Croatia

Is Croatia safe to visit?

Yes. Croatia had 0.7 homicides per 100,000Homicide rateThe number of people killed on purpose each year for every 100,000 residents. It is the most comparable crime figure between countries.More in the glossary people in 2023, a rate close to Italy's and lower than France's, and the US State Department places it at Level 1, the lowest of its four levels. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary calls crime low and violent crime rare. Most visitors' problems are minor: a pickpocket in Dubrovnik's old town, an inflated bar bill in Split, a sunburn. We score Croatia 84, level with Italy and above Greece.

The country's real weak spots are the roads and the summer. Both are manageable if you know about them.

How dangerous are Croatian roads?

This is where Croatia falls behind the best of Europe. The Croatian Bureau of Statistics counted 261 road deaths in 2025, up 9.2% from 239 in 2024. That is about 6.8 per 100,000 people, higher than in most of Western Europe. WHO's estimate for 2021, which we score on, was 8.1.

For visitors the main risks are summer traffic on the Adriatic coast road, tired drivers on long motorway runs from Zagreb to Split, and scooters on the islands. Mountain roads in Gorski Kotar and Lika can freeze in winter, which is why winter tyres are compulsory from 15 November to 15 April. The bura, a sudden north-east wind, can close the Krk bridge and coastal stretches. The legal alcohol limit is 0.05%, and zero for drivers under 24 and for anyone in charge of a boat.

Crime and scams

Petty crime exists but is not the constant worry it is in some Mediterranean cities. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says pickpockets work tourist areas. The scam to know about is in some "gentlemen's clubs", where tourists have been charged thousands of euros and threatened with violence when they refused to pay.

The FCDO also reports sexual assaults in taxis. Use an app, share your ride, and send someone a photo of the taxi number. Football derbies between Dinamo Zagreb and Hajduk Split occasionally bring fan violence; avoid stadium areas around kick-off.

Split, Dubrovnik and Hvar use local rules against rowdy tourism. You can be fined on the spot for drinking in public places, walking through town in swimwear or shirtless, or climbing monuments, and public order offences such as fighting or drunken behaviour can cost up to 4,000 euros.

Wildfires, earthquakes and floods

Wildfires are the hazard most visitors are likely to meet. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says they are common in hot, dry summers along the coast and on the islands. From 1 June to 31 October it is illegal to light outdoor fires and barbecues outside designated areas, and causing a fire can bring fines of 2,000 to 20,000 euros or prison. Do not leave glass bottles behind.

Croatia is also earthquake country. The Zagreb earthquake of March 2020 and the Petrinja earthquake of December 2020 both killed people and badly damaged buildings, and the FCDO notes that small tremors happen several times a month. Flash floods are most likely in central Croatia between Karlovac and Slavonski Brod.

Mines and mountains

Leftover mines from the 1990s war are a small but serious risk away from the coast. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary lists Eastern Slavonia, Brod-Posavina, Karlovac County, areas around Zadar County and remote parts of Plitvice Lakes National Park. Marked trails and tourist sites are clear. Do not wander onto uncultivated land or abandoned farms, and check the Civil Protection map before hiking off-trail inland. The Velebit and Biokovo mountains look gentle but weather changes fast; call 112 for mountain rescue.

Health

Croatia is an easy country for health. Tap water is safe, there is no malaria, and pharmacies are everywhere. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary lists ticks and biting insects, and CDC suggests tick-borne encephalitis vaccine for people spending a lot of time outdoors in inland forests. Public hospitals are good, but a GHIC or EHIC does not make treatment free; there is always a charge, up to 530 euros.

How to stay safe in Croatia

• Plan long drives for early morning, and take a break every two hours in summer heat.
• Check bar and club prices before ordering, and leave any venue that touts on the street.
• Stay on marked paths inland and in Plitvice.
• Wear water shoes on rocky beaches and keep to designated areas for fires and barbecues.
• Call 112 for police, ambulance, fire and mountain rescue.

How we scored it

Violent crime (95) and conflict (88) are the strongest factors, based on a recent UNODC rate under 1 per 100,000 and a Level 1 advisory. Natural hazards (70) is the weakest, reflecting wildfires and earthquakes. Road safety (73) sits at the top of the 8–15 band on WHO's 2021 estimate of 8.1 per 100,000, a point lower because deaths rose in 2025.