Do I need cash in Croatia, or can I use cards?

The headline for returning visitors: Croatia joined the euro on 1 January 2023 (and Schengen the same day), retiring the old kuna. Any guidebook or blog still quoting kuna prices is out of date; the currency is now the euro.

Croatia is card-friendly. Contactless, Apple Pay and Google Pay are widely accepted in cities and along the tourist coast, and Visa and Mastercard work in most places. Keep some euro cash for small shops, markets, islands, ferries and rural spots, which lean more on cash.

When a card terminal or ATM asks whether to charge in dollars or euros, always choose euros. Dollars trigger dynamic currency conversion at a rate about 3 to 8% worse than your own bank's. Decline it every time.

For cash, use an ATM (a bankomat) attached to a real bank, such as Zagrebacka banka or Privredna banka Zagreb, rather than a standalone Euronet kiosk, which charges high fees and pushes the dollar conversion.

A card covers most spending, especially in Dubrovnik, Split and Zagreb. Keep a little euro cash for markets, islands, small ferries and rural areas, where cards are less certain. Use a debit card at the ATM to avoid cash-advance fees.

For the wider picture, see the Croatia money guide.

Common questions

Quick answers.

More on Croatia

The little money things nobody warns you about.

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