update Monday June 7, 2021

2021 Croatia Destination Wedding Covid Restrictions

Couples are ready to travel. But are destination weddings in Croatia happening in 2021? This is your ultimate guide to Croatia weddings during Covid.

DISCLAIMER: The post is for informational purposes only and addresses Croatia Weddings during Covid-19. Any person wishing to travel to Croatia should contact the Croatian Embassy and the embassy in their home country. Obtain the most accurate and specific travel and healthy requirements for travel during 2021. By using this website, links, and information available here you explicitly release 5th Photography and any of its staff or affiliates from any liability associated with the information provided and topic discussed. The opinions expressed on this website or through the information provided are the opinions of the individual author.

Croatia is open and active again. The wedding industry has opened its season. The country is back in action.

Covid in cases in Croatia continue to decline, according to statistics available online and reported in the media. At this time, Croatia’s borders are open to many countries, but some restrictions are prohibitive limiting entry to only essential. More clarity on restrictions will come this month.

Croatia wedding Covid restrictions are in place, but they are easing and they are allowing for celebrations. If you are hoping to make it to Croatia for your destination wedding, things look like they are leaning in your favor.

Can I enter Croatia during the Covid-19 Pandemic in 2021?

We are all interested in 2021 Croatia wedding Covid restrictions. But how restrictive are they? Can you we all enter Croatia?

In most cases, yes – as long as you are not currently ill and have documentation of health or vaccination. Let’s take a look at the details. I have been using this for my travel planning.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has created a list of green countries, that indicate an acceptable Covid-19 status. If you travel from European green listed EU/EEA/or Schengen Area and are exhibiting no symptoms and have not been in contact with anyone with Covid-19, Croatia is permitting entry, irrespective of your citizenship.

If you travel from a country outside of this area, again, irrespective of citizenship, you have different requirements. You should prepare to show one of the five following items at the border entry point to Croatia:

Vaccination records, medical documentation of covid-related recovery, test results or a combination of these are essential if you are a third country national. I strongly encourage you to visit the Ministry of the Interior page to see specifics about vaccine stipulations prior to traveling. You can also scan this QR code to get to the MUP (Ministry of the Interior) page:

A note to Non-EU citizens

You must declare if you are a tourist and present the border agent with your certificate of paid accommodations. This certificate should show an address of where you will be staying for the duration of your trip. Alternatively, you and show that you own property in Croatia. More details on this is for Third Country Nationals is available on the Ministry of Internal Affairs website.

What are the Corona virus restrictions around destination weddings in Croatia?

Gatherings and weddings are ok for up to 100 guests, but guests and participating vendors must all be able to prove they have one of the following:

• A complete vaccination for Covid-19 that is 14 or more days old
• Documentation that they have recovered from Covid-19 11-180 days ago
• Documentation that they have recovered from Covid-19 and have received one of two doses of the Covid-19 vaccination
• A PCR test or RAT that is no older than 48 hours

The newspaper reported two weeks ago that guest lists up to 120 would be permitted, but the government has not yet updated its documentation. I’ll update this article as information becomes available. 

All guests must observe social distancing rules (2 meters indoors and 1.5 meters outdoors) or when social distancing is not possible, masks must be worn.

Wedding planners, hosts, or venues must be in contact with the Ministry of the Interior. All guest legal names and health documentation must be submitted prior to large gatherings. Every guest must sign-in on an attendee list and sign off that they have the appropriate documentation proving they are free of Covid-19. This submission to the Ministry of the Interior should occur at least two working days prior to the wedding. A copy of the list is available here.

Are stores, cafes, restaurants and hotels open?

All businesses are open and functioning, but with a variety of indoor and outdoor seating requirements and with Covid-19 restrictions including social distancing and masks. Cafes are currently only accepting outdoor seating, while restaurants are accepting both indoor and outdoor seating. Hotels and private rentals are fully operational with appropriate social distancing, mask requirements and regular cleaning by the place of business.

Can I travel to Croatian islands, use public transportation or fly within Croatia?

All domestic travel (air, sea and land) is operational. Social distancing is in practice and surgical masks are in use. .

How do I get married in Croatia?

I thought you’d never ask. Croatia is the most beautiful place on earth to get married. Here is how to savor the beauty and breeze through the administrative items. Read my article How to Get Married in Croatia. I’ll take you through all of the documents your need for your Croatia destination wedding, where to get them, timelines and everything else you need to eliminate stress and get a complete understanding of the administrative requirements.

How do I plan a wedding in Croatia during Covid?

As with any other destination wedding planning, there are a few key elements that you should consider, no matter what. But with Covid restrictions lingering, they are extra important so everything works in your favor. Let’s take a look at what will make your planning smooth and effective.

Hire a Croatia Wedding Planner

I can say with full certainty that hiring a planner for any destination wedding is a smart decision. Your planner could be local to Croatia or someone that you bring in from another part of the world. If you are planning to have a legally binding ceremony in Croatia, having a local navigate the administrative component for you is beneficial. If you are looking for someone to only coordinate, you have more flexibility in selecting a planner from various regions of the world.

Wedding planners are tremendously effective at creating a cohesive experience for you and your guests. This translates into aesthetics, tastes, sounds and activities. Inviting them into your wedding planning early in the process gives you peace of mind. You can be sure that all elements will be intentionally considered and it will allow time for local or distant sourcing to ensure you have everything you want on your day. With Covid still looming, having someone on the ground designing and coordinating logistics will save you from stress. It will also keep you winning even through wedding planning through covid restrictions, in Croatia.

Create a Style Board

You may think your mood boarding days were done after high school, but give the mood board one last go with me. I encourage you to sit and create a mood board of what you picture your wedding day to look like. Find a representative image online that showcases what a perfect reception looks like to you. Is the lighting in the ceremony bright or dark? What is the shape and colour of your bouquet look like? How will you weave the experience you want your guests to have into the atmosphere, the food, the paper and the attire? Find images that represent all of your visions and put them on a single page.

Use your mood board in your discussion with your planner and your vendors to ensure you design a look and feel that feel true to you and that can be achieved by your vendor team. Style boards are always helpful, but in Covid, with all the moving parts, they keep everyone aligned. Keeping everyone on the same page is a winning strategy.

This is part of my services. If you work with me for your wedding photography and styling, I will guide you through this and we will come up with your exact Signature Style. Alongside it, we create a wedding day timeline to set you up for success in as you kick off your vision and planning for your wedding day. Check out my Wedding Day Timeline Planner I use with my clients at the bottom of this article – download your copy.

Understand Your Planning Timeline

Having time on your side sets you up for success. If you plan to have a legally binding ceremony in Croatia, you have certain dates you must adhere to for paperwork submission, see my article on How to Get Married in Croatia for that. Learn these dates, mark them on a calendar and be ready to work with your planner to execute on them.

You can do this. You can have the Croatia wedding of your dreams, even with some of the remaining Covid restrictions. Please reach out to me if you have questions, I’m always available to talk to romantic couples planning beautiful weddings in the prettiest place on earth. Email me at steph@5thPhotography.com, or connect with my on Instagram at @5thFineArt.

xo,
Steph