What Documents Do You Need for Croatia: ID Card, Passport, Children and Travelling by Car
An overview of the documents tourists need for Croatia. Is an ID card enough, or do you need a passport? What documents must children have and what should you take when travelling by car?
As a citizen of the Czech Republic, you can travel to Croatia with a valid identity card or passport. Croatia is a member of the European Union and the Schengen Area, so you do not need a visa for a standard tourist trip. The document must be valid for the entire duration of your stay. It is not enough that it was valid when you left. Check the expiry date in advance, not the day before your trip.
Is an Identity Card Enough for Croatia?
An ID card is practical mainly when travelling by car, bus or during a standard stay in an apartment. You will need it in case of a possible check, at accommodation or when dealing with unexpected situations.
Documents for Children Travelling to Croatia
Every child must have their own travel document. It is not enough that they are travelling with their parents. A birth certificate is not enough either. The Croatian government portal states that children can also cross borders with an identity card and that the police pay special attention to children travelling alone or accompanied by another person.
Are You Travelling in a Borrowed or Company Car?
If the car is not yours, take the vehicle owner's consent with you. This applies mainly to:
- company car,
- borrowed car,
- car registered to another family member,
- leased vehicle.
For a company car, confirmation from the employer that you are allowed to use the vehicle abroad is often enough.
Do You Need Travel Insurance?
Travel insurance is useful mainly for:
- injury,
- illness,
- transport back to the Czech Republic,
- mountain or maritime rescue service intervention,
- liability for damage,
- cancellation of stay,
- loss of luggage.
For families with children, insurance makes even more sense. A child can damage apartment equipment, someone else's car or get injured during normal play.
The Most Common Mistakes Tourists Make
The most common problem is not the border. The problem is poor preparation.
Tourists often:
- forget to check the validity of their ID card,
- do not have a separate document for their child,
- take only the child's birth certificate,
- do not have the car documents,
- travel in a company car without consent,
- do not have travel insurance,
- rely only on a photo of the document on their phone,
- do not save the apartment address.
A birth certificate is not a travel document. A photo of an ID card is not a travel document. An expired passport is not a travel document.