Croatia Tourist Information

Visas
A tourist needs a passport or some other internationally recognized identification document. Visitors from the EU and the USA Australia, Canada, New Zealand, do not need a visa if they stay less than 90 days in Croatia.

Croatia Money

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.

Exchanging Money

There are numerous places to change money, all offering similar rates; money can be exchanged at banks, exchange offices, post offices and at most tourist agencies, hotels and camping grounds. Ask at any travel agency for the location of the nearest ex¬change. Exchange offices may deduct a commission to change cash or travelers cheques but some banks do not.

Banking hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. from Monday to Friday. On Saturdays banks are open until 1 p.m. In the larger cities some banks are also open on Sundays.

Credit cards: Most hotels, restaurants and shops accept credit cards (Visa, Eurocard/Mastercard, American Express, Diners Club, Sport Card International). Don’t count on cards to pay for private accommodation or meals in small restaurants. Make sure you have a four-digit PIN (Personal identification) number.

Tipping

Usually tipping is used for rounding up the bill, but it is not obligatory. At a restaurant if they serve you well, you should round up the bill when you pay (although a service charge is always included). Better not leave money on the table. Bar bills and taxi fares can also be rounded up. Tour guides on day excursions expect to be tipped. Take care if your agency says you must pay an extra.

Croatia time zone
GMT +1 in winter and GMT +2 in summer.

Croatia Public holidays

New Year’s Day (1 January); Epiphany (6 January); Easter (16 and 17 April); Labour Day (1 May); Corpus Christi (15 June); Day of Anti-Fascist Resistance (22 June); Statehood Day (25 June); Homeland Thanksgiving Day (5 August); Feast of the Assumption (15 August);
Independence Day (8 October); All Saints’ Day (1 November); Christmas Holidays (25 and 26 December).

Post and Communications

Post Offices are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and on Saturdays until 1 p.m. There are Post Offices in the larger cities which are open until 10 p.m. in the summer. Postage stamps are sold in Post Offices and at newsstands.
Public telephones can be used only with phone cards, which can be purchased in Post Offices and at newsstands, in hotels and tourist complexes. To call Croatia from abroad, dial your international access code, 00 385 (the country phone code for Croatia), the area code (without the initial zero) and the local number. When calling from one region to another within Croatia, use the initial zero but do not use the area code if calling within the region. To make a phone call from Croatia, go to the main post office – phone calls placed from hotel rooms are much more expensive. You’ll need a phonecard to use public telephones.
Phonecards are sold according to units (impulse). These can be purchased at any post office and most tobacco shops and newspaper kiosks.