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Cars 4 Rental Information on Croatia

General

Area: 56,542 sq km (21,831 sq miles).

Population: 4,437,460 (official estimate 2004).

Population Density: 78.4 per sq km.

Capital: Zagreb. Population: 779,145 (official estimate 2004).

GEOGRAPHY: Croatia stretches along the Adriatic coast (narrowing north–south; the major ports being Rijeka, Pula, Zadar, Sibenik, Split and Dubrovnik) with a larger inland area (running west–east from Zagreb to the border with Serbia & Montenegro). The northern two-thirds of this border are formed by the River Danube. The country borders Slovenia and Hungary to the north, Serbia & Montenegro to the east and Bosnia & Herzegovina (southeast from Zagreb; northeast from the Adriatic coastline).

Government: Republic. Independence from the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia proclaimed in 1991. Head of State: President Stjepan Mesic since 2000. Head of Government: Prime Minister Ivo Sanader since 2003.

Language: Croatian, written in the Latin alphabet (although the cyrillic script is still in use in parts).

Religion: Roman Catholic Croats (76.5 per cent of the total population) and Eastern Orthodox Serbs (11 per cent), as well as small communities of Protestants, Jews and Muslims.

Time: GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 from last Saturday in March to Saturday before last Sunday in October).

Electricity: 220 volts AC, 50Hz.

Communications:

Telephone

IDD is available. Country code: 385. Outgoing international code: 00. Telephone booths are operated by phonecards available at post offices, news stands and in some tourist shops.

Mobile telephone

GSM 900 network covers the whole country. Network operators include HT Mobile Communications LLC (CRONET) (website: www.ht.hr) and VIPnet d.o.o. (website: www.vipnet.hr). Both have roaming partners worldwide.

Fax

Services are widely available.

Post

Post offices are open Mon-Fri 0700-1900 and Sat 0700-1300. Some may be open until 2200 in larger cities. Stamps are available in post offices and from news stands.

Internet

The main ISP is Hrvatske Telekomunikacije (website: www.tel.hr). Internet cafes can be found in Zagreb and other main towns.

Press

There are no English-language newspapers at present. The main local newspapers are Novi List (Rijeka), Slobodna Dalmacija (Split) and Vecernji List (Zagreb).

Radio: BBC World Service (website: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice) and Voice of America (website: www.voa.gov) can be received. From time to time the frequencies change and the most up-to-date can be found online.

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Money

Currency: Kuna (K) = 100 Lipa. Notes are in denominations of K1000, 500, 200, 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5. Coins are in denominations of K25, 5, 2 and 1, and 50, 20, 10, 5, 4, 2 and 1 lipa.

Currency exchange: Foreign currency can be exchanged in banks, by authorised dealers and post offices. ATMs are common.

Credit & debit cards: All major credit cards are widely accepted. Check with your credit or debit card company for details of merchant acceptability and other facilities which may be available.

Travellers cheques: To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to take travellers cheques in US Dollars, Pounds Sterling or Euros.

Currency restrictions: The import and export of local currency is limited to K15,000 (in banknotes up to K500). The import and export of foreign currency is unlimited.

Exchange rate indicator
The following figures are included as a guide to the movements of the Kuna against Sterling and the US Dollar:

Date Nov ’03 Feb ’04 May ’04 Aug ’04
£1.00= 10.98 11.24 11.15 10.94
$1.00= 6.57 6.17 6.24 5.93

Banking hours: Mon-Fri 0700-1900, Sat 0700-1300. Some banks may open on Sundays in larger cities.

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Health

Special Precautions Certificate Required
Yellow Fever No No
Cholera No No
Typhoid and Polio 1 N/A
Malaria No N/A

1: Immunisation against both diseases may be advised unless staying solely in first-class accommodation.

Food & drink: Mains water is normally chlorinated, and whilst relatively safe, may cause mild abdominal upsets. Bottled water is available and is advised for the first few weeks of the stay. Milk is pasteurised and dairy products are safe for consumption. Local meat, poultry, seafood, fruit and vegetables are generally considered safe to eat.

Other risks: Hepatitis A occurs. Precautions should be taken against tick bites. Immunisation against tick-borne encephalitis is advised.
Rabies is present. For those at high risk, vaccination before arrival should be considered. If you are bitten, seek medical advice without delay. For more information, consult the Health appendix.

Health care: For UK nationals, hospital and other medical treatment as well as some dental treatment is normally free on presentation of a UK passport. UK residents who are not nationals, and are visiting the country for a short stay, should take an E111 form to cover any medical care. Prescribed medicines must be paid for. All other international travellers are advised to take out full medical insurance.

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Climate

Croatia has a varied climate, with continental climate conditions in the north and Mediterranean ones on the Adriatic coast.

Required clothing: Lightweights with rainwear for summer. Mediumweights for winter with heavier clothing for inland areas.

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Passport

Passport Required Visa Required Return Ticket Required
British Yes No Yes
Australian Yes No Yes
Canadian Yes No Yes
USA Yes No Yes
OtherEU No/1 No Yes
Japanese Yes No Yes

Restricted entry and transit: Croatia does not recognise passports issued by Chinese Taipei, Palestine and the Turkish Republic of Cyprus.

PASSPORTS: Passport valid for at least length of stay required by all, except:
1. nationals of EU countries with valid national photo ID cards.

VISAS: Required by all except the following for stays of up to 90 days:
(a) nationals listed in the chart above;
(b) nationals of Andorra, Argentina, Bolivia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong (SAR), Iceland, Israel, Liechtenstein, Macau (SAR), Macedonia (Former Yugoslav Republic of), Malaysia, Mexico, Monaco, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Romania, San Marino, Singapore, Switzerland, Turkey, Uruguay, Vatican City and Venezuela;
(c) nationals of Korea (Rep) for tourist/business stays of up to 30 days;
(d) transit passengers continuing their journey by the same or first connecting aircraft within 48 hours provided holding confirmed onward and return documentation and not leaving the airport.*

Note: *Some nationals always require a visa, even when transiting; contact the Consulate for further information.

Types of visa and cost: Single-entry: £15. Double-entry: £18. Multiple-entry: £30. Transit: £15 (single-entry); £18 (double-entry); £30 (multiple-entry). Business permit: £15. Group: £4 per person.

Validity: Travel: Valid for a 1-year period, with continuous stay or the overall duration of repeated entries not exceeding 90 days, during a 6-month period starting from day of entry. Business: Valid for 1 year; can be issued to members of a foreign company provided it is registered in Croatia. For further information on company registration, contact the Croatian Chamber of Economy (see Business Profile section). Transit: Valid for a 6-month period for up to 5 days maximum. Airport Transit: One or more transit through the Airport International Transit area over a period not exceeding 24 hours. Group: 5 to 50 persons based on submission of group travel documents, for one entry or transit not exceeding a 30-day period.

Application to: Consulate (or Consular section at Embassy); see Contact Addresses section.

Application requirements: (a) Valid passport. (b) Completed application form. (c) Passport-size photo. (d) Proof of sufficient funds to cover duration of stay (minimum of €102 per day). (e) Proof of accommodation within Croatia or documentation regarding the purpose and means of travel (such as business/invitation letter, return or onward ticket, holiday arrangements).

Working days required: 1 day to 4 weeks, depending on nationality and type of visa required. Multiple-entry visas: 4 to 6 weeks.

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