Driving licence and car

Steps

Licence

1. Drive with your European licence: no compulsory exchange, no international licence.
2. Exchange it if you wish, or if you are required to (loss, theft, deterioration, offence committed in Croatia), at the competent police station; to obtain a Croatian licence, you must live in Croatia at least 185 days a year.

Car

1. Declare the car to customs: as soon as your residence is in Croatia (more than 185 days of actual presence per year, personal and professional ties), a car registered in another EU country must be declared for the calculation of the special tax. If you settle with your car, the PP-MV tax declaration is filed at the latest 15 days after the vehicle enters Croatia, even if you have already paid a tax in the country you come from; it can be done at the customs office or online (e-Prijava application), and after this period customs may start offence proceedings (Carinska uprava, notice of 16/04/2026). For a car rented, leased or borrowed for more than 15 days, the declaration is made electronically before entering Croatia, then the PP-MV tax declaration within 15 days. It is for you to prove where your residence is if you live between two countries.
2. Pay the special tax (PPMV), due in every case where you buy a car in the EU to drive it in Croatia. A used car also gives rise, at registration, to an administrative fee (upravna pristojba) calculated per kilowatt according to the vehicle's age (Porezna uprava). For a new car bought from a professional, the Croatian VAT of 25% may apply (EU VAT rule, not reread in the official pages read here: to be confirmed with customs).
3. Pass the technical inspection (tehnički pregled) and register the car at a technical inspection station (stanica za tehnički pregled, STP), in principle the one for your place of residence: since 1 January 2018, registration is no longer done at the police station, and without proof of payment of the special tax it is refused; the technical inspection sticker is stuck on the inside of the windscreen, top right.
4. Insure it: third-party liability is compulsory; any EU insurer authorised in Croatia can cover you.

Documents

• Licence (exchange): valid licence, one 35 x 45 mm photo, proof of payment of the fee (gov.hr); for a non-EEA licence, a medical certificate less than six months old and, if the categories cannot be read on the licence, a translation. Identity document and proof of residence: not listed by gov.hr, to be confirmed at the counter.
• Car: foreign registration certificate, sale contract or invoice, proof of payment of the special tax, technical inspection report, insurance certificate. For the tax declaration, customs also asks for the certificate of conformity (or a manufacturer's certificate) and, in case of rental, leasing or loan, a copy of the contract. The technical inspection station tells you which documents are required for registration (proof of granted residence, for a foreigner or an EEA national: to be confirmed at the station).

Costs and timelines

• Licence exchange: the card costs €20.04 (€24.02 delivered to your home), €26.54 in fast-track procedure and €59.73 in urgent procedure; for a non-EEA licence, a medical certificate less than six months old is required and a licence expired for more than six months cannot be exchanged (MUP, gov.hr).
• Special tax (PPMV): calculated according to the vehicle; it depends on CO2 emissions, sale price, power and engine size, and decreases with the age of the used vehicle; customs (Carinska uprava) calculates the amount in its decision (the 2026 scale was not reread here).
• Administrative fee for registering a used car (upravna pristojba): per kilowatt according to the vehicle's age, for example €6.64/kW for a vehicle one year old at most, €3.98/kW at 5 years, €1.99/kW from 8 to 10 years, €0.66/kW from 15 to 18 years (Porezna uprava); exemption notably if VAT is paid or if the margin scheme applies to the acquisition. The page describes a purchase in Croatia: its application to a car bought abroad is to be confirmed with the technical inspection station.
• Used car bought from a professional under the margin scheme: VAT was paid in the seller's country; no Croatian VAT (Porezna uprava FAQ). The special tax remains due: the Porezna uprava FAQ specifies that the buyer must declare to customs in all cases of purchase in the EU.
• Fine for missing technical inspection sticker: €30 for the driver.
• Borrowed car: the special tax is paid in full, with a possible partial refund afterwards (regulation on the special tax); keep a written statement from the owner who lends you the car.

Common pitfalls

• Driving for months with your original plates. As soon as you are a resident, the car must be declared and taxed: customs may ask you for proof of residence (contributions, lease…).
• Borrowing or renting a foreign car for a long time. Beyond 15 days, prior declaration is compulsory.
• Confusing a European licence with a foreign licence. Only non-EEA licences must be exchanged, at the latest one year after entering Croatia.
• Ignoring the cost of the special tax. For a recent or powerful car, it can exceed the benefit of importing it: have the tax estimated before the move.

What changes by country of origin

• EU and EEA citizens: licence recognised without exchange.
• Swiss and British citizens (Scots included): non-EEA licence. A foreigner who obtains temporary or permanent residence can drive with their foreign licence for 1 year from entering Croatia, subject to reciprocity; after that, they must exchange it for a Croatian licence. A car coming from Switzerland or the United Kingdom is also subject to import formalities.