Penalties for traffic offences

If you commit a traffic offence in the Republic of Croatia as a foreign national, you are subject to appropriate penalties

If you are a foreign national or a Croatian national, that is, a national of a country that is not a member of the European Economic area or a national of a country that is a member of the European Economic area or
without permanent or temporary residence in the Republic of Croatia and have committed a traffic offence, it will be considered that you have fully paid your fine if:

• You pay the fine at the scene of the offence in the amount of half of the prescribed minimum amount or half of the exact amount of the fine in case of an offence for which only a fine of up to 265,45 EUR for natural persons is prescribed.
• After the misdemeanour proceedings have been completed and the decision on the offence imposing a fine on you has been taken, you pay two thirds of the imposed fine within the time limit determined by the decision imposing that penalty.

If a police officer fines you at the scene of the traffic offence and establishes the costs of the proceedings, and you refuse to pay the fine and the costs, the police officer may:

• File an information and bring you before a misdemeanour judge, who will immediately examine you
• In certain circumstances, temporarily deprive you of your travel document, other document or your driving licence, if this is necessary to ensure your attendance in the misdemeanour proceedings or to prevent you from committing new offences or obstructing or interfering with evidence in the proceedings.

If a fine has been imposed on you by a judgment which is not final, the period for payment of the fine may be fixed immediately. If you do not pay the fine within the time limit determined by the decision on the offence, the fine will be immediately replaced by a prison sentence.

Misdemeanour records and Register of unpaid fines

If you are a foreign national, that is, a national of a country that is not a member of the European Economic area or a national of a country that is a member of the European Economic area or a Croatian national who does not have a permanent or temporary residence in the Republic of Croatia and who has committed a misdemeanour or a traffic offence and you have been awarded an OIB (PIN), you will be registered in the Register of unpaid fines when the decision on the misdemeanour becomes final and if you have not paid the fine within the time limit set by the decision on the misdemeanour.

If you are a foreign national, that is, a national of a country that is not a member of the European Economic area or a national of a country that is a member of the European Economic area or a Croatian national who does not have a permanent or temporary residence in the Republic of Croatia and who has committed a misdemeanour or a traffic offence and you do not have an OIB (PIN), you cannot be entered into the Register of unpaid fines, but you can be entered in the Misdemeanour records based on your other personal data (name and surname, date of birth, your citizen’s tax number, if any) after the entry of the final misdemeanour penalty.

Pursuant to the provisions of the Misdemeanour Act, a person without permanent residence in the Republic of Croatia who fails to pay a fine imposed on them by final decision for the misdemeanour or traffic offence they have committed may be brought before a competent misdemeanour court upon their re-entry into the Republic of Croatia, which court will then replace the imposed fine with a prison sentence.

The Register of unpaid fines and the Misdemeanour records are compiled by the Ministry of Justice and Public Administration.