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Everyone arriving in Croatia must pass through customs. You must decide if you have goods to declare or not. Spot checks can occur even if you pass through the "nothing to declare" portal, but this happens infrequently. However, if you are caught with prohibited goods, the penalties are severe.

Permitted imports:

• 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars, 100 cigarillos, or 250g of tobacco
• 1 liter of spirits
• 2 liters of wine
• 1 liters of liqueur
• 250 ml of cologne
• Other perfumes up to 50 ml
• Medications in the amount necessary for one month of treatment
• One packet of homeopathic products
• There is no limitation on cash, but amounts of greater than 10,000 Euro must be declared
• Milk, meat, and animal products from the EU in amounts less than 10kg

Restricted imports:

• All weapons and ammunition require a permit and must be declared
• For a full list of restricted foods, refer to Croatia's customs information website
• Plants, seeds, and organic fertilizers must undergo a health inspection

Pets

You can bring your pet abroad, but it takes planning and preparation. In Croatia, permitted pets include dogs, cats, animals from the marten family, invertebrates (with the exception of bees and crustaceans), ornamental tropical fish, amphibians, reptiles, all types of birds (besides fowl imported for commercial purposes, for zoos and zoo shops), rabbits, and rodents.

You must being your pet into Croatia via an approved point of entry, where customs inspects the animal' identification and import documents. A pet imported directly from the EU can enter via any of the points of entry.

General requirements:

• The pet (dogs, cats and ferrets) must have a microchip. All microchips conforming to the ISO standards are easily readable.
• A pet passport from the EU member states or a veterinary certificate issued by an official veterinarian stating that the pet is in good health
• The pet must have been vaccinated against rabies.

For more information about preparing your pet for expat life, read EasyExpat' article "Expat Pets".

Transport

Some airlines allow pets to travel in an airplane' cabin, provided their cage is small enough to fit under your seat. Small birds may also be able to travel in the cabin, but tropical birds such as parrots are usually not allowed.

If your pet' cage does not fit under your seat, you will have to ship it as checked baggage. Since the outside air temperature also affects the temperature in the cargo bay, airlines may restrict the transportation of pets during certain times of the year. Airlines have special requirements for containers in the cabin and cargo bay. Make sure you get detailed information from your preferred airlines before purchasing a cage or kennel.

Before leaving, acquaint your animal with the kennel or container. Add some familiar toys or some of your clothing, so your pet has a sense of familiarity during the transport. Sedation of your pet during the trip is generally not recommended and should only be used as a last resort.

There are also pet relocation services that figure out all the details of the move. These services tend to be quite expensive, but reduce the stress of doing it yourself.

Quarantine

As long as your pet is healthy and meets the general requirements, quarantine is not necessary.

Customs Resources

U.S. Citizens: The free pamphlet "Know Before You Go" at http://www.cbp.gov/ is very helpful. (Click on "Travel" and then click on "Know Before You Go! Online Brochure").

You can also contact:
U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP)
1300 Pennsylvania Ave.
Washington, DC 20229
Tel. 877/287-8667

Canadian Citizens: "I Declare", issued by the Canada Border Services Agency (tel. 800/461-9999 in Canada, or 204/983-3500) is helpful.

Australian Citizens: A helpful brochure is available from Australian consulates or Customs offices called "Know Before You Go". Call the Australian Customs Service at tel. 1300/363-263, or log on to http://www.customs.gov.au/.

Also refer to Croatia's customs website for up-to-date information and regulations.