Toll in Croatia

Why do you have to pay toll fees?

Most countries in Europe charge toll fees. There is a so-called toll obligation. But what does this mean? Toll charges are levied for the use of certain routes, tunnels and bridges. The money collected through tolls is invested in the road network and thus enables you to have a smooth journey. The primary areas of investment are infrastructure, traffic management and road safety, as well as environmental protection measures.

• Infrastructure: construction and maintenance of roads and motorways

• Traffic safety and traffic management: new technologies such as intelligent traffic systems or toll bridges

• Environmental protection: expansion of noise barriers or measures to reduce emissions

How is the toll collected?

The toll can be collected in various forms. These include the vignette requirement, the distance-based toll and special toll routes.

Vignette requirement: does not exist in Croatia

The vignette requirement involves toll fees that are not calculated based on kilometres, but correspond to a flat rate that varies depending on the length of your trip. This means you purchase a digital vignette before your trip that matches the duration of your journey. There is no vignette requirement in Croatia. The toll amount is calculated based on the route/distance travelled.

Distance-based toll

The distance-based toll applies in Croatia to all vehicles and covers all motorways. Expressways are currently free of charge. Unlike the vignette requirement, the distance-based toll is not a flat rate, but instead varies depending on factors such as the road category, distance travelled (number of kilometres) or vehicle category (weight class and number of axles). As a result, the toll amount can vary significantly. For example, owners of motorhomes pay more than owners of cars. In addition, the amount of the distance-based toll in Croatia also varies depending on the season. Therefore, you should expect higher costs during the peak season.

You can pay the costs for using the various routes on-site at the toll stations, or you can purchase an electronic payment system (ETC) for payment. On-site payment is made by taking a ticket at a toll station at the start of the route and paying the distance-based toll when you exit the route. For the electronic payment system, you need to purchase a transponder (transmitter device). You install this in your vehicle. This enables automatic recording and billing of the distance-based toll. As a general rule: if you do not pay the toll fees, you may face fines.

Special toll

Croatia also has special toll routes. The rule is: if you want to use a special toll route, you must pay an additional fee for driving on it, regardless of whether you have paid a distance-based toll or vignette. The best-known special toll route in Croatia is the Učka Tunnel, located on the A8 motorway.

Paying the toll

You can pay the toll on-site in cash or by card. However, please note that you should expect longer waiting times at the toll stations during peak season (summer months). The Croatian Electronic Toll Collection System (ETC) allows for cashless payment of toll fees. The fees are billed (depending on the transmitter device) via prepay or postpay.

Fully digital toll system from 1 March 2027

Up to now, the distance-based toll can be paid with a toll box (transponder) or a ticket. From 1 March 2027, this toll system is to be fully digitalised. The goal: less waiting time and fewer traffic jams at toll stations, especially during the peak season of the year. Accordingly, the toll stations are to be dismantled between September 2026 and March 2027, so that in the future, payment will be made exclusively through the digital toll system (Crolibertas), using licence plate recognition or a toll box.

But how exactly does payment by licence plate work? Licence plate registration is only possible for vehicles up to 3.5 t gross vehicle weight. In the future, you will be able to register your vehicle with your licence plate on an online portal and set up a payment method. Scanners on the motorway will then capture your licence plate, and the distance-based toll fee will be automatically deducted.

Important: If you do not register your vehicle online before your trip to Croatia, there will be additional express registration lanes in Croatia. There, you can quickly register your licence plate via scan and set up a payment method.

More guides on Croatia: Fines and consequences in Croatia and Natural attractions in Croatia.

The Europamaut team wishes you a pleasant journey!

We wish you a pleasant exploration tour of Croatia. Feel free to use our route planner to optimally plan your trip and see the suitable toll products displayed for you. If you have any questions, we are available to help at any time via e-mail.