LIVING IN CROATIA

Daily life and people

As with the UK, you will find a significant north-south divide between the Istrians and Dalmatians. The northern Croatians are extremely well organised and much more teutonic in nature, something they have inherited from their Germanic neighbours. In contrast, the Dalmatians are very spirited and passionate people–local boy and tennis player Goran Ivanesevic typifies this spirit, as does the strength and courage of their people, as shown during the various wars and sieges the country endured.

The Croatian people are extremely friendly and welcoming to foreigners, regardless of your intentions in their country. Although there has been some upset over foreigners purchasing property, this seems to be more focused towards the resulting rise in the cost of living which has priced many locals out of the market.

A typical working day in Croatia lasts from 8am until 4pm, Monday to Friday, with a lunch break of an hour or less. Public services, shops and banks tend to be open all day from 8am until 7pm from Monday to Friday and from 8am until 12pm on Saturday.

Visas and residency

UK and Irish citizens don’t require a visa to visit Croatia, although if you plan to stay for longer than 90 days you will have to apply for a residency permit. Temporary permits are issued for 12 months and can be renewed. You will need to apply at your local Croatian Embassy and will have to supply two photographs, a photocopy of a valid passport, proof of sufficient funds to support yourself and your birth certificate.

Permanent residence can be granted to a foreigner who has:

• stayed in Croatia with a temporary residence/work permit for a period of five years continuously;
• a temporary residence/work permit and who has been married to a Croatian citizen for at least three years;
• held a temporary residence/work permit and who is married to a foreigner with a permanent residence permit for at least three years.

Visit www.croatia.embassyhomepage.com for more details and an application form.

Utilities

Once you buy a property, it’s unlikely that you will be able to register for utilities until the land registry has processed your details and you are officially named as the owner of the property.

Electricity is 220V, 50Hz. Croatia uses the standard European two-pin plugs so if you are visiting from the UK, buy an adaptor. The main electricity company is Hrvatska Elektroprivreda (www.hep.hr), which is state run. Electricity prices have risen in Croatia in recent years, but generally remain about 10% lower than in the UK. Generally speaking, most central heating is oil run, but some larger cities do have gas connections.

The internet is becoming increasingly available in Croatia and broadband can be installed in some areas. The main telecommunications company is Croatian Telecom (www.t.ht.hr). There are two million landlines in Croatia and 2.8 million mobile phone users. The main mobile operators are T-Mobile Croatia, VIPnet and Tele2. The international country code is +385.

Banking and currency

The Croatians use the kuna, which is available in 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 lipa coins, 1, 2, 5, 25 kn coins and 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500 and 1,000 kn banknotes. There are 100 lipa in 1 kuna.

Setting up a bank account is straightforward and can be done in either foreign or local currency–all you need to do is produce your passport. If you want to set up a standing order for your utilities, you will need to produce the relevant documentation. You will be able to use all major credit cards and ATMs are widely available.

Taxes

There’s a double taxation treaty in place with the UK, which means that if you pay tax locally, you shouldn’t have to pay it in Britain as well. Capital gains tax is waived in Croatia if you own property for more than three years, although if you haven’t, it is charged at the same rate as income tax, which is charged at a progressive rate of between 15% and 45%. The equivalent of council tax is vastly lower than in the UK. Corporate tax is charged at 20% on profits.

Insurance

Insurance is readily available through a variety of companies, including the international insurance company Allianz (www.allianz.com). Always get house and contents insurance (which is much cheaper than in the UK). You can also get pet, medical and life insurance.

Healthcare

Thanks to the EHIC arrangement, EU residents are entitled to free healthcare and emergency treatment in Croatia, although it is recommended that you secure private insurance. Healthcare standards in Croatia are high, with dental care good and inexpensive. There is no shortage of private hospitals and clinics, and hygiene and health standards are very high.

Retirement

There are no restrictions on UK residents retiring to Croatia, although ensure you have all the relevant documentation in place – for more details, see the above section on visas and residency. You are entitled to receive your UK pension in Croatia as you would in the UK and it is not subject to additional taxation.

Should you gain employment in Croatia, you will pay social security as you would in the UK. Residents from other EU states should check their situation with their local Croatian embassy.

Your UK will is recognised in Croatia as there is a reciprocal agreement in place between the two countries.

Education

The Croatian education system is regarded as being good, although there has been a limited amount of investment in it since the war. English is widely taught in Croatian schools, and so if your child is young enough, you may consider sending them to a state school. Private schools have only recently been legalised by the Croatian government so their numbers are limited. Two of these that teach in English are:

• American International School of Zagreb, www.aisz.hr
• Matija Gubec Primary School, www.os-mgubec.hr

Driving

While your national driving licence or International Driving Permit will be recognised and useable in Croatia, if you intend to stay for more than six months, you will need to apply for a Croatian licence. To secure a Croatian licence you will be required to undergo a medical examination and a theory test, as well as handing over your original licence to the relevant authorities.

Croatians are notorious for their reckless driving, so be prepared. You should also be aware that it is illegal to overtake military convoys, there is zero tolerance on drink driving and you must always have your headlights on, even during the day. Speed limits are as follows:

• motorways: 130km/h (80mph);
• main highways: 80km/h (50mph);
• built-up areas: 50km/h (31mph).

The roads in Croatia are not of a particularly high standard, with the only decent stretch running between Zagreb and Karlovac and Zagreb and the Hungarian border. However, things are looking up. Currently there is a motorway being built that runs from Slovakia right down through Croatia and on to Greece. This is expected to revolutionise the Croatian infrastructure and help open the country up to greater travel and tourism.

Getting around

There are internal flights available in Croatia and these are provided by Croatian Airlines (www.croatiaairlines.hr). The train network is still developing and is far from extensive – it was introduced back in the 19th century and Dubrovnik appears to have been left off the network altogether! Zagreb is the central hub from which most services depart. Trains are slower and less frequent than buses, but are roughly 15% cheaper. However, there are no trains running along the coast and only a few coastal cities are linked to Zagreb. Croatian Railways offer details of their services and fares at www.hznet.hr.

In contrast, bus services within Croatia are excellent and the express buses run everywhere, picking up passengers at many stops along the way. Prices are reasonable, with passengers charged by the kilometre. The following are some of the operators:

• AK Karlovac
• APP (www.app.hr)
• Autotrans (www.autotrans.hr)
• Brioni (www.brioni.hr)
• Croatia Bus (www.croatiabus.hr)
• Contus (www.contus.hr)
• Panturist (www.panturist.hr)
• Promet Split (www.promet-split.hr).

The mainland is connected to the larger islands by local ferries. The following offer services between the mainland and the islands:

• Jadrolinija (www.jadrolinija.hr)
• SEM Marina (www.splittours.hr)
• Rapska Plovidba (www.rapska-plovidba.hr)
• Mediteranska Plovidba (www.medplov.hr)
• Losinjska Plovidba (www.losinjska-plovidba.hr).

Learning the language

As with most Eastern European languages, Croatian is not easy to learn – in fact, in one language poll it was listed as the second hardest after Greek. Written in Latin script and using the Roman alphabet, Croatian is part of the Western group of South Slavic languages which is used primarily by the Croats. It’s closely related to Bosnian, Serbian and Slovene.

For Westerners, it is a difficult language to learn due to the stresses and pronunciation. Europeans are not used to some of the Croatian letters and sounds the language employs. Generally, problems tend to surround the grouping of consonants together in certain words, such as Hrvatska, the Croatian for Croatia, and also the complicated sentence structure.

Pronunciation

Croatian words are pronounced exactly how they are spelt. All letters and syllables in words are pronounced and there are no silent letters.

As a general rule of thumb, Croatian vowels are short. Note that there is no q, w, x or y in the Croatian alphabet.

Letter	Pronunciation
c	like ts in lets
č (hard)	like ch in church
ć (soft)	like ch in cheese
dž	similar to J in June
d	like j in jam
g	like g in game
h	like h in ham
j	like y in yacht
lj	like l in lure
nj	like Spanish ñ
r	trilled
š	like sh in sheep
ž	like s in measure
a	like a in sofa
e	like e in met
i	like ee in feet
o	like o in dog
u	like oo in boot

Courtesy of www.visit-croatia.co.uk/croatianfortravellers

Post

As with many European countries, post boxes in Croatia are yellow. HPT Hrvatska is the Croatian postal service, and post offices can be recognised by their red, white and blue signs. Services include everything from selling stamps and telephone cards to sending faxes and offering call facilities. To avoid a trip to the post office, you can buy stamps, (pismo), from newsagents (tisak). In larger cities and towns post offices are open from 7am to 7pm Monday to Friday and 7am to 1pm on Saturday, while in smaller towns they’re open from 7am to 2pm, and sometimes on Saturday mornings. The Croatian post office website is extremely helpful and details all the financial transactions that can be made, such as cash transfers and money exchanges. Visit www.posta.hr.

Crime, corruption and the police

The Croatian crime rate is low, and it is common to leave your house and car unlocked. As for organised crime, there have been many instances of corruption in the past and it is still a problem today. However, increasing EU pressure has forced the government to take a stand and, since 2004, penalties have become harsher and instances have fallen. Foreigners shouldn’t suffer at the hands of mafia influences and although bribery can affect businesses, it is unlike to affect property purchases.