28 perfectly round shapes have been located beneath the waves off the Croatian coast. The circles are the wrong size for underwater fishing explosions, and refuted by scientists searching for oil. Each circle is 50m diameter and 300m apart. No explanation has as yet been found for them – except the possibility of flying saucers deep beneath the seas.
Croatia has been an independent country since 1991, before that Croatia was part of Yugoslavia for more than 70 years. She joined the EU in 2013. Zagreb is the capital city and the currency is the Kuna – if you take British currency you will probably get a better rate of exchange than in the UK (£10 = 92.51 Kuna on 19th April 2014). The Kuna is expected to change to the euro as soon as its economy meets the criteria. Relocating to Croatia is still a complicated business, and you will need to start your preparations in good time.
Dubrovnik, with its dramatic architecture and high walls was found to be the ideal place to film the popular television series “The Game of Thrones”, and since then has become overcrowded with tourists. It was always a tourist hot spot – now it is even hotter.
Forest fires are very common during Croatia’s hot and dry summers so take care to fully extinguish cigarettes and take your rubbish away with you; and earthquake mini-tremors are recorded every month.
There are many expat sites for you to choose from, most with information and news, places where you can contact like minded expats and meet up with them. Three examples are given below:
Important! After relocating to Croatia from the UK register with the local police within 48 hours for your arrival. If you fail to do so you may be fined. You need to carry your passport with you all the time – it is the only officially recognised form of identification. Make sure you have a good photocopy and keep it safe. If your stay in less than 6 months, you can enter and leave Croatia up to 90 days of that time but you must inform the police each time you do so. If you are staying longer than 90 days you must apply for temporary residence. You would be wise to check with the Croatian embassy well before you leave as to the documents you need as each case is considered separately. You may find more information on the following web sites:
Croatian Ministry of Labour and Pensions
The Croatian Ministry of the Interior
The main police Department for Foreigners in Zagreb
Ministarstvo unutarnjih poslova Odjel za strance Petrinjska 30 10000 Zagreb, Croatia Telephone +385 (0)1 4563 111 (switchboard)Croatia joined the EU in 2013 and is expected to join the Schengen area in 2015. Although Britain is not a member of the Schengen Area, and therefore customs formalities apply, because we are members of the EU, there is little of consequence to concern the average Briton relocating to Croatia. There are no restrictions on the amount of currency you may bring in; medication must be for personal use only. Alcohol and tobacco are restricted. You will find detailed information at Iata Travel Centre for Croatia.
Up to 5 pets only may be imported, accompanied by a responsible person. Dogs, cats and ferrets must have a microchip, passport and rabies vaccination.
Dogs: some breeds are not allowed into the country – e.g. Pit Bull Terriers and their cross breeds. Many other breeds have to be permanently muzzled and leashed when out and about – this includes German and Belgium Shepherds, Dobermans, Staffordshire Terriers, Rottweiler’s and others – click here for more information. However, things do change and you may wish to consult the Croatian embassy in London for up to date information, as the information is subject to change. Your vet in the UK should also be able to help you. There are regulations which must be complied with – the vet at the border crossing may check this.
Croatian Embassy 21 Conway Street London W1T 6BN Tel: 020 7387 2022Plants You may bring in up to 100gms of seeds in the original packing – or up to 3KG flower bulbs in original packing with a declaration that they are from the EU. Medication You may carry enough for one month. You may need medical documentation for this.
Don’t, ever, call the country “Yugoslavia”. And although the Croatian language is like the Serbian language, but written with the Roman alphabet not the Cyrillic as Serbian is, don’t call it Serbo-Croatian – it’s Croatian.
If you consider relocating and you want a reliable company to handle it, click here to get a free quote on house removals to Croatia from UK.
Living in CroatiaSettling in Dubrovnik, Zagreb or any other Croatian city is much less troublesome since the…
Social Life in CroatiaLanguage In Croatia they speak Croatian (Hrvatski). Although learning this language can be…
