Permits and Equipment
Under the terms of the Law on Audiovisual Activities, all productions filming in Croatia are obliged to register the shoot with the Croatian Audiovisual Centre by filling out the standardized Filming Registration form .
Filming Registration
Regulations on maintaining official record of filming prescribe the procedure, manner and deadlines for submitting a Filming Registration for filming an audiovisual work in the Republic of Croatia.
The online Registration Form is available on Croatian Audiovisual Centre’s User portal. Guidelines for user’s registration available here.
The Filming Registration for filming an audiovisual work in the Republic of Croatia shall be submitted to Croatian Audiovisual Centre no later than 8 (eight) days before the start of filming of the audiovisual work, and in case of filming a promotional video, no later than 3 (three) days before the start of filming.
The Centre collects and processes the data listed in the Registration Form
The confirmation of the registration of filming an audiovisual work issued by Croatian Audiovisual Centre does not constitute a permit for filming said audiovisual work in the Republic of Croatia.
Location permits
For any shooting permits you may need, we recommend teaming up with a local production company, as their know-how of the local policies and procedures will greatly reduce the time spent on preparing and executing your project.
Shooting with Unmanned Aircraft Systems (drones)
Commercial operation of an unmanned aircraft (drone) is regulated by the Croatian Civil Aviation Agency. All flight operations must be performed in accordance with applicable regulations on the use of Croatian airspace and the provisions of the Directive on aerial photography, as well as the Ordinance on unmanned aircraft systems. In order to carry out flights with UA in Croatia, and depending on the mass of your unmanned aircraft and the category of operations, requirements for the permits range from filling out the Operator’s Declaration to acquiring CCAA Approval.
All aerial filming activities must be reported in advance to National Geodetic Administration, and foreign camera operators are required to register for approval at least 30 days in advance, as the process involves cross-border institutional communication.
All information can be found at ccaa.hr; crocontrol.hr; dgu.hr or you can contact Croatian Unmanned Systems Association.
Work Permits for Foreign Nationals
Foreign nationals filming in Croatia may work on the basis of issued stay and work permit or based on the work application certificate. All information and the Application form available on the Ministry of the Interior website.
For further information on how to regulate the legal status of foreign citizens in Croatia, please contact your local Croatian embassy. For a list of Croatian embassies / consulates worldwide see Croatian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs.
Visas
Citizens of the eu and European Economic Area (EEA) member states, as well as Australia, Canada and the US do not require a visa to enter Croatia. Continuous stay or total duration of consecutive stays may not exceed 90 days in the period of six months, counting from the date of first entry. Citizens of other countries who are subject to visa requirements are obliged to apply for a visa prior to their entry into the Republic of Croatia. If there is no Croatian diplomatic mission or consular post in the applicant’s country, a visa application may be submitted to the nearest Croatian diplomatic mission/consular post. For more detailed information on the visa regime and a full list of countries subject to visa requirements visit Croatian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs.
Customs Regulations
Customs regulations in the Republic of Croatia is almost entirely harmonized with the EU regulations and standards. Foreign and local currency and traveller’s cheques may be freely taken in and out of the country by both foreign and Croatian citizens with foreign residence, but transfers in the amount of 10.000,00 euros or more must be declared to a customs official. Valuable professional equipment and other technical devices must also be declared to a customs official at the border crossing. VAT is refunded to persons who do not have permanent or temporary residence in Croatia and the EU, for individual goods purchased in Croatia, for amounts in excess of 100,00 euros, upon the presentation of a Tax Refund Cheque form verified by a customs official during the export of purchased goods, at the latest three months from the day of purchase. Foreign nationals must claim Tax refund within six months of the receipt issue date. For additional information, please contact the customs
administration: carina.gov.hr.
Temporary Import of Professional Equipment
The procedure of temporary admission is regulated under the Customs Law of the Republic of Croatia. In the temporary admission procedure, foreign goods may be used on the customs territory of the Republic of Croatia, with full or partial exemption from payment of import duties and exemption from trading measures, when the foreign goods are intended to be re-exported in the same state as they were in at import, except for impairment loss resulting from the use of these goods. Goods may remain in the temporary admission procedure for up to 24 months, with the option to determine special deadlines.
Goods can be imported into the Republic of Croatia on the basis of an ATA Carnet (Admission Temporaire/Temporary Admission). An ATA Carnet is a simple international customs document used for simplifying temporary admission to a foreign country with a validity date of one year. This document provides temporary admission of certain categories of goods in the customs territory of any country that has adopted the Convention on temporary admission without using national customs documents, customs duties or deposits, which is part of the regular procedure for temporary import or export.