Croatia

A practical overview of key regulations and procedures for UK residents taking their boat to Croatia

IMPORTANT

This information is intended as a general guide for UK residents taking a privately owned, UK‑registered pleasure vessel to Croatia for a short visit. It addresses key requirements and commonly asked questions but doesn’t attempt to deal with every possible situation.

Applicable rules may differ significantly if you choose to base your boat in Croatia, own both property and a boat in Croatia, become resident in Croatia, cruise a company‑owned yacht, or use your vessel commercially (including offering it for charter).

Paperwork

You can find general guidance on the paperwork required when boating abroad on our Paperwork page.

The Information for boaters section in the Nautical Croatia brochure indicates that you should have evidence that the boat is seaworthy. It is unclear exactly what a UK flagged boat should carry to comply with this requirement. However, to date the RYA has not heard of anyone experiencing difficulties with the authorities in respect of this requirement.

You should also have proof of third-party liability insurance and proof of ownership or power of attorney for the use of the vessel.

The Nautical Croatia brochure also refers to the T2L as possible evidence that a vessel has EU status of Union Goods. For more information see the our guidance on proving union status.

Evidence of competence

For general information on the validity of RYA certificates abroad, see Evidence of competence abroad.

As noted on gov.uk safety and security guidance (sea travel), it is essential to have evidence of your competence when boating in Croatia. A valid ICC should be acceptable evidence of competence as Resolution 40 has been formally adopted by Croatia.

If you are chartering a vessel in Croatia it is important to check, at the time of booking, that the evidence of competence you have will be acceptable. Details of the evidence of competence the Croatian Government is likely to consider acceptable can be found in Recognized certificates for operating boats and yachts.  Certificates issued by the UK can be found from number 62 to 77 in the table.

In the past people have had problems when they have discovered just before their charter is due to take place that their certificate is not sufficient for the size and GT of the boat they have arranged to charter.

Entry and exit formalities

Croatia is an EU member state and part of the customs territory of the EU, which includes EU territorial waters. You can find information on EU customs requirements and Schengen Area immigration at Entry and exit formalities.

Arriving by sea

Information on the procedure for entering Croatia by sea and fees that must be paid can be found on the Croatian Tourist Office website. More detailed information can also be found in the Information for boaters section towards the end of the Nautical Croatia brochure.

The process differs depending on whether you are arriving from another Schengen Area country or from a third country.

Arriving by road

The maximum allowed length and width of a towed vehicle in Croatia is 18.75m long and 2.55m wide. If either of these dimensions is exceeded, a special permit is required and escort is compulsory.

If you trailer a boat into Croatia, you must complete the necessary formalities including paying applicable taxes and fees prior to using the boat.

Under Croatian Law all boats that are longer than 2.5m or boats with engine power exceeding 5kW must be registered. For boats that do not exceed these dimensions UK registration may not be strictly necessary, for boats arriving by road, however local rules may mean that a vessel (especially a RIB or PWC) cannot be launched if it is not registered and without a registration document the owner has no way of proving that the vessel is a British ship.

Sojourn tax and other fees

Information on the Sojourn tax (including how to pay) and fees that must be paid in Croatia can be found on the Croatian Tourist Office website. More detailed information is also included in the Information for boaters section towards the end of the Nautical Croatia brochure (section 1.3 – Tourist tax)

Croatia is a beautiful area to sail in, but as its popularity has increased, so too has the cost of visiting.

Some boaters have reported that mooring in Croatia can be expensive. Additionally anchoring may not always be free. A fee may be charged if you anchor in a managed area e.g. near town ports, or inside organized mooring fields. Charges may be made by local port authorities or concessionaires.

Equipment and safety regulations

The Government foreign travel advice for Croatia (scroll down to Sea travel under Safety and security) advises that you should not consume alcohol if you intend to take charge of a boat in Croatia. There is a zero-tolerance approach and heavy penalties for being caught drunk in charge of a boat.

Waste water discharge and holding tanks in Croatia

You can read general information on waste water discharge and holding tanks at https://www.rya.org.uk/boating-abroad/holding-tanks/

Marked (red) diesel in Croatia

You can read about using marked diesel abroad at Red diesel abroad

Inland waterways

General information is available at European inland waterways

Croatia is a signatory to the Regional Arrangement Concerning the Radiotelephone Service on Inland Waterways (RAINWAT). Where a VHF is required or is to be used on the inland waterways of RAINWAT signatory countries, the set must be ATIS enabled and vessels must comply with the requirements of RAINWAT.

Information about the Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure’s Nautical Information service.