toll booths are going away in March 2027: what drivers need to know

If you're driving to Croatia, there's a big change coming to the motorways next year. The toll booths are going away, and tolls will be charged automatically without stopping.

what's changing and when

Croatian Motorways (HAC) is introducing a new toll system called Crolibertas. According to HAC it will be fully operational from 1 March 2027. Until then, tolls work as they do now: you pay at the toll plaza or with an ENC device.

HAC is installing 212 gantries with cameras and antennas that recognise vehicles as they drive underneath.

how it will work

The system recognises your vehicle in one of two ways:

• with an ENC device, as today. One device will work for up to three vehicles.
• by reading your number plate, if the vehicle is registered in the system and linked to a payment card

According to HAC, you'll be able to register on the crolibertas.hr portal, in a mobile app, at HAC offices and partner locations, and in 140 quick-registration lanes at motorway entrances.

Cash isn't disappearing completely. HAC says tolls can still be paid in cash, though no longer to a cashier at the exit. Instead you'll pay at sales offices and other points of sale.

what isn't known yet

HAC has said it will publish detailed user procedures before the launch, through the media and the official Crolibertas portal. At the time of writing, these haven't been explained publicly:

• the deadline for paying after you drive through
• penalties for unpaid tolls
• how foreign and rental cars are handled

tips

1. Travelling before March 2027? Nothing changes. The booths are still running.
2. For trips from March 2027, follow HAC's official information and register your vehicle before you travel, once registration opens.
3. If you have an ENC device, keep it. It will work in the new system too.
4. Renting a car? Ask the rental company how tolls will be paid under the new system.