Croatia: Suspected fraud – Are boat owners moored in Vinišće being ripped off?

Several warnings on the Navily navigation app, as well as a reader enquiry to *YACHT*, all describe similar incidents. According to these reports, the men are demanding money for mooring, even though there are no buoys in the bay. The skippers are not given official electronic receipts.

Anchoring in the harbour area may be subject to a charge

According to information from the Croatia blogger Kristijan Antić Vinišće Bay forms part of the official port area of Split-Dalmatia County. Under Croatian law, the port authority is, in principle, entitled to charge an anchorage fee there – even if there are no buoys or moorings available. For free anchoring within the designated port area, around half the standard mooring fee is usually charged. The mere fact that fees are being charged is therefore not in itself an indication of fraud.

The cashiers’ actions raise questions

However, Antić takes a much more critical view of the way in which the charges are collected. Under Croatian law, such payments must be recorded for tax purposes. This means that the charges are collected via an electronic registration system which prints out an official receipt with a QR code.

Handwritten receipts from a receipt pad do not meet these requirements and are regarded as a clear warning sign. The threat of an immediate fine of 500 euros also seems questionable. Port authority staff are not authorised to impose fines themselves. Only the harbour master or the maritime police are authorised to do so.

Experts on Croatia advise caution

Our long-standing colleague and Croatia expert, Bodo Müller, is also surprised. He says this is the first time he has heard that mooring fees are charged in Vinišće. In the past, however, there have been repeated cases of fraudsters posing as officials using forged ID cards. To his knowledge, authorised fee collectors must be able to produce three things: an official ID card as a concessionaire or authorised representative, an officially certified price list, and an electronic till system that immediately prints a tax-compliant receipt.

If any of these features are missing, it is wise to be wary. Müller also advises contacting the harbour master’s office (Lučka kapetanija) or the water police (emergency number 195) in such cases. In his own experience, so-called ticket collectors often disappear as soon as an identity check is announced.

This is how skippers should behave in Croatia

Anyone asked to pay in Vinišće or any other Croatian bay should first ask to be shown or issued with an official, tax-stamped receipt bearing a QR code. If the cashiers are unable to produce this or if they put pressure on the crew, it is advisable to have their identity verified by the relevant harbour master’s office or the maritime police.

It is as yet unclear whether the recent incidents in Vinišće are in fact the work of fraudsters or the result of misconduct on the part of individual authorised persons. BOOTE has therefore submitted an enquiry to the relevant Croatian authorities and will report back as soon as an official statement is available.

New regulations for moored vessels have been in force in Croatia since 2025. For more information:

• ​Croatia: New safety rules are causing a stir