Croatia: Harbours, bridges and formalities for sailors

207 harbours · 9 bridges and locks · 1 inland lake

Croatia: 207 harbours, 9 bridges and locks, clearing in, papers and fees. Plan your trip with weather, tides and route.

Formalities

EU memberSchengen AreaEU customs unionCurrency: Euro

Clearing in: In the Schengen area and the euro since 2023: no border control from Slovenia or Italy. On first arrival, still go to the harbour authority (Lučka kapetanija): register the boat, buy the vignette, have the crew list confirmed. From Montenegro or Albania (outside Schengen), first go to a port with a border crossing point: all year Umag, Poreč, Rovinj, Pula, Rijeka, Zadar, Šibenik, Split and Dubrovnik, in summer others such as Cavtat, Korčula and Vis. The crew list is valid for the whole trip; report crew changes to the harbour authority.

Documents: Licence according to your home country's rules, as far as Croatia recognises it (Sportbootführerschein See, ICC), SRC for the radio, boat papers with proof of ownership and third-party insurance; the proof must be on board.

Fees: Vignette (fee for maritime safety and pollution protection) for boats from 3 m, graded by length and valid until 31 December; after the first registration, online via e-Nautika. Plus the tourist tax for anyone sleeping on board, online via nautika.evisitor.hr. National park admission, mooring buoy fields and many anchorage bays charge per night.

Fairway: Bora from the north-east with violent downdraughts, strongest in the Velebit Channel at Senj, below Biokovo and in the Bay of Kaštela; Jugo from the south-east with rough seas and rain. Tidal range about half a metre, up to one metre in the north. Many passages between the islands with ferry traffic; the harbour authorities' coastal radio broadcasts weather on VHF.

Nature: Kornati, Brijuni, Krka and Mljet national parks, Telašćica and Lastovo nature parks: navigation with admission fee, anchoring only at designated spots or buoys, Brijuni only with a permit. Seagrass meadows (Posidonia oceanica) are protected.

Emergency: 112 or 195 (MRCC Rijeka), VHF channel 16 and DSC.

Sources: Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure: e-Nautika, eVisitor: tourist tax for boats, Navicroatia: entry, vignette and border control (as of 2026-10-20)

Local winds

Bora: falls in gusts from the mountains of the eastern shore and often sets in suddenly; gusts are often twice the mean wind and stronger than the models show, fiercest close inshore near Trieste and in the Kvarner; on the Italian coast it builds high seas across the Adriatic
Jugo (Adriatic Scirocco): humid and hazy, slowly builds high, long seas along the whole length of the Adriatic and pushes water into the northern Adriatic (flooding in Venice); often rain and poor visibility
Scirocco: warm south-easterly from the Sahara, humid and hazy over the sea, often with dust and poor visibility; high seas on south- and east-facing coasts

Harbours by cruising area

Central Dalmatia (Šibenik, Trogir, Split, Brač, Hvar, Vis, Makarska)

Istria (Umag, Poreč, Rovinj, Pula)

Kvarner (Opatija, Rijeka, Krk, Cres, Lošinj, Rab)

Northern Dalmatia (Zadar, Pag, Dugi Otok, Kornati, Murter)

Southern Dalmatia (Korčula, Lastovo, Mljet, Pelješac, Dubrovnik)

Inland lakes

Donau 134 harbours

Bridges and locks

Movable bridges

Fixed bridges (5)

Frequently asked questions

Croatia: Do I need to clear in?

In the Schengen area and the euro since 2023: no border control from Slovenia or Italy. On first arrival, still go to the harbour authority (Lučka kapetanija): register the boat, buy the vignette, have the crew list confirmed. From Montenegro or Albania (outside Schengen), first go to a port with a border crossing point: all year Umag, Poreč, Rovinj, Pula, Rijeka, Zadar, Šibenik, Split and Dubrovnik, in summer others such as Cavtat, Korčula and Vis. The crew list is valid for the whole trip; report crew changes to the harbour authority.

Croatia: Which documents do I need on board?

Licence according to your home country's rules, as far as Croatia recognises it (Sportbootführerschein See, ICC), SRC for the radio, boat papers with proof of ownership and third-party insurance; the proof must be on board.

Croatia: What fees apply?

Vignette (fee for maritime safety and pollution protection) for boats from 3 m, graded by length and valid until 31 December; after the first registration, online via e-Nautika. Plus the tourist tax for anyone sleeping on board, online via nautika.evisitor.hr. National park admission, mooring buoy fields and many anchorage bays charge per night.

Croatia: What is the emergency number at sea?

112 or 195 (MRCC Rijeka), VHF channel 16 and DSC.

Croatia: Which local winds blow there?

Bora, Jugo (Adriatic Scirocco), Scirocco.

Croatia: How many harbours does Sailseer cover?

Sailseer covers 207 harbours with harbour info, weather and route planning. Plus 9 bridges and locks with opening times and clearances.