GEN 1.3  Entry, transit and departure of passengers and crew

GEN 1.3.1   Customs requirements

  1. Passengers from EU countries are exempt from paying duties on the following goods, intended for personal use, if the quantity does not exceed:
    1. Tobacco products:
      • 800 cigarettes,
      • 400 cigarillos,
      • 200 cigars,
      • 1 kilogram of chewing tobacco.
    2. Alcoholic beverages:
      • 10 litres of strong spirits,
      • 20 litres of intermediate product,
      • 90 litres of wine, including a maximum of 60 litres of sparkling wine,
      • 110 litres of beer.
  2. Passengers arriving from a third country are exempt from paying import duties on the following goods:
    1. Tobacco and tobacco products:
      • up to 200 cigarettes or 100 cigarillos (cigars weighing up to 3 g per piece) or 50 cigars or 250 g of chewing tobacco, or a proportional assortment of these different products;
    2. Alcohol and alcoholic beverages:
      • distilled beverages and spirits of an alcoholic strength exceeding 22% volume, ethyl alcohol of 80% volume and over: 1 litre, or
      • distilled beverages and spirits, aperitifs with a wine or alcoholic base and similar drinks of an alcoholic strength not exceeding 22% volume, sparkling and liqueur wines: up to 2 litres, or a proportional assortment of these different products, and
      • other wine: 4 litres, and
      • beer: 16 litres.

      No relief on import duties reffered to tobacco and alcohol products shall be granted to passengers under 17 years of age.

  3. Medicine and medicinal products in the quantity necessary for passengers’ personal needs accompanied with the appropriate medical documentation.
  4. Other non-commercial goods being entered from passengers coming from third countries in their personal baggage not exceeding the value of 430,00 EUR (expressed in kunas) per passenger (for passengers under 15 years of age - up to 150,00 EUR (expressed in kunas)).

    Import of products of animal origin is prohibited unless it originates from EU countries, Andorra, Lichtenstein, Norway, San Marino or Switzerland with the exception of limited quantities from Andorra, Faroe Islands, Greenland, Iceland and small quantities of specific products from other countries.
  5. In general, export of personal baggage is conducted without paying export duties. Export of cultural goods from the Republic of Croatia to third countries requires an export permit to be shown to the customs service. Temporary export of cultural goods to EU countries requires licence for removal. Original certificate stating that good being exported/removed is not a cultural good shall be presented to the customs service at the point of exit of the customs territory of the European Union. Cultural goods can be imported and entered in the Republic of Croatia with the approval of the country from which the goods are being imported or entered.
  6. Crew members travelling between third countries and the Republic of Croatia (EU) can enter goods worth up to 40,00 EUR (expressed in kunas) in their personal baggage without paying import duties, as well as the following amounts of excise products:
    • 25 cigarettes or 10 cigarillos or 5 cigars or 25 grams of smoking tobacco, or a proportional assortment of these different products,
    • alcohol and alcoholic beverages of an alcoholic strength exceeding 22% volume, ethyl alcohol of 80% volume and over: 0,25 litre, or
    • alcohol and alcoholic beverages of an alcoholic strength not exceeding 22% volume: 0,25 litre, or a proportional assortment of these different products,
    • still wine: 1 litre,
    • beer: 1,5 litre.

    Crew members shall declare non-commercial goods and excise products to the customs service upon arrival if the value and quantity exceeds the stated value and quantity limits for import duty exemption.
  7. All controls and customs formalities related to checked and carry-on luggage of passengers starting their flight with an aircraft which arrived from an outside EU airport and which, after landing in an EU airport, continues flying to another EU airport, are conducted at the last international airport.

    All controls and customs formalities related to checked and carry-on luggage of passengers starting their flight with an aircraft landing in an EU airport before continuing the flight to an airport outside EU, are conducted at the international airport of departure.

    All controls and customs formalities related to luggage of passengers in a tourist or business aircraft are conducted:
    • upon arrival to the first EU international airport, for flights coming from an airport outside EU, if an aircraft landing continues its flight to another EU airport.
    • at the last international EU airport, for flights coming from an EU airport if afterwards the aircraft continues its flight to an airport outside EU.

    If luggage which arrived to an EU airport by aircraft from an airport outside the EU is loaded to another aircraft which is continuing its flight inside EU:
    • all controls and formalities related to checked luggage are conducted in the international EU airport where the flight ends,
    • all carry-on luggage controls are conducted at the first international EU airport.

GEN 1.3.2   Immigration requirements

GEN 1.3.2.1   Granting third-country nationals approval to enter the Republic of Croatia

A third – country national who fulfills the conditions, determined by the Schengen Borders Code
(Regulation (EU) 2016/399 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9th of March 2016 on a Union Code on the rules governing the movement of persons across borders), will be allowed to enter the Republic of Croatia.

Third – country national who does not meet the conditions defined by the Schengen Borders Code may be allowed to enter the Republic of Croatia at a certain border crossing if serious humanitarian reasons, international obligations or the interest of the Republic of Croatia so require.

GEN 1.3.2.2   Issuance of visa at a border crossing

Short-term stay visa may be issued at a border crossing at the request of third – country national:

  1. for a stay of up to 15 days,
  2. for transit purposes,
  3. for seafarers in transit.
GEN 1.3.2.3   Third-country national leaving the Republic of Croatia
  1. Third – country national is free to leave the Republic of Croatia.
  2. Third-country national shall be refused to leave the Republic of Croatia if:

    - he/she does not possess a valid passport or other document used to cross the state border, unless he/she will be allowed to enter a neighbouring country

    - when leaving the Republic of Croatia, use someone else’s or forged travel or other document used to cross the state border

    - there is a reasonable suspicion that he/she intends to avoid criminal or misdemeanor prosecution, arrest, apprehension, bringing or execution of a prison sentence

    - this is required by the court
GEN 1.3.2.4   Letter of guarantee

Third-country national arriving to the Republic of Croatia for a business or private visit, or for participating in scientific, educational, cultural, sports gatherings and events, shall attach a guarantee letter along the short-term visa application which can be found in Annex 5 of the Ordinance of Visas.

Upon entering the Republic of Croatia, third-country national may be asked to submit a copy of the letter of guarantee as stated in para 1.

Third-country national being issued a visa at a border crossing shall be asked to submit the original letter of guarantee, except in case of humanitarian reason, in accordance with Article 26 of the Aliens Act (OG 133/20).

GEN 1.3.2.5   Invitation letter

Third-country national arriving to the Republic of Croatia:

  • when invited by a Croatian State body,
  • to participate in an international conference of public interest, or
  • to participate in an event sponsored by the Croatian Parliament, President of the Republic of Croatia or the Croatian Government

shall attach the invitation letter, along with the visa request, from a Croatian State body or international event/conference organizer.

GEN 1.3.2.6   Border control

Passenger border control in air traffic is carried out outside the aircraft in a designated area in the passenger terminal inside the border crossing area.

Border control may be carried out inside the aircraft or on the apron, if the situation so requires on the basis of risk assessment for internal security and illegal migration.

Surveillance of passengers and transit visa checks can be carried out in the airport transit area on the basis of risk assessment for internal security and illegal migration.

When an aircraft which crosses the external border, lands outside of a border crossing point on the basis of a duly justified request, due to force majeure, at the request of a competent authority or without previous authorisation, it needs to obtain consent from the competent police administration to continue the flight.

Procedures for certain passengers

The border police pay special attention to minors who are accompanied or travelling alone. Minors who cross the external border are subject to the same checks as adults, both on entry and exit, in line with the Schengen Borders Code.
In cases of accompanied minors, border police check whether accompaning adults have parental care over the minors, especially when they are accompanied only by a single adult and when there are serious reasons to suspect that they might have been illegally separated from the care of a person(s) who legally has parental care over the minor. In such cases, police officers carry out further checks with the aim of detecting any inconsistencies or contradictions in the information that was provided to them.
In cases of minors who are travelling alone, police officers carry out thorough checks of travel and supporting documents to verify whether the minors have left state territory against the will of the person(s) who legally has parental care over them.

GEN 1.3.2.7   Visa system

Regulation (EU) No 2018/1806 of the European Parliament and the Council of 14 November 2018 sets out a list of third countries whose nationals must be in possession of visas when crossing the external borders and those whose nationals are exempt from that requirement (OJ L 303, 28.11.2018.).
It is amended by Regulation (EU) No 2019/592 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 April 2019 amending Regulation (EU) 2018/1806 listing the third countries whose nationals must be in possession of visas when crossing the external borders and those whose nationals are exempt from that requirement, as regards the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the Union (OJ L 103l, 12.04.2019.). The Ordinance on visas (Official Gazette 92/21) provides for the application of this Regulation.

GEN 1.3.2.8   Obligation to communicate data on passengers (API)

Council Directive 2004/82/EC of 29 April 2004 (OJ L 261, 6.8.2004) and Article 24 of the State Border Control Act (OG 83/13, 27/16, 151/22) lay down the obligation of air carriers to communicate data on passengers transported by air. Pursuant to the provisions of the State Border Control Act, air carriers have to notify complete and correct passenger data to the authority responsible for state border checks at a border crossing point of passengers' entry into the Republic of Croatia.

Passenger data for flights from third countries, as prescribed by Article 24(2) of the State Border Control Act, shall be communicated in the following manner:

  • Type X messages have to be sent to XH_ZAG_BP,
  • Type B messages have to be sent to ZAGBPXH.

In case of failing to comply with the above mentioned provisions, fine in amount of 2910.00 EUR to 5300.00 EUR is prescribed for legal entities which, as air carriers, communicate incorrect or incomplete data or fail to communicate passenger data as prescribed by Article 24 (Article 46(2) of the State Border Control Act).

Contact: National Coordination Center e-mail: NCC-CROATIA@mup.hr phone: +385 1 6122 361 or +385 1 6122 362

GEN 1.3.2.8.1   Obligation to communicate data on passengers on private flights (general declaration)

Pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2016/399 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 March 2016 on a Union Code on the rules governing the movement of persons across borders (Schengen Borders Code), in case of private flights from or to third countries, the captain has to transmit to border control officers of the Member State of destination and, where appropriate, of the Member State of first entry, prior to take off, a general declaration comprising inter alia a flight plan in accordance with Annex 2 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation and information concerning the passengers’ identity.
In case of failure to comply with the said provisions, a fine ranging from 1,320.00 to 6,630.00 EUR will be imposed on a legal entity if they do not transmit a general declaration and information concerning the passengers’ identity for private flights from or to third countries, prior to take off (Annex VI, item 2.3.1 of the Schengen Borders Code) as laid down by Article 24 (Article 45, paragraph 18) of the State Border Control Act.

GEN 1.3.2.8.2   Obligations of carriers

Pursuant to Article 52 of the Aliens Act, a carrier may take a third-country national to a border crossing point or to the Republic of Croatia if a third-country national is in possession of a valid travel document or other document for crossing the state border, a valid visa, if required, or a residence permit, or a valid travel authorisation, where necessary.
If a third-country national is refused entry, the carrier which brought him will immediately take him from the border crossing point or from the Republic of Croatia and bear the costs of the transport. If this is not possible, the carrier will find another way of transportation and bear the costs thereof. If another way of transportation is not possible immediately, the carrier will assume the costs incurred during the third-country national’s stay and return.
This also refers to a carrier that has transported a third-country national in transit if:

  1. the carrier that should have taken him to a country of destination has refused to do so, or if
  2. he has been prohibited to entry into the country of destination.

Pursuant to the Aliens Act (Article 249), a fine in the amount of 6,630.00 EUR will be imposed for each transported third-country national on a carrier – legal person that has brought in a third-country national without a valid travel document or other document used for crossing the state border, a valid visa, if required, or a residence permit, or a valid travel authorisation, where necessary.
A fine in the amount of 4,640.00 EUR will be imposed for each transported third-country national on a carrier – legal person that fails to transport a third-country national from a border crossing point or from the Republic of Croatia at his own expense.
A fine in the amount of 4,640.00 EUR will be imposed for each transported third-country national on a carrier – legal person that fails to assume the costs of return of a third-country national.
A responsible person in a legal person will be fined for each transported or assisted third-country national in the amount of 3,050.00 EUR for misdemeanour offences referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 of this Article.
A fine in the amount of 3,050.00 EUR will be imposed for each transported third-country national on a carrier – natural person that has brought in a third-country national without a valid travel document or other document used for crossing the state border, a valid visa, if required, or a residence permit, or a valid travel authorisation, where necessary.
A fine in the amount of 3,050.00 EUR will be imposed for each transported third-country national on a carrier – natural person that fails to transport a third-country national from a border crossing point or from the Republic of Croatia at his own expense.
A fine in the amount of 3,050.00 EUR will be imposed for each transported third-country national on a carrier – natural person that fails to assume the costs of return of a third-country national.
A natural person who assists or attempts to assist a third-country national in illegal crossing, transit and stay in the Republic of Croatia will be punished by imprisonment of up to 60 days or fined in the amount of 3,050.00 EUR for each assisted third-country national.

GEN 1.3.2.8.3   Internal flights

On 8 December 2022, the Council (EU) adopted a Decision on the full application of the provisions of the Schengen acquis in the Republic of Croatia as of 1 January 2023.
On 26 March 2023, entry/exit border checks in the Republic of Croatia will be lifted at airports for international traffic (air border crossing points), air fields and other areas used for take off and landing, on internal flights (flights exclusively to or from Schengen area Member States that do not land in third countries).

Contact: National coordination center
Email: ncc-croatia@mup.hr
Phone: +385 1 6122361 or +385 1 6122362

GEN 1.3.2.9   Information and duties of air carriers in the transfer of air passenger data

In accordance with the Law on the transfer and processing of passenger air data for the purpose of the prevention, detection, investigation and criminal proceedings for terrorist offences and other serious criminal offences (Official Gazette, No. 46/18). The Law fully transposes into Croatian legislation Directive (EU) 2016/681 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27th of April 2016 on the use of passenger name record (PNR) data for the prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of terrorist offences and serious crime.

The Ministry of the Interior is responsible for collecting and processing of passenger data, and for this purpose a Passenger Information Unit (PIU) has been established under the full name of the Department for the information on passengers in air traffic (hereinafter: the Department).

The working hours of the Department are H24 throughout the year

The contact information is:

Tel:+385 4887764

Email:piu@mup.hr

1. Legal obligations of air carriers

The Law on the transfer and processing of passenger air data for the purpose of the prevention, detection, investigation and criminal proceedings for terrorist offences and other serious criminal offences provides for obligations of air carriers carrying out commercial transport of passengers in relation to transfer of air passenger data collected by air carriers in the normal course of their business. The Law applies to all flights by an air carrier where the point of departure is in the Republic of Croatia and a destination in another country or where the point of departure is in another country and a destination or stopover in the Republic of Croatia.

Article 10 of the Law provides for obligations of air carriers to transfer air passenger data to transmit to the Department the enumerated data on passengers they collect as part of their regular operations electronically using common protocols and supported formats established by implementing regulations adopted by the European Commission:

  1. Air passenger data that air carriers are transferring to the PIU are:
    1. PNR record location
    2. date of reservation/issue of ticket
    3. intended travel date(s)
    4. name(s)
    5. address and contact information (telephone number, e-mail address)
    6. all information on forms of payment including billing address
    7. complete travel itinerary for specific PNR
    8. details of loyalty programs
    9. travel agency/travel agent
    10. information on the status of the passenger, including confirmations, check-in status, no show or showing up at the last moment without reservation
    11. split/divided PNR information
    12. general remarks (including all available information on unaccompanied minor travelers under 18 years, such as name and gender of the minor, age, language(s) spoken, name and contact details of accompanying person on departure and relationship to the minor, name and contact details of accompanying person on arrival and relationship to the minor, departure and arrival agent)
    13. ticketing field information, including ticket number, date of ticket issuance, one-way tickets, price related ticketing field (Automated Ticket Fare Quote)
    14. seat number and other seat information
    15. information on the joint flight (code share)
    16. all baggage information
    17. number and names of other travelers from the PNR
    18. complete and accurate information on the passengers to be transported and submitted by the airline carrier in accordance with the provisions of the Border Control Act (Official Gazette no. 83/13 and 27/16) API-advance passenger information data (number and type of travel document, nationality, full name, date of birth, name of the border crossing point at which will enter into the Republic of Croatia, flight code, time of departure and arrival, total number of passengers, first place of boarding)
    19. all chronological changes to the PNR data listed in points 1.1 to 1.18 of this paragraph.
  2. The air carrier is obliged to transfer to the PIU referred to in paragraph 1 all information gathered in the ordinary course of business
  3. If the air carrier transfers data other than those referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article, the PIU shall permanently delete such data immediately upon receipt
  4. The air carrier shall transmit the information referred to in paragraph 1 by electronic means using the common protocols and supported data formats referred to in PNR records, set out in implementing rules to be adopted by the Commission or in the event of a technical failure, by any other appropriate means ensuring an appropriate level of data security
  5. In the case of code share flights (code share) of one or more air carriers, the flight operating air carrier shall submit the information to the PIU
  6. The information referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article shall be transferred free of charge.

Article 11 of the Act (Official Gazette, No. 46/18) provides for deadlines in which the air carriers must/are obliged to give information on air traffic passengers to PIU:

  1. The air carrier shall submit to the PIU the data:
    - 24 hours before the scheduled flight departure time and
    - immediately after flight closure or after the passengers have boarded the aircraft in preparation for departure and it is no longer possible for passengers to board or disembark
  2. In the case as referred to in paragraph 1 subparagraph 2, the air carrier may provide only data which differ in relation to the information provided pursuant to paragraph 1 subparagraph 1.
  3. By way of derogation from paragraph 1, where access to PNR data is necessary to respond to a specific and actual threat related to offences referred to in Article 5 the Act (Official Gazette, No. 46/18), the air carrier shall, on a case-by-case basis, at the request the PIU, transferred to that unit the information referred to in Article 10(2) of the mentioned Act.

2. Communication channels, methods and protocols of data transfer

Pursuant to the European Commission Implementing Decision, when establishing technical preconditions for the submission of passenger data to the Department, air carriers may decide which protocol (IBM MQ, IATA Type B or AS) and format (EDIFACT PNRGOV or XML PNRGOV) will use.

Air carriers that do not operate flights according to a specific and public schedule and that do not have the necessary infrastructure to use the prescribed data formats and data transfer protocols have the possibility to submit data through the WEB interface by entering or importing ("uploading") a file.

3. Contact information of air carriers

In order to establish a communication channel in a timely manner for transmitting data on passengers in air transport, it is necessary for air carriers to submit the following contact details of persons responsible for legal and technical issues to the e-mail of the Departmen piu@mup.hr :

  1. name of the air carrier
  2. air carrier address
  3. name of contact person for technical questions
  4. name of contact person for legal questions
  5. e-mail address of contact persons under item 3 and 4.

This e-mail address is the contact point for all possible enquiries regarding technical, legal and other questions referring to transfer of air traffic passenger data.

GEN 1.3.3   Public health regulations

GEN 1.3.3.1   Health protection measures

Authorized officers and medical personnel at airports have the authority to carry out procedures to prevent the spread of infectious diseases, on arrival and departure.

  1. This includes:
    • aircraft inspection,
    • pest control and disinfection of aircraft if necessary,
    • retention of arriving aircraft under certain circumstances.
  2. Medical personnel, under certain conditions, has the authority to:
    • examine arriving passengers,
    • put passengers in isolation,
    • issue a ban from leaving the aircraft,
    • ask a passenger that is leaving the aircraft his name and the address of his destination in writing,
    • isolate an infected passenger,
    • put passengers under surveillance or to carry out other health protection measures.
  3. Regulations dictate the pilot in command to report cases of infectious diseases prior to landing and to provide information on the health status upon landing.
  4. Regulations give the medical personnel authority to inspect the passengers wishing to embark the aircraft, to ban disembarkement if necessary and to, under certain conditions, carry out health protection measures required by the Ministry of health.

World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations for member states include the following advice:

  • reassess the movement anamnesis of the affected areas;
  • reassess evidence of medical examination and laboratory analysis;
  • request medical examinations;
  • reassess evidence of vaccination or other type of prophylaxis;
  • request vaccination or other type of prophylaxis;
  • put suspicious people under public health surveillance;
  • put in quarantine or carry out other public health measures for people that are suspected to be infected;
  • put in quarantine and provide treatment for those affected by the disease, when necessary;
  • monitor contacts of those under suspicion of being affected and those that are affected by the disease;
  • deny entry to those under suspicion of being affected and to those that are affected by the disease;
  • deny entry to those not affected by the disease to the affected areas; and
  • apply screening and/or restrictions to persons from the affected areas.
GEN 1.3.3.2   Health measures on arrival and departure
  1. In accordance with international agreements and regulation, a State may, for public health reasons, upon arrival and departure demand:
    1. with regards to passengers:
      1. information related to passenger’s destination so the passenger could be contacted;
      2. information related to passenger’s travel plan in order to determine if he traveled to an affected area or just near the area, as well as to determine other possible contacts with the contagion or contamination prior to arrival, and check of the passenger’s health records if necessary; and/or
      3. perform a non-invasive medical examination;
    2. inspection of luggage, cargo, containers, vehicles, merchandise, mail and human remains.
  2. Based on evidence of public health risk obtained through measures stated in paragraph 1 of this Article or through other means, State Party may, in accordance with this Regulation, apply additional health measures in regards to the person suspected to be infected or an infected passenger, depending from case to case, and especially when it comes to the least invasive medical examination used to prevent spreading of disease on an international level.
  3. No medical examination, vaccination, prophylaxis or health measure shall be made against passengers without their consent or the consent of their parents or guardians, except in case as stated in paragraph 2, Article 31 IHR, and in accordance with the law and international obligations of the State Party.
  4. Passengers that are to be vaccinated or are to be offered prophylaxis, or their parents or guardians, will be notified of any risks associated with vaccination or omission of vaccination and application or non-application of prophylaxis, in accordance with the law and international obligations of the State Party.
  5. Each medical examination, medical procedure, vaccination or other prophylaxis that include the risk of disease transmission shall be performed or applied to the passenger in accordance with the national or international safety guidelines and standards in order to reduce that risk to minimum.