When entering internal waters and the territorial sea of the Republic of Croatia, the commander of the vessel is obliged to take the shortest route to the nearest port open for international traffic in order to carry out border control and to obtain a vignette at Harbormaster's offices or branch offices. This regulation applies to all vessels, including those on sailing holidays in Croatia, ensuring a smooth and compliant entry process.
The ports open to international traffic in the Republic of Croatia are
Umag, Poreč, Rovinj, Pula, Raša-Bršica, Rijeka, Mali Lošinj, Zadar, Šibenik, Split, Korčula, Vela Luka, Ubli (Lastovo), Ploče, Metković, and Dubrovnik. Seasonal (from April 1 to October 31) are opened; also these ports are opened to international traffic: ACI marina Umag, Novigrad (Istria), Sali, Bozava, Primosten-Kremik, Stari Grad (island of Hvar), Hvar (port), Vis (port), Komiža, and Cavtat.
Vignette is an identification mark proving the registration of arrival, the fulfillment of requirements for navigation in the Republic of Croatia, and the payment of fees for the safety of navigation, a fee for the use of navigation safety facilities, an information chart, and administrative fees. The vignette validity period is from the date of issue until the end of the year. The vignette is mandatory for the vessels whose length is 3 meters or longer, as well as vessels with a length of less than 3 meters with a total power and propulsion gear of 5 kW or greater. Vignette is not mandatory for rowing boats, regardless of their length, writes Marinafrapa.
Harbormaster's offices or branch offices shall issue the vignette based on the documentation that the commander of the vessel is required to enclose:
List of crew and passengers
Certificate of seaworthiness for the vessel
Document certifying
Certificate of insurance
Certificate of ownership
Tourist tax for vessel owners or vessel users is paid exclusively online through the nautika.evisitor.hr portal. The portal is available in Croatian, English, German, and Italian and accepts payments by all the most popular credit card brands. Nautical tourists can pay their tourist tax either by the vessel length or per person per day (i.e., per overnight stay) in cases when such an option would be cheaper, for example, during a shorter stay in a destination.
Prior to departure from the Republic of Croatia, the commander of the vessel must do the following:
Pass the border control in one of the ports of entry. Certify the list of crew and passengers at the harbormaster's offices or branch offices.
The Nautical Information Service (nIS) application is intended for yachtsmen, boaters, fishermen, divers, swimmers, and other people who spend time on the coast and on the sea.
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