During the tourist season, most shops are open from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. on weekdays, and many of them are also open during the weekend.

Public services and business offices generally work from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m., Monday to Friday.

Post offices are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays, in smaller centres from 7 a.m. until 2 p.m. Some offices work a split shift. In most towns and tourist centres, duty post offices are open on Saturdays and Sundays.

Phone cards are used in all public telephones and may be purchased from post offices and from newspaper and tobacco kiosks. International calls may be made directly from any public telephone.

kuna (1 kuna = 100 lipa). Foreign currency can be exchanged in banks, exchange offices, post offices, travel agencies, hotels, camps, marinas; cheques can be cashed in banks.

This number can be reached any time, day or night, regardless of where you are in the Republic of Croatia or in the European Union.

Calls to this number are free of charge.

Calls can be made through all operators and all telephone devices by dialling 112.

In the event of an accident the 112 Centre can be contacted in any one of the following foreign lan-guages:
- English
- German
- Italian
- Hungarian
- Slovakian

CALL 112!

If you need:
- Emergency medical assistance
- The assistance of fire fighters
- The assistance of the police
- The assistance of the Mountain Rescue Service
- The assistance of other emergency services and operative search and rescue forces

If you see:
- a fire,
- spills or leaks of dangerous substances, pollution of drinkable water, streams, rivers, or the sea
- other instances which present a danger to the life and health of people or animals, cultural heritage or the environment.

When you call, pass the following information:
- what happened,
- where it happened,
- when it happened,
- are there any injured persons,
- what the injuries are,
- what assistance is required,
- who is calling

In the event of accident on land or at sea, call 112 (the number for all emergency situations), and in the event of accident at sea call 9155 (the National Centre for search and rescue at sea) or 112.

• Tell relatives or friends the route and plan of your journey
• Walk on marked paths and trails
• Secure sufficient quantities of water
• Prepare adequate clothing and footwear
• Prepare mobile telephone devices
• Monitor weather forecasts
• Do not light fires
• Do not throw cigarette butts or flammable objects out of doors

• Avoid traffic jams during the peak tourism season (riding on weekends or holidays)
• Be well-rested when travelling
• Adjust your speed to the conditions on the road and the posted speed limits
• In the event of a traffic jam, be patient (have sufficient quantities of water)

• Do not expose yourself to danger when swimming and diving
• Moderate your exposure to the sun and use protective sunscreens
• Do not overestimate your own capabilities
• Monitor weather forecasts

The import of live animals is possible only with the necessary veterinary documentation that certifies the animals’ state of health. Cats and dogs must be fitted with an electronic identification system (microchip). Up to five pets can be imported at any border crossing, but more than five pets can only be brought in at border crossings where facilities for veterinary inspection are available.

When travelling with your pet, you are responsible for it

When bringing your pet into the Republic of Croatia, it is your responsibility to meet all the conditions necessary for its importation. Please check, for instance, whether your pet has been vaccinated, that is, re-vaccinated, on time and whether it has a valid passport or veterinary certificate. If your pet does not meet these criteria, then your entry into the Republic of Croatian may be forbidden, that is, your pet can be returned to the country of origin or quarantined at the border crossing at your expense.
In line with the Regulations about the non-commercial transportation of pets, the following animals are considered pets: dogs, cats, pet ferrets (Mustela putorius) from the marten family (Mustelidae), invertebrates (except for bees and crayfish), ornamental tropical fish, amphibians, reptiles, all bird species (except for poultry), rodents and rabbits.

Maximum number of animals

The importation of a maximum of five animals can be considered as non-commercial. The animals and their documents need to be inspected by a customs official at a border crossing of the Republic of Croatia. These animals will not be considered a commodity and must be accompanied by their owner or a person authorised by the owner to accompany them for the entirety of the trip. If more than five pets are imported, this will be considered to be a commercial import, and the animals will need to enter the country at authorized veterinary stations and undergo a veterinary examination by a veterinary inspector at the border crossing.

Conditions

General import conditions for dogs, cats and members of the marten family (also called domestic ferret, white ferret, African ferret, weasel, skunk, tamed ferret, domestic weasel or tamed weasel – Mustela putorius) coming from EU member states and low-risk countries outside the EU*:
They must be fitted with an electronic identification system (microchip). If the animal is fitted with a microchip that is not in line with the ISO Standard 11784 or 11785, the owner must provide the ap-propriate microchip scanner. The name and address of the animal’s owner must be determinable at all times. The animal’s passport or certificate, which is transported with the animal, needs to contain the microchip number that has been issued by a veterinarian.
They must be accompanied by a passport or cer-tificate issued by a veterinarian authorised by the relevant body.
They must be vaccinated against rabies

Animals coming from EU countries, or countries outside the EU that are considered low-risk*, that are under three months of age and have not been vaccinated can be imported into the territory of the Republic of Croatia if the owner or accompanier holds a valid passport and if they have been living in the same place since birth and have not been in contact with wild animals which may have been exposed to infections, or are travelling with their mother on whom they are still dependent.

Dogs, cats and members of the marten family coming from high-risk countries* must fulfil the following conditions:
they must be fitted with an electronic identification system (microchip)
they must have a veterinary certificate issued by an official veterinarian or, at re-entry, a passport (dogs from Croatia)
they must be vaccinated against rabies
they must have undergone a test on the neutralization of antibodies with the titration of antibodies equalling at least 0.5 IJ/ml on a sample taken by a certified veterinarian, in a certified laboratory, 30 days after vaccination at the earliest and three months prior to transfer. A list of authorized facilities can be found at the following web page: http://ec.europa.eu/food/animal/liveanimals/pets/approval_en.htm.

The stipulated period of three months is not applicable in the case of the re-entry of pets from the Republic of Croatia whose passport confirms that the titration of antibodies with a positive result has been carried out before the animal left the Republic of Croatia.

Animals imported commercially, and those being shipped as a parcel, need to be examined by a veterinarian prior to shipment.

Veterinary services
Croatia is covered by a network of veterinary clinics and dispensaries.

There are hospitals and clinics located in all the larger towns and cities, while smaller centres have dispensaries and pharmacies.

Foreign visitors who are covered by health insurance in their own country are not obliged to pay for emergency medical services during a private stay in the Republic of Croatia if a convention on Social Security has been signed between Croatia and the visitors’ country of origin, i.e. if they have in their possession a certificate stipulated by such a con-vention confirming their right to health care. Health care (including transport) is used for emergency cases in the manner and according to regulations valid for Croatian citizens covered by Social Security, with identical participation in health care costs (participation and administrative charges).

Persons coming from countries with which no such convention has been signed personally bear the costs of health services rendered.