Croatia travel warning to UK holidaymakers over tourist rules with £3k fine, including Dubrovnik and Split

British holidaymakers travelling to Croatia should be wary of strict new rules in place for tourists, which could result in a fine up to £3,400 if broken.

The UK Foreign Office is urging tourists to be mindful of local laws and customs in some Croatian town centres, including popular holiday spots Dubrovnik and Split, that authorities can issue on the spot fines for behaviour considered to be “inappropriate”.

The strict local rules apply to various activities, including stringent dress codes in towns, drinking in certain areas, and “disturbances” like drunken behaviour.

Dubrovnik currently has rules in place that bans visitors from walking through the old city shirtless or in swimwear, and now the city of Split is doing the same.

Rules also prohibit people from wearing bikinis, trunks, underwear or not clothes in a public space, and items of clothing that “promotes drug use” are also banned. Fines up to €150 (around £128) can be issued to those who flout the rules, which apply to both tourists and locals.

In addition, fines can also be given for other “inappropriate” behaviour, including climbing on monuments, sleeping in public areas and drinking alcohol near protected public spaces, such as schools.

Holidaymakers enjoying the Croatian nightlife also face fines up to €4000 (£3,400) for actions considered to be “disturbances to public order”. This could include drunken behaviour, fighting or shouting verbal abuse in public.

The Foreign Office has now updated its travel advice for Croatia to reflect the new restrictions in place. The fresh guidance states: “In some Croatian town centres, authorities may issue on the spot fines for behaviour which is locally considered inappropriate, such as:

• walking through towns shirtless or in swimwear
• wearing clothing that promotes drug use
• sleeping in public areas
• climbing on top of monuments
• urinating in public spaces
• drinking alcohol near protected public spaces (e.g. schools)
• vomiting in public areas

“You can also be fined up to €4000 for actions considered to be disturbances to public order. These include fighting, verbal abuse and drunken behaviour.

“Most towns have signage to advise about actions that are prohibited by local law. Take notice of your surroundings, including signage, and seek local advice. Drug related offences are punishable with fines and jail sentences.”

The rules mirror those that are in force in some parts of Spain as the country attempts to  clamp down on drunken behaviour. New laws introduced by the regional government in the Balearic Islands means that tourists now face limits on the sale and availability of alcohol.

The holiday resorts of Magaluf (Calvià), Playa de Palma on the island of Mallorca and San Antonio (San Antoni de Portmany) on the island of Ibiza all have strict rules on the consumption of alcohol, which mean happy hours, open bars, two-for-one drinks, pub crawls and party boat trips are all banned, as well as the sale of alcoholic drinks from vending machines.

Some local councils in Spain have also banned alcohol from being consumed in the street and will issue on-the-spot fines to rule-breakers. Booze limits are also in place at all-inclusive resorts in the Balearic Islands, while smoking bans have been introduced across a swathe of Spanish beaches, alongside strict dress codes.

The UK Foreign Office warns it is against the law to wear only a bikini or swimming shorts, or trunks, in parts of Spain on the seafront promenade or the adjacent streets as part of efforts to stop people being inappropriately dressed on public streets.

In Barcelona, local rules mean bikinis can only be worn on the beach, with those caught wearing one in the town centre facing a fine up to £260. Bikinis are also restricted to the beach in Majorca, with rule-breakers facing a hefty fine of up to £500. The rules also apply to shirtless men in both of these areas.