These travel notes have been edited down from the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office website www.fco.gov.uk, where the full story may be read

Edited by Barry and Margaret Williamson

October 2009

There are increasing numbers of confirmed human cases of A (H1N1) – Swine Flu in Croatia. The World Health Organisation (WHO) Pandemic Threat Alert Phase has been raised to Level 6. The WHO website at: www.who.int has further details. There is currently no quarantine or formalised entry/exit screening at airports or borders in Croatia. There is a dedicated Swine Flu page on the FCO website. Guidance on Pandemic Flu is available on the UK Department of Health website at www.dh.gov.uk.

There is an underlying threat from terrorism. Attacks, although unlikely, could be indiscriminate, including in places frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers.

Carry your passport at all times. You must be able to show some form of identification if required.

Unexploded land mines are still a danger in some more isolated areas. Highly populated areas and major routes are now clear of mines and are safe to visit. However, isolated areas in the mountains and countryside have not all been cleared. You should therefore be careful not to stray from roads and paved areas without an experienced guide.

Around 267,000 British nationals visit Croatia every year (Source: Croatian Ministry of the Sea, Tourism, Transport and Development). Most visits to Croatia are trouble-free. The main types of incident for which British nationals required consular assistance in Croatia in 2008 were hospitalisations and lost or stolen passports.

We recommend that you obtain comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling. You should check any exclusions, and that your policy covers you for the activities you want to undertake. See the General (Insurance) section of this advice and Travel Insurance for more details.

There is an underlying threat from terrorism. Attacks, although unlikely, could be indiscriminate, including in places frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers. For more general information see Terrorism Abroad.

Croatia has a low crime rate and violent crime is rare.

During late 2008, two serious attacks including a car bombing and an assassination took place linked to suspected Organised Criminal groups. People unconnected with these groups have not been affected; however, there is obviously a risk of accidental injury from such incidents.

British Citizens should be aware that, on occasion tourists have been the victims of overcharging in some so-called "Gentlemen's Clubs", sometimes thousands of Euros, and threatened with violence when they refuse to pay.

You should take sensible precautions when carrying money in busy tourist areas, where pickpockets are known to operate. Personal and valuable items should not be left unattended, particularly on the beach. Many hotels have safe deposit boxes.

You should report all incidents of crime to the local police station and obtain a report.

If you are planning to travel outside the normal tourist resorts you should be aware that there are areas affected by the war, which ended in 1995, where unexploded mines remain. These areas include Eastern Slavonia, Brodsko-Posavska County, Karlovac County, areas around Zadar County and in more remote areas of the Plitvice Lakes National Park. For more specific information about mine-affected areas please visit the Croatian Mine Action Center's web site at: http://www.hcr.hr/en/minskaSituacija.asp.

You should be wary about leaving cultivated land or marked paths. If in doubt seek local advice.

Your UK driving licence is valid for up to six months from entry into Croatia. If you are staying longer, you need to apply for a Croatian licence. International Driving Licences are not valid in Croatia.

If travelling by car you should ensure, before setting out, that your green card covers Croatia. Insurance can normally be purchased at the main border crossings, however some of the smaller crossings may not have this facility or have limited hours when the service is available. If you are driving to or through Bosnia and Herzegovina, including the 20km strip of coastline at Neum on the Dalmatian coastal highway, you should ensure that your Green Card includes cover for Bosnia and Herzegovina. If this is not the case, temporary third-party insurance can be purchased at the main border posts, or in Split and other large Croatian cities. Insurance cannot be obtained at the Neum border.

Road conditions in and around Zagreb and the larger towns are of a generally good standard. However, you should take care when overtaking and use caution around other road users who may unexpectedly overtake repeatedly in slower traffic. Minor roads are usually unlit at night.

Croatia has laws stating that it is illegal to drive with more than 0.5% of alcohol in the system (but if in any kind of offence zero tolerance applies); to drive without dipped headlights on; and to use a mobile phone whilst driving.

It is obligatory to carry a fluorescent vest in your car whilst driving in Croatia. You must keep the vest in the car and not in the boot. You must wear the vest whilst attending to a breakdown, eg changing a tyre. All passengers must wear Seatbelts and special seats are required for infants. Children under the age of 12 may not sit in the front seat.

There have been a number of reported incidents of gangs robbing car occupants after either indicating that they are in trouble and require assistance, or pulling alongside a car and indicating that there seems to be something wrong and they should pull over. You should therefore be extremely cautious should something similar to the above actions occur.

Emergency road help (HAK) may be reached by dialling 987. This service is staffed by English speaking operators. Traffic information in English is available at 98.5FM during the tourist season only.

Special care should be taken to guard valuables, especially at night.

Croatia has also adopted a law expressing zero tolerance on alcohol consumption by those in charge of yachts and other boats. If you intend to take charge of a boat in Croatia you should not consume alcohol. The penalties for being caught drunk in charge of a boat are likely to be heavy.

There have been a number of cases of yacht/boat skippers being arrested and taken to court for entering a non-designated entry port when arriving in Croatia, without informing the authorities, which has resulted in the skippers being heavily fined. If you are considering sailing to Croatia you should be aware of the rules on entry to Croatia. Enter only at a designated port/harbour; if this is not possible due to a problem, contact the local harbour master, or the police before entering a non-designated port/harbour.

The Croatian Government requires all skippers to have an International Certificate of Competence (ICC).

Carry your passport at all times, because it is the only officially recognised form of identification. Keep a photocopy of the biographical details page (the page where your photograph is) in a safe location, including details of your next of kin.

A violation of local laws may result in a jail sentence, served in a local prison. Drugs related offences are punished with fines and jail sentences.

For more general information for different types of travellers see Travel Advice Relevant to You.

You may need a visa to enter Croatia. As a British national you do not require a visa for tourist and business trips of less than three months. However, a visa may be required for other types of visit or stay. Additional information on entry and registration requirements, including those for yachts, their crews and passengers, may be obtained from the Consular section of the Croatian Embassy; 21 Conway Street, London, W1P 5HL; (tel: 020 7387 1144).

When entering Croatia, you may be asked to produce evidence of the financial means necessary to cover subsistence during your stay and return to the UK or transit to a third country. The daily subsistence rate is fixed at one hundred Euros per day – this rate applies if your stay is at a hotel. If you are staying in Croatia as the guest of a Croatian national, you will be asked to provide proof or residence. The daily subsistence rate for staying at a private residence is fifty Euros per day. Credit/bank cards, bank statements, cheques are accepted as proof that you have sufficient means to cover subsistence for the duration of your stay.

British nationals living in Croatia who wish to extend their stay for more than 90 days must obtain a temporary residence permit. The first temporary residence permit must be obtained from the Croatian Embassy in London.

Information regarding residency and work permits can be obtained from the Croatian Embassy in London.

All British passport holders require a valid passport. Since February 2008 you require three months' remaining validity on your passport to enter Croatia.

Unless staying at a hotel or official tourist accommodation, you are required to register with the local police or the local town tourist centre within 48 hours of arrival (in Zagreb you should register at the Police Station at Petrinjska 30, if outside Zagreb, you should register at the nearest main Police Station). Failure to do so may result in a fine or possible removal from Croatia (which may include a restriction on your ability to return to Croatia for a certain period).

There is currently no quarantine or formalised entry/exit screening for travellers arriving at airports or borders in Croatia. Some immigration officers are asking travellers from areas known to have significant levels of infection more questions as part of their immigration processing, but there are no arrangements in place to deny travellers entry (or exit) on the basis of infection or suspected infection. If visitors develop influenza symptoms they should contact a doctor (GP), or in an emergency report to their nearest hospital. More detailed information in English can be found by following the link to the Croatian Institute of Public Health's website at http://hzjz.hr/epidemiologija/svinjska_gripa_letak.htm.

The Croatian Health Authorities hold sufficient supplies of Tamiflu to meet expected demands.

There are confirmed human cases of A (H1N1) – Swine Flu in Croatia. The World Health Organisation (WHO) Pandemic Threat Alert Phase has been raised to Level 6. The WHO website at http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/en/index.html has further details. You should monitor local media reports for any further developments and advice. There is a dedicated Swine Flu page on the FCO website. Guidance on Pandemic Flu is available on the UK Department of Health website at www.dh.gov.uk.

Croatia has a reciprocal health agreement with the UK where you will be given emergency treatment and any other follow-up treatment, but will be expected to pay 20% of the cost of the treatment, same as Croatian nationals. If you have travel insurance, the 20% of the cost of the treatment should be borne by the insurance company. Please read your insurance policies carefully. Only basic health care facilities are available in outlying areas and islands. This could result in a delay if you require urgent medical care.

Tick-borne encephalitis is common to parts of Croatia, especially in the summer months.

You should exercise normal precautions to avoid exposure to HIV/AIDS. For more general information on how to do this see HIV and AIDS.

You should seek medical advice before travelling to Croatia and ensure that all appropriate vaccinations are up to date. For further information on vaccination requirements, health outbreaks and general disease protection and prevention you should visit the websites of NaTHNaC and NHS Scotland's Fit For Travel or call NHS Direct on 0845 46 47.

For more general health information see Travel Health.

Health care facilities, doctors and hospitals may expect up-front cash payment for medical services.

We recommend that you take out comprehensive travel insurance. You should check any exclusions, and that your policy covers you for all the activities you want to undertake. See Travel Insurance for more details.

If things do go wrong when you are overseas then this is How We Can Help.

In case of accident stay calm, call the emergency number 112, for the police 92 or for an ambulance 94.

The British Embassy in Zagreb does not issue full British Passports. These are issued at the British Consulate-General in Dusseldorf. You should ensure that your passport has sufficient validity for the duration of you planned stay and a plentiful supply of unused pages. In an emergency an Emergency Passport (EP) valid for one journey back to the UK can be issued in Zagreb, Split or Dubrovnik.

The loss or theft of a passport should be reported immediately to the local police and the British Embassy in Zagreb. The Embassy can assist you in obtaining a replacement passport. Applications for new full British passports are not accepted in Croatia. For more information please check the Embassy website www.ukincroatia.fco.gov.uk under 'passports'.

By registering, British Nationals make it easier for the Embassy to contact them in case of emergency. If you intend staying in Croatia for an extended period of time you should register your presence with our LOCATE service to tell us when and where you are travelling abroad or where you live abroad. More information about registering with LOCATE can be found here or at the Embassy website www.ukincroatia.fco.gov.uk.

All major credit/debit cards are accepted in most banks and hotels. Sterling, US Dollars and Euros are easily exchanged for local currency. There are plenty of cashpoints in Zagreb.

There have been reports of an increase in the number of forged Croatian Kuna banknotes being discovered, especially 200 and 500 notes. You are asked to take care when purchasing Kuna; you should only do this at reliable outlets, such as banks and cashpoints.

Contact Details

Address: British Embassy, Ivana Lucica 4, 10000 Zagreb

Telephone: (385)(1) 6009 100 (Switchboard), (385)(1) 6009 122 Visa & Consular

Office Hours: GMT: Mon-Thurs: 0730-1600; Fri: 0730-1300 Local Time: Mon-Thurs: 0830-1700; Fri: 0830-1400

Website: http://www.britishembassy.gov.uk/croatia