NIS PROPERTY CROATIA

• Total territory: 87,661 sq km
• Land area: 56,594 sq km
• Territorial sea: 31,067 sq km
• Coastline: 1,778 km
• Islands: 1,185 (66 inhabited)
• Capital: Zagreb (779,000 inhabitants)
• Population (2001): 4,437,460 inhabitants

• GDP, bn USD 37.5
• GDP per capita, USD 8,450
• Industrial production (%) 5.1
• Inflation rate (%) 3.3
• Unemployment rate (%) 18.0
• Exports, m USD 8,809.0
• Imports, m USD 18,546.5
• Central budget balance (% of GDP) -2.4
• CNBs discount rate (%, end of period) 4.5
• No. of companies (Sep 2005) 64,393

Most important trading partenrs in 2005 (% of export)

• Italy 21.4%
• Bosnia and Herzegovina 14.3%
• Germany 10.6%
• Slovenia 8.1%
• Austria 7.1%
• Serbia and Montenegro 4.5%
• USA 3.5%
• Liberia 2.8%
• France 2.3%
• Hungary 1.6%
• Total exports shown above: 76.2%

Most important trading partenrs in 2005 (% of import)

• Italy 16.0%
• Germany 14.8%
• Russia 9.1%
• Slovenia 6.8%
• Austria 5.7%
• China 4.7%
• France 4.2%
• Hungary 3.1%
• Bosnia and Herzegovina 2.4%
• Czech Republic 2.3%
• Total exports shown above: 69.3%

• Austria 25.90%
• Germany 17.20%
• USA 11.67%
• Hungary 8.85%
• Netherlands 8.09%
• Italy 7.21%
• Luxembourg 5.91%
• Slovenia 4.16%
• Great Britain 2.36%
• Switzerland 1.55%

Public and other holidays in Croatia

• New Years Day, 1 January
• Epiphany, 6 January
• Easter, 16 April (changes every year)
• Easter Monday, 17 April (changes every year)
• Labour Day, 1 May
• Corpus Christi, 15 June
• Anti-Fascism Day, 22 June
• Statehood Day, 25 June
• Homeland Gratitude Day, 5 August
• Assumption of Mary, 15 August
• Independence Day, 8 October
• All Saints Day, 1 November
• Christmas holidays, 25 and 26 December

Customs

Domestic and foreign passengers are exempt from paying customs duties and VAT on personal luggage and on goods up to the value of HRK 300. Goods in the value between HRK 300 and 5,000 are subject to a customs duty of 10% and VAT (22%). For values in excess of this amount, tariffs according to the Customs Tariff + VAT (22%) are charged.

Imigration policy

Persons who have lived abroad for at least three consecutive years and are permanently returning/immigrating to Croatia are exempt from paying customs duty on household objects and appliances (except on automobiles), provided that they have possessed and used these items for at least 12 months and that they have not already exercised this privilege prior to returning/immigrating to Croatia. Such objects may be imported within a twelve-month period from the day of returning/immigrating to Croatia. The same rule applies to commercial equipment, provided that it has been used abroad for at least 12 months for the same purpose for which it will be used in Croatia.