Croatia joined the Schengen and euro area

On January 1, 2023, Croatia joined the group of 26 countries in Europe that have abolished border control at each other's borders. It is excellent news for tourists from Poland, among whom Croatia has been very popular as a holiday destination for years. On the same day, Croatia also became one of the countries of the Eurozone.

In connection with accession to the Schengen area, border controls have been abolished at Croatia's sea and land borders with other countries belonging to the Schengen: Slovenia, Italy, and Hungary. Passengers traveling by air will have to wait a bit longer for the free crossing of the border. Croatian airports have been given a three-month transitional period to adjust border controls, which is due to end on March 26. After this date, people arriving in Croatia from other Schengen countries should be exempt from border control.

Thanks to joining the Schengen area and adopting the euro, the Croatian authorities hope to strengthen Croatia's position as a holiday destination and thus return the volume of tourist traffic to the level before the coronavirus pandemic. In 2022, 18.8 million people visited the country, which accounted for 91% of the incoming traffic in 2019.