Your dog is welcome in all our villas. That is not toleration but intention — we travel with animals ourselves and know how much a holiday differs depending on whether the dog is part of it or only just tagging along.
Here is the practical side, in the order of what you need first.
Entry: the order is what matters
Croatia is an EU member, so the rules are manageable. The most common mistake lies not in the requirements themselves but in their sequence.
1. Microchip first
Your dog needs a microchip to ISO standard 11784 or 11785. Crucially: the chip must be implanted before the rabies vaccination. If the vaccination was given first and the dog chipped afterwards, the vaccination doesn't count for travel purposes — it has to be repeated.
2. Rabies vaccination, at least 21 days before departure
The vaccination must be valid and at least 21 days old when you cross the border. For a first vaccination, protection is only recognised after those 21 days. Depending on the vaccine, it lasts one to three years.
In practice: if you're travelling in four weeks and your dog has never been vaccinated, it gets tight. Check the date now rather than a week before.
3. EU pet passport
Issued by an authorised vet, with the chip number, vaccination dates and owner details. Put it in your hand luggage or the glove compartment, not in the suitcase.
Other points
- A maximum of five animals per person on private holiday trips
- Puppies at the earliest at 15 weeks — vaccination is permitted from 12 weeks, plus the 21-day waiting period
- Croatia does not require an additional tapeworm treatment, unlike Finland or Ireland, for example
Travelling with a dog
We clearly recommend the car. Not because flying is impossible, but because the combination of transport crate, hold and summer heat means considerable stress for most dogs — and many airlines don't transport larger animals at high outside temperatures anyway.
For the car journey:
- Drive at night or in the early morning hours. The A1 through the Dalmatian hinterland gets very hot in the afternoon.
- A break every two to three hours, at shady rest areas
- Water and bowl within reach, not in the boot
- A sun shade for the side window makes more of a difference than expected
You'll find the journey times and toll costs in our article on getting to Kaštel Stari .
Why a villa works better with a dog than a hotel
Every one of our houses has an enclosed, private outdoor area. Your dog can run freely there without you having to keep an eye on it all the time. No shared hotel garden, no lead requirement on your own grounds, no irritated neighbours at the breakfast buffet.
There's also something you only appreciate in August: all rooms have tiled floors and air conditioning. A dog that can lie on cool tiles at midday gets through the heat much better than one in a carpeted room.
Take the heat seriously
From July to early September it gets properly hot in Dalmatia. For dogs that means:
- Asphalt and stone slabs store heat well into the evening. Rule of thumb: if you can't hold the back of your hand on the ground for five seconds, it is too hot for paws.
- Walks belong in the time before 9 am and after 7 pm.
- The pool is not a dog bath — not every animal tolerates salt water or chlorine well, and the filter system won't thank you either. Let us know if your dog likes swimming; we have more suitable suggestions in the area.
Where your dog can go here
The Kaštela seafront promenade can be walked for kilometres in the morning and evening — flat, paved and with water in sight. Behind lies Kozjak, which offers shady trails for longer walks; in high summer, though, only very early in the morning.
There are designated dog beaches in the region, reachable within a few minutes' drive. Which ones are really worth recommending at the moment changes from season to season — we'll pass on the current addresses after you book, together with our map list for the area.
A note on sea urchins
The coast here is mostly shingle and rock, and sea urchins sit in the rock crevices. For dogs' paws they are more unpleasant than for human feet, because the spines are harder to remove. On flat shingle stretches that's no problem — at rocky entry points it is.
What it costs
There is a cleaning fee of 79 euros per dog and stay. For two or more dogs we ask for a quick word beforehand — not because we would decline, but so that we can prepare the house appropriately.
We are happy to provide bowls and small extras on request. Just say briefly when you book which dog you're arriving with.
What you should bring
- EU pet passport
- Familiar food for the whole trip — a change of food plus heat plus unfamiliar surroundings is an unfavourable combination
- Travel bowl and enough water for the journey
- Paw protection or wound ointment, just in case
- Tick protection — sensible all year round in Dalmatia
- A towel for the car and for after the beach
Vet on site
There are vet practices in Kaštela and Split, several of them with an emergency service. If something happens: contact us. We are based locally, know the addresses and can help with communication — in an emergency that is worth more than a Google search in Croatian.
In short
Chip before vaccination, 21 days' lead time, pack the pet passport, travel by car and respect the midday heat. The rest takes care of itself.
Find our dog-friendly villas near Split and Trogir here. Feel free to write to us beforehand — we love having four-legged visitors.
