Legal frame Pomorski zakonik (PZ) art. 9.a; Pravilnik NN 42/17 arts 1–4, 11–13, 16 and 33; MMPI Uputa za obavljanje charter djelatnosti v1.3 (July 2026); MMPI eCrew/e-Ovlaštenja presentation (April 2026).
One regulation, two activities
Croatia has no separate licence for "boat hire". Hiring out a brodica or jahta falls under the charter regulation, Pravilnik NN 42/17, made under PZ art. 9.a. Its definitions (art. 2) decide which duties you carry:
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| charter djelatnost | rental of a vessel or accommodation on a vessel in Croatian internal waters and territorial sea |
| iznajmljivanje plovila (rental) | giving the vessel to an end user for leisure, with or without crew, without accommodation, for a fee fixed in advance and publicly available |
| pružanje usluge smještaja (accommodation) | the same, but passengers sleep aboard |
| charter kompanija | the owner or user of the vessel, or whoever has taken over that responsibility by written contract |
| plovilo | a brodica or jahta used for charter |
A jet ski is a brodica, so a beach jet-ski stand is a charter company in law. Pedalos, SUPs and kayaks are not brodice; they sit under the navigation rules (lesson 2.2) rather than NN 42/17.
The fee must be published in advance. A price agreed on the pontoon is not what the definition describes.
What the boat must be (arts 3–4)
- Croatian flag, EEA flag, or third-country flag with cabotage approval;
- registered for commercial use (gospodarska namjena) in the flag State;
- technically fit, shown by a survey (lesson 2.1);
- crewed as the rules require; carrying its documents;
- covered by third-party liability insurance that includes Croatian waters.
Who may run it
MMPI's 2026 instruction expects the owner or user of a commercially registered vessel to operate through a company or obrt seated in Croatia, or to sign the vessel over by contract to a Croatian-registered charter company. A company seated outside the EU needs a Croatian OIB, VAT ID and tax representative (art. 14). Where a Croatian-flag boat is not registered to the company, the company files a notarised lease or cooperation contract showing the owner's OIB (art. 16). A vessel may be used by one charter company at a time (art. 13(2)).
What a rental-only business drops — and keeps
| Art. 12(1) duty | With accommodation | Rental only |
|---|---|---|
| 1. internet and advanced e-signature for crew lists | yes | no |
| 2. crew and passenger list before each departure | yes | no |
| 3. reception premises (owned, leased or under concession) | yes | yes |
| 4. a named person, on an employment-type contract, for technical fitness and handover | yes | yes |
| 5. handover with the skipper | yes | yes |
| 6. tourist tax | yes | no |
The database question
Art. 11 says that before starting, every charter company applies in writing to the Ministry for user rights on the central crew-list database; art. 13 lists what goes in (company, OIB/VAT ID, responsible person, safety person, data-entry staff, the vessels and their documents, berth and reception area, contacts). The July 2026 instruction says a company renting without accommodation "is not obliged to submit the eCrew request, but must meet all other conditions". Follow the instruction, keep the art. 13 file ready, and ask MMPI in writing if in doubt.
WARNING — One overnight changes the regime If guests sleep aboard, that is accommodation (art. 2 pt 4). The eCrew request (to charter@pomorstvo.hr), crew lists before every departure, e-signature and tourist tax all apply. Staff access runs through e-Ovlaštenja with a high-assurance credential (eOI, FINA token, Certilia or mobileID).
Renting in breach of NN 42/17 is expensive: a legal person faces HRK 10,000–500,000 (€1,327.23–€66,361.40) under PZ art. 993(2), and the boat's registration can be withdrawn for one month to two years (art. 1008(2)). Lesson 4.1 has the full table. For accommodation charter, see Chartering in Croatian Waters.