Croatia uses the euro
Croatia adopted the euro on 1 January 2023, replacing the kuna. All prices are in euros, and the kuna is no longer legal tender, so ignore older guides and blog posts that quote prices in kuna or suggest changing money into it. If you arrive with euros from home, you can use them immediately, and if you come from outside the eurozone, the main question is simply how to get euros at the best rate.
Cards: widely accepted, with a few gaps
Visa and Mastercard debit and credit cards are accepted almost everywhere in cities and tourist areas: hotels, restaurants, supermarkets, shops, petrol stations, museums and most attractions. Contactless payments, including phone wallets, are common. American Express is accepted less widely.
There are still places where cash is easier or required: small cafés and bakeries, market stalls, some family-run restaurants (konobas), beach bars and kiosks, parking machines in some towns, and smaller islands and rural areas. Some private accommodation hosts also prefer cash. A sensible approach is to pay by card where you can and keep a modest amount of cash for everything else.
Avoid dynamic currency conversion
The most common way visitors lose money in Croatia is not theft but dynamic currency conversion (DCC). When you pay by card or withdraw cash with a non-euro card, the card terminal or ATM may offer to charge you in your home currency instead of euros. It looks helpful, but the exchange rate used is usually much worse than your bank's.
Always choose to be charged in euros (EUR). At an ATM, decline the "guaranteed conversion" or similar offer. In a shop or restaurant, if the terminal shows your home currency, ask the staff to switch to euros. Your own bank will then convert at its rate, which is usually far better.
Which ATMs to use
ATMs (bankomat) are easy to find in towns and cities. The safest and usually cheapest choice is a machine belonging to a Croatian bank, ideally attached to a branch: for example Zagrebačka banka, PBZ, Erste, OTP, Raiffeisenbank (RBA) or Addiko. Many of these charge foreign cards a fixed withdrawal fee of a few euros, which is shown on screen before you confirm.
Standalone ATMs from independent operators, often found in the busiest tourist streets, tend to charge higher fees and push currency conversion hard. Read every screen carefully, and cancel if the fee or rate looks wrong.
Because many ATMs charge a fixed fee per withdrawal, it makes sense to take out a reasonable amount at once rather than many small sums. Check what your own bank charges for foreign withdrawals too; some travel-friendly cards refund ATM fees or charge none.
Exchanging money
If you need to exchange cash from a non-euro currency, use a bank or an established exchange office (mjenjačnica) and compare the rate and commission before handing over money. Exchange offices at airports and in the busiest tourist streets often give poorer rates. Never change money with people on the street. For most travellers, withdrawing euros from a bank ATM with a low-fee card is simpler and cheaper.
Keeping your money safe
Croatia is a safe country with low levels of violent crime, but pickpocketing does happen in crowded places, such as Dubrovnik's Stradun, Split's Riva and Diocletian's Palace, busy buses and ferry ports in summer. Keep your wallet in a zipped front pocket or a cross-body bag, don't carry all your cards and cash together, and leave spare cards and your passport in the accommodation safe.
When using an ATM, choose one in a well-lit, busy place, ideally inside a bank lobby, cover the keypad and check the card slot for anything unusual. Tell your bank you are travelling if it requires that, and keep its emergency number handy so you can block a card quickly.
Tipping and receipts
Service is generally not included in Croatia, and tipping is appreciated but not obligatory. In restaurants, leaving around 10 percent for good service is common; in cafés, rounding up is normal. Tips are easiest to give in cash, as not all card terminals allow you to add one.
Businesses are required to issue fiscalised receipts, which carry special verification codes. You should receive one for every purchase, and it is a useful record if you need to query a charge.
