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According to the Regulation on Border Crossing Points of the Republic of Croatia,[1] a total of 88 border crossing points have been designated at the state border, of which 68 are international and 20 are for local border traffic. The largest number of border crossing points is located on the border with BiH, totaling 50. State border surveillance tasks are carried out by 43 police stations at the external border, distributed across 13 police administrations. Of this number, 32 stations are specialized (23 border police stations, 3 airport police stations, 4 maritime police stations, and 2 maritime and airport police stations), while 11 stations are of a mixed type.[2]
Person intending to cross or having already crossed the border line at the external border shall be required to present the documents prescribed for crossing the external border, undergo border control, and can not leave the border crossing area until the border control has been completed.[3] Border control includes checks on persons, on objects, and on means of transport.[4] A third-country national is considered to have entered Croatia upon crossing the state border.[5] A third-country national who meets the entry conditions prescribed by the Schengen Borders Code and EU Regulation 2018/1240 shall be authorized to enter Croatia.[6] A third-country national who does not meet the entry conditions prescribed by the Schengen Borders Code may be authorized entry in Croatia at a specific border crossing point if serious humanitarian reasons, international obligations, or the interest of the Republic of Croatia so require.[7] The following shall be considered as humanitarian reasons: emergency medical assistance; human organ donation; natural and other disasters; and unforeseen and urgent events affecting the third-country national and their immediate family members (serious illness, death, etc.).[8]
A third-country national is considered to have entered Croatia unlawfully if they: cross the external border outside the designated border crossing points or fixed opening hours; evade border control; enter before the expiry of an entry and stay ban for Croatia or the EEA; enter using someone else’s or a forged travel document or any other document required for crossing the external border, i.e. a visa or residence permit.[9]
Although national legislation at the moment does not foresee a preliminary screening procedure, the Ordinance on the Treatment of Third-Country Nationals prescribes that a third-country national shall be deemed to have been apprehended at the external border during or immediately after unlawful entry if they are found within the border sector area, as defined by the regulations on regional sectors, or if they are found in a means of transport that has brought them from the border sector into the interior of the state territory without stopping.[10]
A third-country national found at an external border during or immediately after an irregular entry shall be issued a Notification Form on Procedures at the External Border, which must be signed by both the third-country national and a police officer.[11] If the individual does not possess identity documents, or if there are doubts regarding their identity, they are required to complete a Personal Data Declaration Form in written format.[12] In cases where the person is identified as vulnerable or suffering from a serious health condition, appropriate protection and assistance measures are to be undertaken.[13]
The Notification Form informs the person of their return to the country from which they irregularly entered Croatia, and includes a clear instruction to immediately inform the police officer if they are:an unaccompanied child, a person with a disability, an elderly person, a pregnant woman, a single parent with one or more minor children, a victim of human trafficking, a survivor of torture, rape, female genital mutilation, or another form of psychological, physical, or sexual violence, or a person with mental health issues. Additionally, the form instructs the individual to inform the police officer if they suffer from a serious health condition, or if they fear return to their country of origin due to a risk of persecution based on race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion, or due to the risk of torture, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.[14]
As of 12 October 2025, the gradual implementation of the Entry/Exit System (EES) commenced in Croatia, in accordance with the decision adopted at EU level. The system has been technically fully established and is applied at all international border crossing points, as well as at local border crossing points which have been temporarily designated for international traffic pursuant to the Agreement between the Republic of Croatia and BiH. The transitional period lasted until 10 April 2026. Until the aforementioned date, border stamps continued to be affixed to travel documents. Upon the first entry following the establishment of the EES, biometric data – specifically the fingerprints of four fingers of the right hand and a facial image – shall be collected from passengers who are third-country nationals (excluding the exceptions listed in Article 2 of Regulation (EU) 2017/2226), alongside the data from their travel document. Based on this data, an individual traveler profile is created, which is utilized during each subsequent crossing of the state border. The identity is verified through a biometric comparison of a live-captured facial image with the one stored in the system. The purpose of the EES is to improve the management of the external borders of Member States in the area of security and to ensure compliance with the authorized period of stay of third-country nationals within the Schengen area. The system records data on entries and exits, as well as on refusals of entry.[15]
[1] Official Gazette 79/2013, 38/2020, 68/2020, 88/2022, and 1/2023.
[2] Government of the Republic of Croatia, 169th Session, 14 May 2026, Draft Report on the Work of the Police in 2025, available at: https://vlada.gov.hr/UserDocsImages/2016/Sjednice/2026/Svibanj/169_sjednica_VRH/169%20-%2013.docx?vel=6827361.
[3] Article 26(1) Law on State Border Control.
[4] Article 27(1) Law on State Border Control.
[5] Article 44 Law on Foreigners.
[6] Article 47 Law on Foreigners.
[7] Article 48(1) Law on Foreigners.
[8] Article 11(2) Ordinance on the Treatment of Third-Country Nationals.
[9] Article 45 Law on Foreigners.
[10] Article 33(1) Ordinance on the Treatment of Third-Country.
[11] Article 33 (2) Ordinance on the Treatment of Third-Country Nationals.
[12] Article 33 (5) Ordinance on the Treatment of Third-Country Nationals.
[13] Article 33 (6) Ordinance on the Treatment of Third-Country Nationals.
[14] Form 12, Ordinance on the Treatment of Third-Country Nationals.
[15] Government of the Republic of Croatia, 169th Session,14 May 2026, Draft Report on the Work of the Police in 2025, available at: https://vlada.gov.hr/UserDocsImages/2016/Sjednice/2026/Svibanj/169_sjednica_VRH/169%20-%2013.docx?vel=6827361.