Insurance & Fees

All vehicles in Croatia are required to have Third Party Liability (TPL) insurance, including rental cars. That’s why TPL is a standard rental inclusion, along with Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) and Theft Protection (TP). But these still carry an excess amount that the renter is liable to pay in the event of damage or theft.

Cover Type	What It Does	Included?
TPL	Covers damage or injury to third parties	Always included
CDW	Limits your liability for vehicle damage	Usually included; excess applies
TP	Limits liability if the vehicle is stolen	Usually included; excess applies
SCDW / Full Protection	Reduces or eliminates the CDW excess	Optional; ~€10–20/day extra

🚫 Standards CDW does not cover damage to tyres, glass, roof, underbody, or interior. Upgrading to an appropriate policy can help cover vehicle damage caused by gravel surfaces and low-clearance tracks on Istrian coastal roads.

💡 Some credit cards include CDW excess coverage. Check before purchasing an SCDW upgrade – you may already be covered.

A pre-authorisation hold is placed on the main driver’s credit card at pickup. This is not a charge, but the amount is temporarily blocked for your use until the vehicle is released without any damage or traffic fines.

Cover Level	Typical Deposit Hold
Standard CDW with excess	€800 – €1,500
SCDW / excess waived	€200 – €400
Full cover package	€0 – €100

⚠️ Security deposit holds can take 7–21 business days to release after the car hire return, depending on your bank and the supplier. Factor this into your card’s available credit before travel, especially during peak summer, when multiple holds throughout your trip can stack.

You can use a debit card to book a rental car, but it is not accepted for the security deposit hold by most major suppliers in Croatia. Higher deposits and additional insurance may be required by suppliers for deposits made by debit card.

✅ If a travel companion holds a credit card, they may be registered as the main driver with you added as an additional driver.