SMART card for persons with disabilities
Persons with disabilities, depending on their physical disability rating, have the right to be exempt from paying the annual fee for the use of public roads and tolls
The right to be exempt from the annual fee for the use of public roads, which is paid when registering a vehicle, and the right to be exempt from tolls for the use of motorways and toll facilities (bridge, tunnel, viaduct, etc.) are prescribed in the provisions of the Roads Act.Exemption from the Annual Fee
Persons with a physical disability rating of 80 per cent or more and persons with a lower extremity damage rating of 60 per cent or more are exempt from paying the annual fee for using public roads for one vehicle they own (or use based on a leasing contract).A person with a disability can exercise the right to be exempt from the annual fee by submitting a copy of a decision from the Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure when registering a vehicle in a Roadworthiness Testing Centre. The annual fee, calculated according to the engine capacity of a vehicle in cubic centimetres, shall be deducted from the invoice for the registration.
Toll Exemption
Persons with physical damage resulting in a lower extremity damage rating of 80 per cent or more, Croatian disabled Homeland War veterans with a physical disability rating of 100 per cent, and visually impaired persons with a physical disability rating of 100 per cent are exempt from paying tolls for one vehicle in their ownership or which they use based on a leasing contract.The right to be exempt from tolls for using motorways and toll facilities can be exercised only by presenting a SMART card (which, at the request from a person with a disability, is issued by Hrvatske autoceste održavanje i naplata cestarine d.o.o. based on a decision from the Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure), only when the person with a disability operates or occupies a vehicle they own or use based on a leasing contract.
The request for a SMART card can be submitted in person or by regular mail to the address: Hrvatske autoceste održavanje i naplata cestarine d.o.o., Jadranska avenija 6, 10250 Lučko.
The following documents have to be submitted along with the request:
- Copy of a decision from the Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure;
- Copy of an ID card;
- A 2.5 x 3 cm photo.
Submitting a Request for Exemption
Persons with disabilities can exercise their right to be exempt from the annual fee for using public roads and tolls based on a decision issued by the Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure in an administrative procedure by submitting a written request form to the Ministry. You can download the form from the Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure websiteRequest for a decision on being exempt from the annual fee for using public roads and tolls for using motorways and toll facilities.
The following documents have to be submitted along with the request:
- Copy of a vehicle registration certificate (by way of exception, if the request has been submitted before the registration, the applicant has to submit proof of ownership of the vehicle (e.g. invoice for the purchased vehicle, purchase and sale contract or a contract of gift that has to be in the name of the applicant);
- Copy of a decision from the Croatian Pension Insurance Institute; or
- Copy of a decision from the competent authority based on regulations on rights of Croatian Homeland War veterans and members of their family; or
- Copy of a decision from the competent authority based on regulations on special protection of disabled veterans and civilian war invalids;
- Report and opinion of an authorised expert from the Croatian Pension Insurance Institute; or
- Report and opinion of a medical committee in the second instance, competent for providing a report and opinion in accordance with the Act on the Rights of Croatian Homeland War Veterans and members of their families or Act on the Protection of Military and Civilian War Invalids or other regulations.
The request for a decision does not have to be submitted every year because, once issued, the decision is valid until the circumstances regarding the physical disability rating or the ownership of the vehicle change. In such cases, the request with attachments shall be submitted as when submitting the original request, but this time with the documents on the new circumstances (e.g. recent copy of the decision from the Croatian Pension Insurance Institute, new vehicle registration certificate, etc.).
In case of change of data (e.g. the applicant’s last name, place of residence or only the registration designation of a vehicle), as well as in case of losing the original decision, a written request shall be submitted to the Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure, accompanied by copies of documents based on which a change in data can be verified (copy of the ID card and the copy of a vehicle registration certificate). In that case, tax stamps are not necessary.
A person with a disability shall notify the Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure on any change that affects exercising of the above rights within 15 days from the day when the changes occurred.
You can get all information by calling the Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure hotline at +385 (0)1 6169 445 each working day between 13 and 14 o’clock or sending an e-mail to OSTO.prava@mmpi.hr