In Croatia, parking can be free or paid. Parking areas can be recognised by the relevant signs and road markings.
Look carefully at the signs before parking your car. They can be hidden from view in the treetops. But even if they cannot be seen from the road, they still remain in force.
If you’re planning an overnight stay in a large city, especially during the tourist season, you can book accommodation with its own parking or check with the owner in advance where it’s most convenient to park your car.
Free parking in Croatia
You can park for free in any place where parking is not prohibited and where there’s no paid parking sign. If the place is not too touristy, you are likely to find free parking there, but such places are hard to find in the centre of large cities.
Paid parking in Croatia
Paid parking spaces can be of the following types:
- Open car parks and parking garages with a boom barrier.
- On-street parking spaces.
In a car park with a boom barrier, you take a ticket at the entrance and pay for it at a parking meter or cash register at the exit. Don’t lose your ticket, or you will have to pay a fine. The period of stay in such car parks is usually unlimited.
You will recognise paid on-street parking by coloured markings on the pavement and/or a “P” sign with the parking rates.
The sign includes the information on the working hours, parking time limit, parking rates, available payment methods, and free parking hours.
The parking rate depends on the city and location. In large cities, the centre is divided into parking zones. The closer to the city centre, the higher the parking rate. During the summer season, the parking rates in the city centre are about €0.50 to €2.00 per hour.
The parking rates in Zagreb:
- Zone I – city centre. The parking rate is €1.60 per hour. Parking for no more than 2 hours.
- Zone II – €0.70 per hour. No more than 3 hours.
- Zone III – €0.30 per hour. No time limit.
- Zone IV – €0.70-1.30 per day.
Paying for parking in Croatia
There are several ways to pay for on-street parking:
- At the nearest TISAK kiosk. Once you have parked your car, go to the kiosk, ask for a parking ticket and tell the salesperson your license number, zone, and the parking period you are paying for. Pay and take your receipt. You had better keep it for a while, and you don’t have to put it under the windscreen.
- At a parking meter. Find the nearest parking meter, deposit the required amount, press the green button, and take the ticket. Be sure to place the ticket under the windscreen so that it is visible to the parking inspector. Parking meters do not give change. Some parking meters accept cards, but most only accept coins.
- Via SMS. Send a text message with your car license number to the phone number shown on the sign. Enter your car license number without spaces or special characters. You will receive the confirmation of your payment in a reply to your message. With one message you pay for one hour. To extend the time, you need to send another message. Payments are only accepted from local SIM cards.
- In the app. If you plan to stay in Croatia for a longer period, you can install a dedicated app on your phone and pay for parking in the app. In 2023, you can use aircash.eu and bmove.com around the country, ZagrebParking in Zagreb.
Watch your paid parking period carefully. Overdue parking is treated as unpaid parking.
Fines in Croatia
Violation of parking rules in Croatia incurs a fine of €30 to €90.
Tenant is responsible for paying the fines.
Parking inspectors usually leave a paper penalty charge notice on the windscreen. You can pay the fine at a post office or bank within 8 days. If you fail to pay, the amount will be collected through the court.
Sometimes fines are sent by post to the car owner’s address. They are delivered with a delay of four to six weeks. That is why some rental companies refund the deposit after this period or ask for credit card details.
If your car is obstructing traffic, it may be towed out of the car park or “wheel-clamped”. In this case, you will not only have to pay a fine, but also the towing costs.
So, it’s best to avoid violating parking rules.