Travelling within, into and out of Croatia, as of March 21, 2020

Travel and movement restrictions in Croatia are changing by the day - even by the hour - as the country fights to reign in COVID-19. 235 cases of coronavirus are currently confirmed in Croatia. Read on to find the latest travel (within, into and out of Croatia) information as of March 21, 2020. 

TRAVEL AND MOVEMENT WITHIN CROATIA

New rules have been implemented by the Croatian government regarding civilian, vehicular and sea transport throughout the country. 

The following civilian movement restrictions are currently implemented across Croatia:

• Gatherings of five or more people are banned

• A two-metre distance must be kept between individuals outside of the home (both indoors and outdoors)

• Loitering is prohibited in public areas including

• The following are still open

  * Grocery stores
  * Grocery and hygienic product stores
  * Markets and fish markets
  * Specialized stores for medicine (pharmacies)
  * Specialized stores for veterinary-medical products
  * Agriculture-based pharmacies
  * Gas stations
  * Kiosks
  * Bakeries
  * Dry cleaners
  * Specialized stores with orthopedic and other assistance-based products
  * Specialized stores with equipment for children
  * Specialized stores with food for animals
  * Issuance of construction materials per retail order
  * Logistic and distribution centres for food, beverages and hygiene products
  * Wholesalers 

• The following are closed

  * All cultural establishments (museums, theaters, cinemas, libraries, reading rooms), exhibitions, shows and fairs
  * All customer service establishments (including cafés and restaurants), with the exception of food preparation and delivery services, accommodation services, and soup and student kitchens
  * All service establishments which entail close contact with customers (for example, hairdressers, beauty salons, barber shops, nail salons, massage parlors, saunas, swimming pools)
  * All sports competitions, organized trainings, gyms, sports centers, fitness and recreation centers
  * Childrens’ and other workshops and organized dance schools
  * Driving schools and language schools
  * Religious gatherings

Leaving the house should be kept to a minimum and only done when necessary, and in accordance with new rules.

The following public transport restrictions are currently implemented across Croatia:

• All public transport is being stopped and all bus and train stations are closing as of 00:01 March 22 for 30 days. This includes the following

• Public transport vehicles will still be in use but restricted to those with a special permit (which will be issued as deemed necessary, such as for medical workers)

The following roadway restrictions are currently implemented across Croatia for civilian drivers:

• Only public highways are to be used when travelling through Croatia by car

• Only the following rest areas are to be used

Follow the website of the Croatian Automobile Club, aka HAK (Croatia's equivalent to the USA's AAA or UK's AA) for full traffic information in English here. 

The following sea travel restrictions are currently implemented across Croatia:

• Ferry travel is stopped except for the following eight lines

• Passenger and freight transport to all islands is prohibited except in the following cases

For air travel information, check directly with airlines.

Croatia has nine civilian airports (see list below). Some airports offer information on their pages, but for specific air travel information (flight times, availability, cancellations, delays, refunds), check directly with airlines.

• Brač Airport
• Dubrovnik Airport - closed as of March 19 due to a worker testing positive for COVID-19
• Airport Mali Lošinj 
• Osijek Airport 
• Airport Pula 
• Rijeka International Airport 
• Split Airport 
• Zadar Airport 
• Zagreb Airport 

Anyone who breaks restrictions is subject to fines and other potential punishment. Fines can reach up to 120,000 HRK for repeat offenders. Police forces across the country will be monitoring streets and public areas to make sure rules are being followed. Maja Grba Bujević, head of the Crisis Headquarters of the Ministry of Health, warned today that stricter measures are ahead if citizens disobey rules.

CROSS-BORDER TRAVEL

As of Tuesday, March 17, the European Union has closed its borders to all non-European Union citizens for a 30-day period. Travel within the EU is permitted or restricted on a country-by-country basis.

For travel to and from other EU countries from Croatia:

Croatia is allowing EU citizens to return to their countries of citizenship. Croatian citizens are allowed entry back into Croatia. EU citizens will be allowed entry to Croatia only in special circumstances (for example, health workers, researchers, diplomats, police officers, civilian safety teams, military personnel), as determined by the Croatian Institute of Public Health. Additional information regarding Croatia and its bordering countries can be found here.

Everyone (citizens and non-citizens) entering Croatia is subject to specific measures (which include isolation in a government facility or self-isolation), as required by the Croatian Institute of Public Health. 

For international travel to and from Croatia:

International bus and train lines have been stopped. International air travel is ongoing but varies from case to case, so check flight information directly with airlines.

As of March 12, 2020, travellers to Croatia from specially-defined COVID-19-affected areas are required to spend 14 days in government quarantine facilities. The defined areas are 

The Croatian Ministry of Health has also implemented monitoring and self-isolation measures for travellers from any COVID-19-affected countries including

* Hong Kong
* Hungary
* Iceland
* India
* Indonesia
* Iraq
* Ireland
* Israel
* Japan
* Lebanon
* Liechtenstein
* Luxembourg
* Malaysia
* Maldives
* Malta
* Monaco
* Montenegro
* Netherlands
* New Zealand
* North Macedonia
* Norway
* Pakistan
* Peru
* Philippines
* Poland
* Portugal
* Romania
* San Marino
* Singapore
* Slovakia
* Slovenia
* South Korea (except region listed above)
* Spain
* Sweden
* Switzerland
* Thailand
* Turkey
* Ukraine
* United Arab Emirates
* United Kingdom
* United States of America
* Vietnam

Travellers from these countries (even if they show no COVID-19 symptoms) must self-isolate for 14 days and contact the nearest epidemiologist for further instructions (which may include hospitalization if they show symptoms). 

A list of epidemiologist health institution contacts by Croatian county can be found here.

Time Out (In) Croatia wishes everyone health, hope and healing. We will get through this!