On 1 March 2027 Croatia moves to a new toll collection system called CROLIBERTAS. Unlike most neighbouring countries, Croatia does not use time-based vignettes – you pay neither for a day nor for a year, but for the distance you actually travel. The system is unified across the whole motorway network operated by Hrvatske autoceste (HAC), Bina Istra and Autocesta Zagreb–Macelj.
The amount rests on two things: how many kilometres you actually drove on the motorway and which vehicle category your vehicle falls into. CROLIBERTAS is a free-flow system – there is no stopping at toll booths; gantries above the motorway register the vehicle as it drives past. You can pay in two ways: by licence plate recognition, having registered the vehicle and attached a payment method, or with an ENC device fitted in the car. Vehicles over 3.5 tonnes must use an ENC.
How you pay in Croatia
Croatia offers no validity periods at all, because it does not use time-based vignettes. There is a single option: a toll based on the distance actually travelled. You are not choosing between a day, a week and a year – you simply pay for the kilometres you really drive on the motorway, multiplied by the tariff for your vehicle category.
The CROLIBERTAS system goes live on 1 March 2027. Until then the existing arrangement, with stops at toll plazas, remains in force. We will publish the exact tariffs as soon as the operator confirms them.
Who CROLIBERTAS applies to
The system applies to every vehicle using the Croatian motorway network – domestic and foreign, from a motorcycle to a lorry. Nobody is exempt; what differs is only the category the vehicle falls into and the payment method you may choose.
- Motorcycles – covered by CROLIBERTAS, registered via the licence plate and charged the lowest tariff.
- Cars up to 3.5 t – may choose between licence plate registration and an ENC device.
- A car with a trailer or caravan – likewise chooses between plate and ENC, but the combination may fall into a higher category.
- Vans and motorhomes up to 3.5 t – choose between plate and ENC; because they exceed 1.9 m in height they usually pay a higher tariff than a car.
- Heavy vehicles over 3.5 t – must use an ENC device; licence plate recognition is not available to them.
The final category is set by the system itself as you pass under a gantry, from the number of axles, height and weight of the vehicle or the whole combination. You therefore neither select nor declare it. If you pay by licence plate, it is essential that the vehicle is registered with a valid payment method before you join the motorway.
Where CROLIBERTAS applies
CROLIBERTAS covers the Croatian motorway network, uniformly across all three operators. Each of them used to collect tolls in its own way; the new system unifies them, so you will not notice moving between their sections.
- Hrvatske autoceste (HAC) – the largest operator, running the backbone motorways including the A1 towards Dalmatia.
- Bina Istra – operates the Istrian motorway, the so-called Istrian Y.
- Autocesta Zagreb–Macelj – the motorway between Zagreb and the Slovenian border, the main entry point from the north.
Only motorways belong to the CROLIBERTAS system. State, county and local roads – including the coastal Adriatic Highway (D8) – are free of charge and carry no gantries. A few bridges and tunnels outside the motorway network have their own tolls, paid separately from CROLIBERTAS; this concerns some island connections, for example. Otherwise a simple rule applies: if you are not on a motorway, CROLIBERTAS charges you nothing.
Mandatory vehicle equipment in Croatia
Croatia is among the stricter countries on mandatory equipment, and checks are frequent in the summer season. The requirements apply to foreign vehicles too, so you cannot avoid them even when merely passing through.
Overview of the required equipment:
- Warning triangle – compulsory for all vehicles. Vehicles towing a trailer must carry two.
- Reflective vest – must be kept in the cabin, not in the boot, so you can put it on before getting out. We recommend one vest per passenger.
- First-aid kit – compulsory for all vehicles, in a version complying with DIN 13164. Keep an eye on the expiry date of its contents.
- Spare bulbs – Croatia is one of the few countries still requiring them. An exemption applies to xenon, neon, LED and other non-replaceable light sources: if your vehicle has such lighting, you need not carry spares. In that case we recommend keeping a manufacturer's statement or the entry in the registration documents to hand.
- Spare wheel or repair kit – the vehicle must be equipped to deal with a puncture. A sealant kit with a compressor is enough if the car came with one from the factory.
Besides the equipment, remember two rules that often catch foreign drivers out: from the last Sunday in October to the last Sunday in March you must drive with dipped or daytime running lights all day, whatever the weather, and in winter, roughly from mid-November to mid-April, winter equipment is required on motorways and many other roads – winter tyres or snow chains carried in the car. Rules can change, so check them against official Croatian sources before you travel.
Practical tips for Croatia
- Register the vehicle and attach a payment method before you join the motorway. Without a valid registration and a working payment, the system treats the trip as an unpaid toll, later pursued with a penalty on top. Best sort it out at home, before you set off.
- Choose between ALPR and ENC. ALPR is automatic licence plate recognition: cameras above the motorway read your plate and the toll is taken from your account – nothing to install in the car. ENC is an electronic on-board device, a small box on the windscreen that talks to the gantries directly. For cars the choice is yours; vehicles over 3.5 tonnes must have an ENC.
- Expect not to stop anywhere. CROLIBERTAS is a free-flow system: toll barriers are replaced by gantries above the carriageway, and nowhere will you take a ticket or pay at a window. If you knew Croatia for its toll-plaza queues, that part of the journey disappears – just remember that this is exactly why registration has to be arranged in advance.
Speed limits in Croatia
- In built-up areas: 50 km/h – from the sign marking the start of the built-up area to its end.
- Outside built-up areas: 90 km/h – on ordinary roads beyond the built-up area.
- Expressways: 110 km/h – on roads reserved for motor vehicles.
- Motorways: 130 km/h – the maximum permitted speed for passenger cars.
These are the general limits for passenger cars. Posted signs always take precedence: where a sign shows a lower speed – typically in tunnels, roadworks or on bridges exposed to the bora wind – the sign applies. Lower limits also apply to drivers under 24 and to vehicles towing a trailer, which are usually capped at 90 km/h on motorways.
Speed is checked by fixed and mobile cameras and by police patrols, which measure especially often on the main routes to the coast during the summer season. Watch out for the tunnels on the A1 motorway, where the limit is usually lowered and checks are routine. Speeding fines are issued to foreign drivers too and, thanks to the exchange of vehicle-keeper data between EU states, they reach drivers abroad. For more serious offences the police may also collect the fine on the spot.