what you need. Once again, in more rural areas of the country, the level of spoken English is naturally less, and this is also the case for the authorities working there. 

If the first Croatian police officer you speak with struggles to communicate with you, and you're not able to convey what you need to in Croatian, an officer or other police staff member who does speak English or your native language (presuming it is German, Spanish, Italian, French or another widely spoken language) will be found to make communication more concise and easier.

Here in Zagreb at least, the Croatian police have been busy intensively brushing up on their English language skills in order to make themselves more available to foreign nationals who might end up running into trouble of some kind. 

Most Croatian police officers are friendly and approachable. If you've been a victim of a crime or if you've witnessed a crime, don't hesitate to make the appropriate contact.

Croatian police officers are free to ask anyone, at any time, to produce their ID card or other form of government-issused photographic identification. This can also be a residence permit or a passport. Remember, you're supposed to carry a form of ID on your person at all times in Croatia, and while leniency with foreign visitors is a given, residents and citizesn can end up being landed with a small fine if they fail to provide this at the officer's request.

The Croatian police carry guns. They rarely ever have to be used.

For more on living in or moving to Croatia, make sure to check out our dedicated lifestyle section and keep your eyes peeled for our How to Croatia articles which are published every Wednesday.

January 11, 2023 - Pursuant to Article 112 of the Law on the Police, the 21-year-old Croatian police officer in question was dismissed from service by decision, and disciplinary proceedings were initiated against him for a serious breach of official duty.

As Poslovni reports, before he returned to Croatia, the Croatian police were aware of the case of a 21-year-old Croatian police officer from the Vukovar-Srijem area who was removed from service on November 7, 2022, because he accepted the call of the Serbian Army without informing his superior.

The Police Administration (PU) of Vukovar-Srijem reminds that a 21-year-old Vukovar-Srijem police officer, who was assigned to the Tovarnik border police station and has dual citizenship, made contact with representatives of the Serbian Army on the territory of the Republic of Serbia by accepting an invitation to enroll in military records of the Republic of Serbia, without notifying his superior.

"The fact that the Ministry of Internal Affairs had this information even before the aforementioned police officer returned to the Republic of Croatia confirms the prompt reaction of the security system in the Republic of Croatia," they state from the PU of Vukovar-Srijem.

Pursuant to Article 112 of the Law on the Police, the 21-year-old was dismissed from service by decision, and disciplinary proceedings were initiated against him for a serious breach of official duty.

The Vukovar-Srijem police also explain that the condition for admission to the police is Croatian citizenship, while nationality is not a legal requirement for admission to the police, nor is it a category that is a decisive factor in the recruitment process.

Any other action would be contrary to the provision of Article 9 of the Act on the Suppression of Discrimination, which expressly states that discrimination in all its forms is prohibited, the police state with the conclusion that a person with dual citizenship can be an employee of the Ministry of the Interior, that is, they can pass a security check that is necessary for performing police work, of course, if all other legal requirements are met.

According to the information available to the ministry, this is the only case in which a Croatian police officer responded to a call from the army of another country to be registered in the military records of that country.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated News section.

October the 13th, 2022 - Thanks to Croatian border police at the border crossing at Pasjak near the border with Slovenia, one of Europe's most wanted criminals was apprehended and taken to custody.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, on the 11th of October, Croatian border police officers performing their normal duties at the Pasjak border crossing came upon a 27-year-old Croatian citizen who had arrived at the aforementioned border crossing wanting to enter Croatia from Slovenia on foot.

They were met with this man during the regular border control procedures of the entry of passengers into the Republic of Croatia. The Primorje-Gorski Kotar police administration had issued a warrant for the arrest of this particular individual, as was later announced by the police on its website.

They pointed out that the search for the aforementioned individual was initially announced by the County Court in Rijeka owing to their suspicion of the person committing a criminal offense as part of a criminal association, as well as the unauthorised production and trafficking of drugs being tied to them.

In addition to the above, for his arrest, international searches were launched within the Schengen Information System and the INTERPOL database making this person one of Europe's most wanted, as reported by HRT. They emphasised that due to the suspicion of committing the aforementioned criminal acts, the suspect was arrested and escorted to custody.

For more, make sure to keep up with our dedicated news section.

September the 10th, 2022 - Fascinating anti-tank mines from back during the Second World War have been discovered on the popular Rab island in Northern Dalmatia.

As Morski writes, ever since the beginning of September 2022, the police have registered three voluntary surrenders of dangerous explosive devices by people from the areas of Crikvenica, Gorski kotar and Rijeka. Those individuals handed over one gun, a hand grenade and 31 pieces of different ammunition.

Over the aforementioned days, a German-made anti-tank mine from the Second World War was also found on Rab island. All the explosives discovered were handed in and dealt with by employees of the Rijeka Anti-Explosion Unit and will be disposed of safely and according to the strict rules of the profession.

The police would like to thank the conscientious citizens who joined the "Less weapons, fewer tragedies" campaign, which enabled the voluntary surrender of all types of weapons and explosives without any misdemeanor or criminal sanctions being imposed on anyone.

We'd also like to ask other citizens who still own unregistered explosive devices to hand them over to the police without fear of being sanctioned or punished in any way, and we particularly urge that such dangerous devices are not left out in open spaces in nature or at waste disposal sites, as this greatly endangers the safety of other people.

We'd also like to ask citizens not to touch or bring their explosive devices to the police station themselves, in order to prevent their activation and unwanted injuries, but to instead report the explosives to the police via the number 192. After that, authorised police officers will come and those explosives will then be taken safely away, the police explained.

Detailed information on the implementation of this action, as well as the handing over of weapons and other explosive devices, can be obtained by calling the free phone line 0800 88 92.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated lifestyle section.

August the 25th, 2022 - Foreign police officers often appear in Croatia as part of a wider project of which the Republic of Croatia is a part. Brac island has recently been richer for several foreign officers who made themselves available to visitors.

As Morski writes, foreign police officers from Poland, Slovakia, France, Germany and Italy have been on Brac island in Central Dalmatia as part of the "Safe Tourist Destination" project recently.

As part of the "Safe Tourist Destination" project, the group of foreign police from the aforementioned group of countries accompanied by a police officer from the Chief's Office and police officers from the Brac Police Station visited Brac island yesterday. Their host was the head of the Brac Police Station, Zarko Smajic, who was their guide.

The group of foreign police officers toured the town of Supetar, where they also met with the mayor of the town of Supetar, Ivana Markovic, who welcomed them warmly to this very popular island. In the municipality of Postira, they met with the mayor, Sinisa Marovic. Leaders of local communities have long since supported this unique project of the Ministry of the Interior (MUP), which enables foreign police officers to stay and work in the Republic of Croatia during the main summer tourist season.

During their stay on Brac island, the foreign police officers talked with foreign tourists about various different topics.

During their engagements with others in public places, the police made themselves readily available to foreign tourists, all with the aim of providing information and advice to make their stay in Croatia even more pleasant.

The Republic of Croatia is a safe tourist destination and is recognised as such all over the world, and this was once again emphasised by foreign tourists in their conversation with foreign police officers on Brac island.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated lifestyle section.

ZAGREB, 18 July 2022 - Police are investigating who drew a swastika outside a hotel in Trilj, about 40 km inland from the southern coastal city of Split, where children from the French Jewish community are staying.

"An investigation is underway to identify the perpetrator," the Split-Dalmatia County police told Hina.

According to media reports, about 60 children from the French Jewish community are staying at the hotel for three weeks. This could not be immediately confirmed at the hotel.

For more news about Croatia, click here.

July the 16th, 2022 - The Croatian police have been reaching out to the youth via the wildly popular TikTok platform, but not to warn them to stay away from drugs and drink driving this summer. Instead, they want young people to take more interest in the idea of becoming police officers, and they have a young Rijeka-based content creator to thank.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, thanks to a Croatian TikToker, Croatian police officers have decided to try attract the attention of younger people and popularise the profession of ''policeman'' in a rather unusual manner, as reported by HRT.

Ivan Tokic, a 21-year-old man from Rijeka, is a young entrepreneur and ''content creator''. A TikToker, to be more precise. In the three recorded TikTok reels they came up with together, the Croatian police and Ivan Tokic invited young people to join their ranks.

"The first competition we highlighted is for retraining, this is aimed at people who have finished high school, who can enroll in retraining, complete their course and become trainee police officers. The second competition is for the third grade of the Josip Jovic Police Academy, urging young people who have completed the second grade, meet the requirements and can enroll in the third grade of the police school, to get enrolled," explained Gabrijel Flegar, a Croatian police officer of the the Primorje-Gorski Kotar police administration (MUP).

But what is the relationship between Ivan Tokic and the Croatian police? So far, there is none. This young man came up with the idea of ​​promoting preventive actions carried out by the Croatian police through social media, he prepared all of the necessary documentation, but didn't know how to actually make contact with the "boys in blue", aside from committing a crime to get their attention of course, which he chose not to do.

''I decided to go to the police station with those papers, the people there were kind, they welcomed me with open arms, I was a little anxious about it all, but they were really kind as I said", said Ivan Tokic, a young entrepreneur and content creator from Rijeka.

"We went to meet each other, there were actors and extras, some athletes, Gabrijel showed me all kinds of things, there were a lot of anecdotes and he couldn't tell me everything he wanted to in one single statement," said Tokic of the police officer's enthusiasm at the idea, but the most important things were recorded and posted on the platform for all to see.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated lifestyle section.

ZAGREB, 4 July 2022 - A total of 433 foreign police officers from nine countries will be helping their Croatian colleagues in Split-Dalmatia County as part of the Safe Tourist Destination project, launched in 2008.

Their role will be to help in communication between Croatian police and foreign nationals to ensure a more pleasant stay for foreign visitors and foster a sense of safety among them, Split-Dalmatia County police chief Slobodan Marendić told a press conference on Monday.

The foreign police officers will be on duty in Split, Trogir, Omiš, Makarska, and at the airport and maritime police stations. They will also be deployed to other areas, including islands, if necessary.

The foreign police officers participating in the Safe Tourist Destination projects come from Italy, France, South Korea, Germany, Poland, Slovakia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Czech Republic. In mid-July, they will be joined for the first time by a police officer from the United States.

Foreign police officers usually assist if foreign visitors report a loss of personal documents, are involved in minor traffic accidents, or become the victims of minor criminal offenses.

Patrik Vučković is the first police officer from Bavaria to participate in the project. He was born in Germany, but his parents are originally from northwestern Croatia.

"I hope that German tourists will recognize the uniform and that, when they see it, we will have a nice chat and they will feel safe in Split. I have been here privately several times, but this is my first time here in an official capacity," Vučković said.

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

ZAGREB, 2 July 2022 - Two 25-year-old nationals of Georgia have been arrested on the suspicion of attempted murder of three Croatian nationals in Mali Lošinj on the northern Adriatic island of Lošinj, police said on Saturday.

The incident occurred on Friday night when the two men argued with the three Croatians, aged 21, 22 and 25, and stabbed them. Two of the stabbed men suffered serious injuries.

All three injured men have been taken to a hospital in Rijeka, while the suspects have been placed in custody.

For more news about Croatia, click here.

June the 27th, 2022 - Croatian employers are requesting work permits for would-be foreign employees left, right and centre. With demographic issues and difficulties finding qualified local staff continuing to bite, MUP is having trouble getting through the paperwork in time for the height of the summer season.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, the ongoing problem of staff shortages escalated for Croatian employers last summer, and this year it has become even more pronounced because there are more guests, this tourist season could be better than that of 2019, and the desire to travel is great, leading some to describe it as being as if the dam has given way.

There is as much labour here on the domestic labour market as there is, and it isn't enough. As such, Croatian employers are continuing to turn to foreign workers from outside the EEA/EU who need work permits, Novi list reports.

Croatian employers say that even the pool often used in neighbouring non-EEA/EU countries such as Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia has been emptied, meaning that more and more workers are being brought in from distant countries like India, Nepal, the Philippines… To work in Croatia legally, non-EU foreigners, of course, need work permits. And there was a big problem with this at MUP last year as well.

People came from abroad and stayed in workers' accommodation units for weeks, until they got their work permits and began work. The tourism sector asked last year for MUP to speed up the process of issuing work permits, however, in principle the only thing that has changed is that applications can now be submitted online instead of being taken to administrative police stations in person. Despite very small changes, just like in previous years, overworked MUP employees continue to deal with all of these requests manually, one by one.

Robert Palic, an employer in tourism from Crikvenica, who has five catering and hospitality facilities in the very centre, explained what it looks like in practice. He applied for about fifty work permits back in early May and hasn't even received even half to date. However, he says, in the meantime, ten work permits have practically been made pointless because people gave up in the meantime and went and found another job elsewhere.

"There were seven Nepalese nationals among them. I paid the agency through which I can employ these people 10,500 kuna to bring those seven people to Croatia, and then another 4,000 kuna for their work permits. With the proviso that they had to come to New Delhi to the embassy with a work permit to get a visa. When I was told that work permits would be ready, those people headed to New Delhi which is, let's not forget, 550 kilometres away from their homes. They waited there for three days for their work permits to arrive to pick up their visas. However, as those work permits didn't arrive. So of course those people gave up on it,'' Palic explained.

He added that at the administrative police station in Crikvenica he asked if he could return those work permits or get the costs taken away for the paid for the work permits he'd paid for for other workers, because he obviously doesn't need these for Nepalese nationals anymore, but they said that no, he can't.

"I'm losing workers, I'm losing money, and on top of that I have to find a dozen new workers overnight. Until a few days ago, I had all my facilities closed because I can't complete my team, and it's already the middle of June,'' added Palic.

“I understand those two women who have to process all these requests and who are overwhelmed with work, but then things need to be arranged differently, more people need to be hired by MUP, as needed, or the whole story needs to be digitised. After all, the coronavirus pandemic taught us how to deal with everything online. Let them put themselves in my position, the tourist season is here, and there are no people, I can’t do all this and only have three workers. My employees who are already working, can’t do the whole season on their own, it’s unbearable, so I urgently need to find more workers. I need to find them tomorrow, not in a month's time,'' pointed out Palic.

The search for workers did indeed set off on time in Palic's case, but the paperwork issues and MUP's outdated way of handling administrative procedures clearly clouded the plans.

Quotas for foreign workers were abolished, but things are no easier...

When asked by the press about the situation with work permits this year, the Police Administration of Primorje-Gorski Kotar County told us that by Wednesday, June the 5th, the Crikvenica Police Station had received a total of 1,258 applications for residence and work permits for non-EU citizens.

"This number refers not only to seasonal work up to 90 days, but also to the extension of existing permits to one year and the request of the CES application, which includes seasonal work up to six months and so-called ''new employment'' for a period of one year. As for the number of requests received compared to the same period last year, it has more than doubled,'' they said from MUP.

"Every year, there's a growing problem when it comes to finding quality workers in Serbia, because instead of coming to Croatia, more and more of them are going off to work in Western European countries. So there's a shortage of people in this pool of ours as well. And that's why we will all have to look more and more for workers from more distant countries. As for the Nepalese, the idea was to have a dozen of them this year and then have them return home satisfied because then they'll say how much it pays to come here to work, so I'll be able to count on, let's say, 20 employees from this country. And that gives me some sense of security in a situation when this pool of ours is almost empty,'' said Palic, just one of many Croatian employers facing this huge problem which keeps on escalating each and every year.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated business section.