# How do tolls work in Croatia, and what do tourists need to know about driving there? > Croatia tolls for tourists: about €26 Zagreb to Split, booths until the Crolibertas free-flow system starts 1 March 2027, plus speed limits, lights and fines. - Source: https://clevertourists.com/resources/driving-in-croatia-tolls-tourist-guide - Authors: Evan & Clara, Clever Tourists (first-hand, from years of travel across 20 countries) - Published: 2026-08-27 **Croatia has no vignette: you pay motorway tolls by distance at booths, in euros cash or by card, and a standard car pays roughly €26 (≈ $29) from Zagreb to Split. From 1 March 2027 the booths are due to be replaced by a camera-based free-flow system called Crolibertas, so trips from spring 2027 will be paid by number plate instead.** Everything else about driving here is straightforward: right-hand traffic, 130 km/h motorways, 0.5 alcohol limit, and dipped headlights in winter. We spent August 2023 in Croatia on the route Zagreb, Osijek, Zadar, Šibenik, Split and Dubrovnik, which covers most of the motorway network a visitor uses. If you plan to continue into Montenegro or Albania, read our [Balkan borders guide](https://clevertourists.com/resources/driving-across-balkan-borders-croatia-montenegro-albania) for Green Card and cross-border fees. ## How Croatian tolls work in 2026 Most motorways (autoceste) are run by Hrvatske autoceste (HAC), with a few concession roads such as the Bina-Istra network in Istria and Zagreb to Macelj. They work on a closed ticket system: you take a ticket on entry and pay at the exit booth, priced by distance and vehicle category. Ordinary cars are Category I. Taller vans, campervans and cars towing trailers fall into higher categories and pay more. • **Cash:** euros at every booth. • **Cards:** Visa and Mastercard are accepted. • **ENC tag:** an electronic tag sold by HAC for regular users with dedicated lanes. A short-stay visitor rarely needs one. Rough one-way car tolls quoted for 2026: **Zagreb to Split about €26.40 (≈ $29)**, a figure given by both visit-croatia.co.uk (January 2026) and fuel-prices.eu (April 2026), though one other travel site quotes up to €29 to the Dugopolje exit. Check HAC's own toll calculator before you go, and avoid third-party sites that resell tolls with a service fee. Toll roads are not compulsory: the old state roads (D-roads) run alongside, free but much slower. Summer queues at the main toll plazas, especially Lučko near Zagreb and the plazas on the A1 heading to the coast, are worst on Saturday changeover days in July and August. ## The 2027 change: Crolibertas free-flow tolling Croatia's parliament passed a Toll Collection Act introducing a single electronic system across the motorway network, and HAC says it is scheduled to go fully live on **1 March 2027**. The system, branded **Crolibertas**, uses overhead gantries and number-plate recognition so cars pass at motorway speed without stopping. Light vehicles under 3.5 tonnes need only a registered plate linked to a valid payment method; heavy vehicles must also carry an ENC device. Registration will be through a national web shop, a mobile app and other digital channels, and HAC has launched an official Crolibertas website in Croatian and English. What it means for visitors: • **Before 1 March 2027:** nothing changes. Booths and tickets remain. • **From the launch:** the booths at 77 toll stations are to be removed gradually rather than all at once, so expect a mixed picture through 2027. Tolls are still charged by distance and category, and HAC has said prices are expected to stay the same. • **Rental cars:** how rental companies pass on free-flow tolls has not been published. Ask at the counter whether the car is registered for Crolibertas and what fee applies. A caution: in October 2026 Croatian media reported that HAC cancelled a procurement for the sales web portal and app, raising doubts about the date. HAC says the project is on schedule. Use only the official Crolibertas or HAC sites, and treat lookalike sites selling Croatian toll passes with suspicion: Croatia does not sell a vignette. ## Licence, insurance and documents Croatia accepts licences from outside the EU for visitors, and the CIA World Factbook's travel facts list an International Driving Permit as suggested rather than required for US drivers. Some rental desks ask for one regardless, so an IDP (about US$20 from AAA in the US) is cheap insurance against an argument at pick-up. Non-EU licences can be used for up to a year after entry, per Norway's government guidance for its citizens in Croatia. Carry your licence, passport, rental agreement and the car's registration card at all times. The car must carry a first-aid kit, warning triangle and reflective vest, according to the EU's Your Europe road-rules page; rental cars should already have them, so check before you leave the lot. Every accident must be reported to police. Taking a Croatian rental into Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro or Albania needs the company's permission and a Green Card: see our [Balkan borders guide](https://clevertourists.com/resources/driving-across-balkan-borders-croatia-montenegro-albania). ## Speed limits, alcohol and lights Per the EU's Your Europe guidance for Croatia: • **50 km/h** in towns, **90 km/h** outside built-up areas, **110 km/h** on expressways, **130 km/h** on motorways. Towing a trailer, the limits are 80 and 90 km/h. • **Alcohol:** 0.5 g/l for ordinary drivers, **zero** for novice and professional drivers. • **Lights:** dipped headlights are compulsory in the daytime during winter time (from when the clocks go back in late October until they go forward in late March), not in summer. • **Winter equipment:** from **15 November to 15 April** winter tyres, or summer tyres with at least 4 mm tread plus chains in the car, are mandatory on major roads regardless of weather. This matters for the A1 through Lika and Gorski kotar, where snow and the bura wind can close sections to some vehicles. • **Phones:** hands-free only. Police use radar on the D8 coastal road and in towns, and fines are issued by ticket. We have not found an official 2026 fine table, so we do not quote amounts. ## Routes and drive times from our trip • **Zagreb to Zadar:** about 3 hours on the A1. We had four days in Zagreb and three in Osijek first, which meant a long cross-country leg back west; most visitors skip Slavonia, but our [Osijek guide](https://clevertourists.com/guides/osijek) explains why it is worth it. • **Zadar to Šibenik to Split:** short motorway hops of about an hour each, or the slower D8 coast road. Zadar is a good base for Krka and Plitvice: see [day trips from Zadar](https://clevertourists.com/resources/day-trips-from-zadar). • **Split to Dubrovnik:** roughly 3 to 3.5 hours for about 230 km. The motorway runs out before Dubrovnik and the last stretch is the D8. Since the Pelješac Bridge opened in July 2022 you no longer have to cross Bosnia's Neum corridor. Austria's ÖAMTC reports repairs to cracked pillars on the bridge from autumn 2026 into spring 2027, so allow extra time; the bridge stays open. • **Dubrovnik:** do not drive into the old town area. Leave the car at your accommodation or a public garage and walk or use buses; see [where to stay in Dubrovnik](https://clevertourists.com/resources/where-to-stay-in-dubrovnik). For the full sequence of stops, our [Zagreb to Dubrovnik itinerary](https://clevertourists.com/resources/croatia-itinerary-zagreb-zadar-dubrovnik) lays out the days. ## Fuel, parking and breakdowns Croatia's government sets maximum fuel prices weekly. From 20 October 2026 the capped price of Eurosuper 95 was **€1.73 (≈ $1.9) a litre** and diesel **€1.87 (≈ $2.1)**, as reported by Croatian fuel-price monitor nafta.hr. Motorway service stations generally charge at or near the cap. Coastal towns use zoned paid parking in summer, enforced by wardens; pay at machines or by the SMS/app systems shown on the signs. Hotel parking in Split's and Dubrovnik's centres is limited, so ask before booking. For breakdowns, the Croatian Auto Club (HAK) roadside service is **1987** from a Croatian phone (it also takes SMS requests), and the general emergency number is **112**. Mobile coverage is good on motorways; see our [Croatia eSIM guide](https://clevertourists.com/resources/croatia-esim-for-tourists) for data options. Island car ferries run by Jadrolinija fill up in July and August; arrive early or reserve where online booking is offered. For timing, our [best time to visit Croatia](https://clevertourists.com/resources/best-time-to-visit-croatia) shows how much quieter June and September roads are. ## Frequently asked questions ### Do you need a vignette in Croatia? No. Croatia charges motorway tolls by distance, paid at exit booths in euros cash or by card, not a vignette. Ignore sites selling Croatian vignettes. ### How much is the toll from Zagreb to Split? About €26.40 (≈ $29) one way for a standard car in 2026 according to toll guides, with some quoting up to €29 (≈ $32); check HAC's calculator for the exact figure. ### When does Croatia's free-flow toll system start? HAC says the Crolibertas system is scheduled to go live on 1 March 2027, with booths removed gradually. Until then, booths and tickets remain. ### Do I need an International Driving Permit in Croatia? It is suggested rather than required for US licence holders, but some rental desks ask for one, so carrying an IDP avoids problems. ### Do you need headlights on during the day in Croatia? Only during winter time, from when the clocks go back in late October until they go forward in late March.