Tips for Tourists

Tourist health care, Registration and other info

Tourist health care

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Health services for tourists provided by public institutions in the Region of Istria Summer 2024.

There are hospitals and clinics in all major cities, and ambulance and pharmacies in all towns.

EU citizens travelling to or temporarily visiting Croatia, having been covered by the statutory health insurance in one of the EU member countries, are entitled to immediate health insurance services under the European Health Insurance Card with copayments.
By producing their health carrier attestation and the passport, foreign tourists do not pay for medical services if they come from the countries which have signed the Health Care Convention with Croatia.
Health services are charged directly to tourists coming from a country which has not signed the Convention according to a standardized price list.

Services of private physicians and dentists are also at tourists’ disposal in which case a full price is charged for medical services.
More information: Croatian Institute for Health Insurance, www.hzzo.hr.

Emergency pharmacy/chemist (ljekarna in Croatian) is open 24 hours. You need to ring a bell for service.
It is located in Pula:
Ljekarna Centar, Giardini 14, T. +385 (0)52 222 544, centar@istarske-ljekarne.hr

Registration
When you check in a hotel, hostel, campsite or an apartment, you will automatically be registered with the police, a matter required by law. If you are staying with friends please do it yourself. In a 24 hour period, check with your nearest police station and be sure to bring your passport. You will be kindly asked to complete some paperwork, a procedure necessary for your own safety, helping you overcome any inconvenience that may occur while you are on a holiday.

Travel documentation
Passport or some other internationally recognized identification document. Tourists may remain in Croatia for up to three months.

Luggage
Foreign citizens may carry in their personal luggage without any limits. Foreign currency is freely brought in and taken out of the country (up to a value of 3.000 euros); up to a value of 15.000 kn for domestic currency. More expensive professional and technical equipment should be registered at the border.

Visas
Citizens from EU, Switzerland, Australia, North and South America and many other countries are allowed into Croatia without a visa. You can find basic information about the visa regime between the Republic of Croatia and all other countries on www.mvp.hr Everybody who needs a visa must obtaine it before entering. You can not do this at any Croatian land border.

Pets
Dogs and cats, accompanied by their owner, need to have an International certificate from a registered veterinarian stating that at least 15 days and not more than six months have passed since their vaccination against rabies.

Currency
The only currency used in Istria/Croatia is Kuna (1 Kuna = 100 Lipa). There are 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 Lipa coins; 1, 2, 5 and 25 Kuna coins and 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500 and 1.000 Kuna banknotes. Cash dispensing machines are ubiquitous. Most hotels, restaurants and shops accept credit cards (American Express, Diners Club, Eurocard/Mastercard, Visa). Foreign currency can be exchanged in banks, exchange offices, post offices, travel agencies, hotels, camps, marinas; cheques can be cashed in banks.

Customs
Customs regulations of the Republic of Croatia are in line with the standards of European Union countries. More on www.carina.hr

Tax refund
Keep receipts for purchase you buy in Croatia and ask for a tax-free form for bills over 500 Kn (apart from petroleum derivatives); you qualify for a tax refund when you get home. Ask for a stamp at the border! If you intend to buy works of art, ask for export approval before you buy.

Time zone
GMT plus one hour in winter and GMT plus two hours in summer.

Electricity
Voltage on city power grids is 220 V / 50 Hz, so visitors from the U.S. will need to use a transformer and visitors from G.B. will have to use an adopter for European electricity grid to run their electrical appliances.

National holidays
01.01. New Year’s Day
06.01. Epiphany
21.04. Easter Monday, the second day of Easter
01.05. Labour Day
19.06. Corpus Domini / Corpus Christi – The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, 60 days or ninth Thursday after Easter
22.06. Anti-Fascist Resistance Day
25.06. Statehood Day
05.08. Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day and Homeland War Veteran’s Day
15.08. Assumption
08.10. Independence Day
01.11. All Saints’ Day
25. – 26.12. Christmas Holidays

During the national holidays all public institutions are closed.