May the 26th, 2023 - Bad news for those attempting to be more ''green'' as the cost of Croatian electric car charger use on the country's roads is set to significantly increase as of the first day of June 2023.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, as of this summer, more specifically from June the 1st until the last day of September, tourists visiting Croatia by road, as well as local drivers of electric cars, will need to pay significantly more for Croatian electric car charger use. As has been announced by ELEN, their prices per kilowatt of energy, with which electric car batteries are charged, are now more than 25 percent more expensive, the Rijeka portal Novi list announced.

At charging stations located along the side of the country's motorways (and it's worth bearing in mind that ELEN owns more than a third of all charging stations for electric cars in the Republic of Croatia) at connections with a nominal power of up to 22.1 kW, which are the slowest of all at the moment, the price is 0.45EUR/kWh. Until now it stood at 0.36EUR/kWh.

On those with a nominal power of 22.2 kW to 50 kW, the amount will shoot up from the current 0.46EUR/kWh to 0.62EUR/kWh. At the end very end of the scale, Croatian electric car charger users at connections with a rated power above 50 kWh will pay 0.86EUR/kWh, as opposed to the off-season 0.66EUR/kWh. The gentlest driving per 100 kilometres consumes about 20 kWh. In other words, if Croatian electric car charger users choose to use the fastest charging stations in the country, 100 kilometres will come at s cost of 17.2 euros as of June 2023.

For comparison, with the consumption of six litres of diesel, which in terms of the dimensions of the vehicle and the driving style, the electric consumption is 20 kWh, for the same amount, it will cover twice as much, about 200 kilometres. In the case of petrol-powered vehicles, it is about 20 percent less, 160 kilometres.

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

May the 17th, 2023 - When it comes to getting your hands on a Croatian driving license (by swapping your foreign document) there are differences in the procedure an applicant must undertake with the Interior Ministry (MUP) depending on whether they hold an EEA passport or not. This edition of How to Croatia will explain further.

Citizens of the European Union and the European Economic Area

If you're the citizen of an EU (European Union) or EEA (European Economic Area) country, then getting your hands on a Croatian document is a bit easier. As with everything administrative like this, you'll need to pay a visit to the administrative police station responsible for issuing driving licenses. Unlike with residence applications, the clerk fills in the application form for a Croatian driving license and not you. You then confirm the accuracy of what the clerk has written by signing the form. Any mistakes can be highlighted and corrected before you put your signature on the application form.

In addition to signing the aforementioned form, you'll also need to provide MUP with several items:

Proof of your identity (this can be your EU/EEA passport or your Croatian biometric residence permit/ID card)

Your valid EEA/EU driving license

A photo of you that is a current representation of how you look now (35x45mm) 

Proof of you having paid to lodge your application for a Croatian driving license of 20.04 euros (a fixed exchange rate which would equal 151 kuna in old money) for the application to be processed as a regular procedure

OR

Proof of you having paid for your request to be processed as an accelerated procedure (26.54 euros)

Proof of you having paid for your request to be processed as an urgent procedure (59.73 euros)

The slip you'll need to make the payment will be given to you at the administrative police station. Alternatively, this fee can be paid via Internet banking. 

Caveats

You may not be required to provide the aforementioned 35x45mm photograph if you were issued with an e-ID card, a biometric passport or an e-driving license after the 4th of September, 2017, as long as your appearance hasn't dramatically altered. That said, you should still come prepared and have a photo ready anyway.

If your EEA driving license doesn't display the date of first issuance on it, you'll also need to get hold of and enclose a certificate or similar document issued by the EEA country in question which specifies the date of first issuance. If you hold a license to drive multiple forms of vehicle, you'll need to obtain and certificate/similar document for each category. 

Third-country nationals (individuals who do not hold the citizenship of an EU or EEA country)

Just like with residence procedures, things get a little bit more complicated if you don't have a passport issued by an EU or an EEA country. All individuals who come from outside of the EU or EEA and who are not British nationals who have post-Brexit rights under the Withdrawal Agreement are referred to as third-country nationals.

You'll need to provide MUP with more than EU/EEA nationals do. The following documents will be required of you:

Proof of your identity (your passport or your Croatian biometric residence permit/ID card, but be ready to provide both)

Your valid non-EEA driving license

A photo of you that is a current representation of how you look (35x45mm)

A valid medical certificate (not older than six months) which confirms that you're competent to drive a vehicle

An official translation of your non-EEA driving license if it isn't clear which categories of vehicle you're licensed to drive/which categories you can be issued a Croatian driving license for

Proof of you having paid to lodge your application for a Croatian driving license of 20.04 euros (a fixed exchange rate which would equal 151 kuna in old money) for the application to be processed as a regular procedure

OR

Proof of you having paid for your request to be processed as an accelerated procedure (26.54 euros)

Proof of you having paid for your request to be processed as an urgent procedure (59.73 euros)

Caveats

You may not be required to provide the aforementioned 35x45mm photograph if you were issued with an e-ID card, a biometric passport or an e-driving license after the 4th of September, 2017, as long as your appearance hasn't dramatically altered. That said, you should still come prepared and have a photo ready anyway.

For more on moving to Croatia, living in Croatia and conquering everything from snake bites to health insurance, make sure to check out our lifestyle section which has a dedicated How to Croatia article published every Wednesday.

May the 13th, 2023 - HAC has announced that it is set to update Lucko traffic regulations and that Croatia's road users should prepare themselves for quite the change in this regard as everything undergoes optimisation.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, Croatian Motorways (HAC) has announced new Lucko traffic regulations in order to reduce issues with summer congestion, meaning that the number of approach lanes will increase from three to four in the direction of the sea, and ENC usage will be enabled at all entrance lanes.

In the press release issued by Croatian Motorways on the topic, it is stated that owing to Croatian accession to the Schengen area and the border control with neighbouring Slovenia having been abolished, new Lucko traffic regulations need to be introduced as that border crossing, which is no longer there, was the thing which used to slow down the flow of road traffic.

"With the abolition of border controls, an additional increase in the intensity of traffic entering the A1 highway at Lucko is expected. As such, HAC has started to improve the throughput capacity of the Lucko intersection within the framework of the existing dimensions of the motorway. Through these new solutions, the plan is to facilitate the flow of traffic and reduce congestion on the section of the A1 Zagreb - Split - Ploce motorway, especially in the approach to Lucko heading in the direction of the coast.''

In the area of the Lucko intersection, traffic management will be ensured continuously with two traffic lanes from the direction of Slovenia towards the south, instead of the current single traffic lane. This should contribute to the more even distribution of traffic flows in the direction of the coast and, according to the Croatian Motorways, it will reduce the wait to join the traffic lane in the approach to the Lucko zone. In addition to that, the number of lanes in the approach area to the toll booths/gates has been increased from three to four lanes.

The dynamic management of the toll gates will eliminate the situation of intertwining traffic during peak hours, for example when an ENC user is in the far left lane, they will no longer have to look for an ENC lane, but will be able to use any lane to make such a passage. As a result, passing with an ENC device and picking up a card for manual payment will be possible at all entrance toll lanes, which will be opened depending on traffic demand to the south, as well as to the north.

Shorter queues are expected as a result of the upcoming Lucko traffic regulations

Although these measures won't manage to solve all of the problems due to the limited capacity of the Lucko - Bosiljevo section itself, it is expected that the positive effects will be visible through the reduction of the length of the queue along the Zagreb ring road.

It is also expected that the queues of vehicles waiting to pay, which extend to the ring road, will form later on and as such disperse earlier (meaning there will hopefully be a shorter waiting time in the queue). This, as HAC stated, will contribute to increasing traffic safety on the ring road and in the area of the Lucko intersection, and savings in time which would otherwise be lost in traffic jams are also expected.

The aim of the new measures is to optimise the bandwidth of all directions arriving at the Lucko toll station. The new solution is also intended to ensure the safety of all road users, and to reduce time losses for users due to congestion and traffic jams on this very important section of the motorway.

"With adherence to the speed limit and the caution and cooperation of all road users, it's possible to achieve a safe and efficient traffic flow on the section of the motorway from Zagreb to the Bosiljevo intersection, which will make it much easier for people to travel to their desired tourist destinations," the statement from HAC concluded.

For more, check out our news section.

April the 11th, 2023 - There are yet more new Croatian fuel prices in force today, meaning yet another set of calculations for road users. Here is a list of the cost changes for petrol, diesel and more.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, just last Friday, a telephonic government session was held at which the Regulation on determining the highest retail prices of petroleum derivatives was once again adopted, as it has been being for a long time now.

According to that aforementioned Regulation, the highest retail Croatian fuel prices are calculated according to the formula according to the base price of fossil fuel in the previous fourteen-day period, with a limited premium of 0.0995 EUR/l (0.75 HRK/l) for diesel and petrol, and 0.0531 EUR/l (0.40 HRK/l) for blue diesel, and in the amount of 0.8229 EUR/kg (6.20 HRK/kg) for the mixture propane-butane for bottles, or 0.3716 EUR/kg (2.80 HRK/kg) for large containers.

The new Croatian fuel prices are active as of today (April the 11th, 2023), and this regime will be valid for the next fourteen-day period. The new prices will be as follows:

1.43 EUR/l (10.77 HRK/l) for petrol (an increase of 0.04 EUR/l)
1.33 EUR/l (10.02 HRK/l) for diesel (a reduction of 0.01 EUR/l)
0.83 EUR/l (6.25 HRK/l) for blue diesel (a reduction of 0.01 EUR/l)
1.30 EUR/kg (9.79 HRK/kg) LPG for tanks (an increase 0.01 EUR/kg)
1.86 EUR/kg (14.01 HRK/kg) LPG for bottles (an increase 0.01 EUR/kg)

If there were no government measures and if retail prices were completely freely formed at the level of premiums of energy entities before the first Regulation, Croatian fuel prices would amount to the following:

1.66 EUR/l (12.51 kn/l) for petrol
1.56 EUR/l (11.75 kn/l) for diesel
0.95 EUR/l (7.16 kn/l) for blue diesel
1.54 EUR/kg (11.60 HRK/kg) LPG for tanks
2.17 EUR/kg (16.35 HRK/kg) LPG for bottles

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

April the 10th, 2023 - The Peljesac bridge story was over last summer after the huge structure of strategic importance finally opened after a long wait, but what about the Peljesac bridge-Dubrovnik road?

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, from its very opening until today, slightly more than one million and 420 thousand vehicles have crossed the Peljesac bridge, bypassing the need to enter into and then back out of neighbouring Bosnia and Herzegovina when travelling to/from the extreme south of Dalmatia. There are currently many local guests spending time on the Peljesac peninsula who were brought closer to very south of Croatia by this historic bridge.

The Easter weekend also naturally brings bigger crowds, and on Friday alone about 50 percent more vehicles were registered. Ston, with its imposing walls and famous oysters, is an unavoidable stop for most tourists.

"Regardless of the fact that it isn't yet the tourist season, there are about 10 buses a day that come specifically to Ston for the sake of history, culture and gastronomy," said the head of the Ston Municipality to Dnevnik Nova TV.

For restaurateur Sveti Pejic, the Peljesac bridge opening increased his income: "In Ston, traffic in restaurants increased by 120 to 150 percent. When the Peljesac bridge-Dubrovnik road finally opens, traffic there will lessen, but Ston will continue to gain more and more importance."

At this moment, all traffic from the Peljesac bridge goes through Ston, which creates congestion and pressure during the summer, but that should be over soon. The opening of the Ston bypass was announced for before Easter, but that didn't happen. Nevertheless, HC hopes that everything will be ready for April the 20th this year.

"Works are currently underway to eliminate the observed irregularities, we expect that it should be finished during the next week. The testing out of the safety systems in the tunnels is also now underway. After that, we'll start the procedure for issuing a use permit,'' Ivica Tutman from Hrvatske ceste/Croatian roads told Nova TV.

The opening of the Ston bypass will also mean the end of the road connection project with southern Dalmatia, and the south of Croatia should be ready to welcome the tourist season with more people managing to arrive by other means than plane alone.

For more, check out our news section.

April the 8th, 2023 - Yet more new Croatian fuel prices are set to come into force in petrol stations across the country this Tuesday. Here are the new costs for diesel, petrol and more.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, at a recently held government session, during which revised Croatian fuel prices were discussed, the Decree on determining the highest retail prices of oil derivatives was adopted, according to which the highest retail prices will be calculated according to the formula according to the basic price of fossil fuel in the previous fourteen-day period.

The regulation enters into force on April the 11th, 2023, and this regime will be valid for the next fourteen day period. Petrol will increase in price by 4 cents per litre from Tuesday onwards, and diesel will be cheaper by one cent.

The new Croatian fuel prices as of tuesday will be as follows:

· 1.43 EUR/l (10.77 HRK/l) for petrol (an increase of 0.04 EUR/l)
· 1.33 EUR/l (10.02 HRK/l) for diesel fuel (a reduction of 0.01 EUR/l)
· 0.83 EUR/l (6.25 HRK/l) for blue diesel (a reduction of 0.01 EUR/l)
· 1.30 EUR/kg (9.79 HRK/kg) LPG for tanks (an increase 0.01 EUR/kg)
· 1.86 EUR/kg (14.01 HRK/kg) LPG for bottles (an increase 0.01 EUR/kg).

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

April the 8th, 2023 - The new Croatian road toll system is set to function somewhat differently to what we're used to, and a tender for a contractor has now been announced.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, with the new Croatian road toll system, tolls will be charged depending on the distance a particular vehicle has travelled, and on the basis of specific groups of vehicles. At each location along the motorway where vehicles need to be recognised - at toll booths both on and off the motorway - there will be a portal with built-in DSRC readers, which will enable communication with the ENC devices installed in the vehicles.

The portals will also have cameras placed at the toll booths to detect the passage of vehicles, writes Vecernji list.

Croatian Motorways (HAC) announced a public tender very recently for the selection of a contractor for the country's new electronic toll collection system, with the estimated value of the procurement of the new system amounting to an enormous 100 million euros.

"The estimated value of the purchase of the new toll collection system on the motorways under the management of Hrvatske Autoceste/Croatian Motorways, Bina Istra and Autocesta/Motorway Zagreb-Macelj amounts to 100 million euros in total,'' it was pointed out in the announcement made by HAC.

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

March the 28th, 2023 - As of today, all Croatian fuel prices are lower than they were following a government session held over the phone yesterday. The new Croatian fuel prices, before they inevitably go back up again, are published below.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, a telephone government session was held yesterday at which the Decree on determining the highest retail prices of oil derivatives was adopted, the Croatian Government reports.

The regime according to which the highest retail prices are calculated according to the formula based on the basic price of fossil fuel in the previous fourteen-day period, with a limited premium of 0.0995 EUR/l (0.75 HRK/l) for diesel and petrol, and 0.0531 EUR /l (0.40 kn/l) for blue diesel, and in the amount of 0.8229 EUR/kg (6.20 kn/kg) propane-butane mixture for bottles, i.e. 0.3716 EUR/kg (2.80 kn/kg) for large containers, will remain valid for a further fourteen days as of today.

The new Croatian fuel prices in effect as of today's date are as follows:

1.39 EUR/l (10.47 HRK/l) for petrol (a reduction of 0.01 EUR/l)
1.34 EUR/l (10.10 HRK/l) for diesel (a reduction of 0.06 EUR/l)
0.84 EUR/l (6.33 HRK/l) for blue diesel (a reduction of 0.06 EUR/l)
1.29 EUR/kg (9.72 HRK/kg) LPG for tanks (a reduction of 0.13 EUR/kg)
1.85 EUR/kg (13.94 HRK/kg) LPG for bottles (a reduction of 0.13 EUR/kg)

If there were no government measures introduced to control Croatian fuel prices and if their retail prices were completely freely formed at the level of premiums of energy entities before the first Regulation, they would amount to:

1.62 EUR/l (12.21 kn/l) for petrol
1.57 EUR/l (11.83 kn/l) for diesel
0.96 EUR/l (7.23 kn/l) for blue diesel
1.53 EUR/kg (11.53 kn/kg) LPG for tanks
2.16 EUR/kg (16.27 HRK/kg) LPG for bottles

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

March the 13th, 2023 - New Croatian driving regulations set to come into force in line with those being implemented across the entire EU will alter some things for road users. Here's what is set to happen.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, the European Union (EU) should become the first bloc of countries in the world to introduce a digital driver's license. All this due to the digitisation process that we're all undergoing and have been for quite some time now. This will also serve as a truly unique database that would help the police with their work.

''Your driving licenses would be on your phone or other digital device, and you'll still be able to request a physical driving license if you prefer having that,'' said Adina Valean, Commissioner for Transport of the European Commission (EC).

The younger generation could then enter into a probationary period of sorts after passing their driving test. A rule of zero tolerance for alcohol would also be introduced, because although statistics have improved in Croatia, across the European Union drivers under the age of 30 are still involved in two out of five fatal crashes in which alcohol is typically involved.

''I don't think anything in particular will change. Things will look the same as they have before, with the exception that people won't be allowed to drive under the influence of any alcohol whatsoever and they'll have to adhere to the same speed limits as before. Other than that, I don't think there will be any big changes as far as young drivers are concerned,'' Krunoslav Antonic, a driving instructor of category A and B, said in conversation with HRT.

However, according to the new proposal, the rules on fines will be changed for all drivers as part of the new Croatian driving regulations. Police within the whole of the EU will be able to access and see the databases of drivers in any EU member state. Until now, all police officers working in the European Union have been able to see if you have been fined for speeding or driving under the influence of alcohol, and the European Commission is now planning to expand this.

As such, in addition to the aforementioned offenses, every police officer will also be able to see if you do one of the following in any EU member state:

1. Failure to maintain sufficient distance between vehicles

2. Dangerous overtaking

3. Dangerous parking

4. Crossing over one or more solid lines

5. Driving in the wrong direction

Changes are also coming to the revocation process for driving licenses. If you commit a serious traffic violation anywhere in the EU, you could lose your driving license, and then you would no longer be able to get it at home or in any other EU member state.

''For example, when the German police determine a certain offense and find out the perpetrator, and that person is no longer available in Germany to contact, they will use certain data through cooperation with the Croatian police and in that way, a sanction will be imposed, and if necessary, that individual's driving license will be confiscated,'' said Sinan Alispahic, an assistant general secretary at HAK (Hrvatski autoklub)

Experts agree - we won't have to wait long for the implementation of these new Croatian driving regulations, as the European Union has set itself a big task to bring these plans to fruition by 2025.

For more, check out our news section.

November the 7th, 2022 - Inflation is continuing to pile the pressure on everyone's bank accounts, wallets and back pockets. With spiralling prices and a lack of stability continuing to dominate, Croatian fuel prices are set to change yet again as of tomorrow, with quite an increase on the cards for one type.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, as RTL Danas/Today has unofficially learned, Croatian fuel prices are set to change once again as of Tuesday, with basic Eurosuper 95 being 48 lipa per litre more expensive, while diesel will be cheaper by 25 lipa per litre.

The Croatian Government will most likely step in and freeze the price of blue diesel so that it remains at 8.49 kuna per litre. The average tank for fiel should as such increase in price by 24 kuna at the pump, while diesel vehicle owners will pay 12.5 kuna less from Tuesday on than they currently are.

According to the Government decree on determining the highest retail prices of oil derivatives, over the last two weeks, the price of basic Eurosuper has been 11.10 kuna per litre, while the price of Eurodiesel has been 13.44 kuna.

For more on Croatian fuel prices and other news, make sure to keep up with our dedicated section.