After all the longer articles we have written so far, we decided to write one about Croatian licence plate. We don’t know about you, but we like to observe all kinds of licence plates during a long drives and think about where the particular vehicle comes from and so on. Especially in the summer when Croatia is full of all kinds of licence plates, not only the ones that originate from Croatia.
Croatian licence plates can offer insight into the country’s regions and there is a lot of information embedded in them. Unlike in some other countries, you can easily connect the licence plate with the particular place in Croatia, so you know where the vehicle is from. In neighboring Bosnia and Herzegovina, for example, that is not the case, and there is no chance you can know where the vehicle is registered.
So here’s everything you need to know about the Croatian licence plate , what the codes on it mean, and what the most common ones you’ll see when driving in Croatia.
Structure of Croatian Licence Plates The design for the modern Croatian licence plate comes from the Yugoslavia era and there are still some similarities. When Croatia entered the European Union, the blue part with the HR sign was added to the left side of the licence plate. A few years ago, the government wanted for each city to have its own licence plate, but that idea was abandoned.
A standard Croatian licence plate looks like this:
[XX] (Croatian coat of arms) 1234-YZ
Where:
[XX] = City code written in 2 letters (based on the vehicle’s registration)1234 = Numeric code that can be either 3 or 4 numbers in most casesYZ = Two random letters (might be personalized or random)A red and white Croatian coat of arms appears between the regional code and the numbers
Example: ZG 8421-KP (ZG = Zagreb)
Common Licence Plate Codes in Croatia Many cities in Croatia have their own code. Here are some of the most common ones:
ZG – Zagreb (capital of Croatia)ST – Split (second-largest city in Croatia, and the largest one in the Dalmatia region)DU – Dubrovnik (the most famous destination in Croatia)RI – Rijeka (the largest city in the Kvarner region, the door to the Istrian peninsula)PU – Pula (beautiful city on the western coast of Istria)ZD – Zadar (a city famous for the sea organ and Greeting to the Sun installation)OS – Osijek the (largest city in the Slavonija region)KA – Karlovac (a city located just a bit below Zagreb)SB – Slavonski Brod (Another city located in the Slavonija)ČK – Čakovec (City located in Zagorje, a region full of castles and rolling hills)KR – Krapina (Also located in Zagorje and a place where neanderthal remains were found in Croatia)VŽ – Varaždin (Yet another Zagorje city famous for its baroque architecture)
Reading a Croatian licence plate while on the road can be a fun way to identify where fellow drivers are from, especially during the busy summer months when people travel to the coast from all over Croatia. It’s always a nice feeling when you encounter someone from your country in a place far away from home.
Some other cities in Croatia have their own codes apart from the ones we previously mentioned, and here’s the list:
BJ – BjelovarBM – Beli ManastirDA – DaruvarDE – DelniceDJ – ĐakovoGS – GospićIM – ImotskiKC – KoprivnicaKT – KutinaKŽ – KriževciNA – NašiceNG – Nova GradiškaOG – OgulinPŽ – PožegaSK – SisakSL – SlatinaŠI – ŠibenikVK – VinkovciVT – ViroviticaVU – VukovarŽU – Županja
Different kinds, Temporary, and Export Plates
Temporary Plates: Used for short-term registration (e.g., car sales) and are usually made of paper.Export Plates: Issued to foreigners or residents exporting a car abroad. Green with yellow letters.Plates for oversized vehicles: Red letters and numbers on a white plate.Military vehicle plates: Always start with HV and are yellow with black letters and numbers.Police car plates: 3 numbers followed by a Coat of arms followed again by 3 numbers. Blue letters and numbers on wa hite background.
Diplomatic Plates in Croatia
Diplomatic plates are typically blue with yellow text .
They follow a different format and include codes for embassies and international organizations.
Special and Custom Plates
Custom Plates: These are available for an extra fee, and you can choose your own letters or pretty much any combination you like.Classic Cars: Vehicles that are 30+ years old and registered as classics have a special category.Police, Military, and Government Vehicles: These use distinct formats and codes that aren’t available to the general public.
Renting a Car in Croatia: What to Know
Most rental cars in Croatia will have a DA (Daruvar) registration plate since it’s cheaper to register a vehicle there than in some other parts of Croatia.
Foreign-registered vehicles are a common sight all across Croatia during the tourist season.
Speed limits, road rules, and tolls are strictly enforced, and we advise paying attention when driving. It’s not as strict as in some other countries, such as Austria for example, but it’s best to obey the traffic rules and enjoy the scenic drive.
Fun Fact: Licence Plates During Tourist Season During summer in Croatia, coastal towns and popular destinations like Dubrovnik, Zadar, and Split become a melting pot of cars codes from across Croatia and Europe. Observing licence plates is a fun game among locals who try to guess where someone is from!
Before You Venture to Croatia And that’s it. We hope this article about the Croatian licence plate was informative and you have learned a bit about vehicles in Croatia. Next time you drive in Croatia , make sure to test your knowledge and see if you can guess all the different licence plates and connect them with the particular region in Croatia.
Have a safe journey through Croatia!
