Marinas and Berths in Croatia

Buy or rent a berth?

A berth in Croatia cannot be bought. The coastal strip, the seabed and the harbour facilities belong to the so-called maritime domain. By law, they cannot be owned. Marinas are ports of special purpose. The operator usually runs them under a state concession and rents out the berths. As a boat owner, you sign a contract of use for a fixed period.

Municipal berth and private jetty

A permanent municipal berth in a public port is cheaper than a marina. Priority goes to owners who live in the municipality and whose boat is registered in Croatia. A boat under a German, Austrian or Swiss flag does not meet this condition. The port authority must publish the allocation list and the waiting list.

As a private person, you cannot legally set up your own jetty or buoy in front of your holiday home. The regulation on permits on the maritime domain has no permit type for this. Such facilities are only allowed with a concession, as granted to hotels, campsites and shipyards. In practice, berths in front of private houses are still used and mostly tolerated.

Types of berths

• The normal case for owners is an annual berth in the water with a twelve-month contract.
• Many marinas also offer a seasonal or half-year contract, split into summer and winter.
• If you are only passing through, you pay for a transit berth by boat length and night.
• Winter storage or dry dock, usually from October to April (cranes and travel lift cost extra).
• Municipal berth through the port authority: only possible with a boat registered in Croatia.
• Many bays have official mooring buoy fields. They charge a fee, and some offer waste disposal.

Cost of a berth

The classes apply to an annual berth in the water for a boat of twelve metres, including VAT. In the 39 marinas with a published price list for 2026, prices range from about 4,900 to 11,500 euros a year. The average is about 7,500 euros. Electricity and water at the jetty are usually included. Crane use, winter storage on land and service cost extra. Istria and Southern Dalmatia are the cheapest. The large marinas around Zadar, Sibenik and Split charge the highest prices. Price lists change every year, so the table shows classes instead of individual prices. The costs of buying the property itself are explained under additional costs when buying a property.

Duties and fees for boat owners

• Every boat under a foreign flag needs the safety fee, commonly called the vignette. It depends on length and engine power and is valid until 31 December. On your first arrival, you get it in person at the harbour master's office. After that, you can pay online.
• You pay tourist tax as soon as you stay overnight on a boat over seven metres. Payment is online only, either as a flat rate by boat length or at EUR 1.33 per person and night.
• Third-party liability insurance is mandatory from 15 kW engine power. Keep the proof on board.
• Accepted licences are the German Sportbootführerschein See, the Sportküstenschifferschein and the ICC with an endorsement for coastal waters. With a VHF radio on board, you also need a radio certificate.
• Boats over five metres also pay the boat tax, EUR 13 to 664 a year, graded by length, cabin and engine power.

Registering and buying a boat

Even without residence in Croatia, you can have a boat entered in the Croatian register. You need proof of ownership with a certified signature and proof of technical fitness. If the boat comes from another register, you also need its deletion certificate. Only with a Croatian flag can you be considered for a municipal berth at all.

When buying or selling: the seller must have his signature on the purchase contract certified. The change of ownership must be reported to the harbour master's office within 30 days. Make sure you have clear proof that VAT has been paid. This can help if you sell the boat later.

Practical tips

• Ask early in the year and outside the season. Many marinas are fully booked for annual berths. The further south in Croatia, the fewer berths are free.
• Small private facilities and club harbours more often have free berths at lower prices than the large chains.
• Winter storage on land is more common and cheaper in the north. Marinas with their own shipyard can often take care of maintenance.
• The Bura (often called Bora) is the biggest risk in winter. On the Velebit coast, a fixed berth in a sheltered marina is much better than a buoy. Other dangerous winds are described further below.
• If you are looking at an island, check the ferry connections and the flight connections first.

Dangers

On the Adriatic, danger almost always comes from the wind. From force six on the Beaufort scale, it is better to stay in port.

The second issue is shallows. Off many islands, rocks and reefs lie just below the surface, for example in the Kornati, in the passages between the islands and at the entrance to small bays. Charts for pleasure craft and some apps do not always show every spot. The official charts are those of the Hydrographic Institute in Split.

The coastal radio station Rijeka Radio announces the marine weather forecast on VHF channel 16. The harbour master knows which bay gives shelter in which wind direction.

The most common causes of technical breakdowns are fuel, a line in the propeller and flat batteries. A VHF radio belongs on board, because the mobile network has gaps behind the islands. In an emergency at sea, call 195, from abroad +385 51 195, or use VHF channel 16. Both reach the rescue coordination centre in Rijeka. For breakdowns with no danger to life and limb, SeaHelp runs a breakdown service along the whole Croatian coast, with bases from Umag to Dubrovnik. You can use it as a member or pay per case.

• Bura, from the north-east, October to April: a downslope wind over the Velebit. Gusts reach many times the mean wind speed, and the sea becomes short and steep. Signs: unusually clear visibility, lens-shaped clouds over the mountains, falling air pressure. Then head for a harbour, not a buoy.
• The Jugo from the south to south-east blows mainly in spring and autumn. It builds up over hours, often lasts several days and pushes a long, high swell ahead of it. Humid air, haze and yellow Sahara dust on deck announce it.
• In high summer, the Nevera comes from the west. It is a thunderstorm squall that goes from calm to hurricane force in minutes and is over after half an hour. A dark wall of cloud, a sudden calm and distant thunder come before it.
• Maestral, from the north-west, summer afternoons: three to five Beaufort, dies down in the evening. Ideal for sailing, it does not become dangerous.
• Tramontana, Levante, Lebic and the night-time Burin are less common. The Lebic from the south-west pushes boats against the pier in open harbours.