Croatia, which became a member of the European Union (EU) in 2013, became the 27th member of the Schengen area on January 1, while simultaneously converting its official currency from kuna to euro.
While the official currency in Croatia is the euro, it has been noted that kunas can be exchanged for euro at post offices until the end of 2023, and at the Croatian National Bank in 2024.
Since joining the EU in 2013, Croatia has implemented the Schengen rules in a cutting-edge module. Croatia thinks that being included in Schengen will have a positive impact on the country’s economy and increase its competitiveness thanks to the free, faster and cheaper circulation of goods and services. The country also claims that tourism revenues will increase as a member of Schengen.
The Croatian government announced that as of January 1, the country’s borders will be made in accordance with the Schengen rules for transportation and shipping by land, rail and sea, and has determined the date of 26 March 2023 for the airports to be fully ready.
Croatia became the “20th country in the EU to use the euro”.
