How to get a post office box in Croatia

UPDATED: 20.4.2023.

If you need a reliable way to receive mail in Croatia, getting a post office box is a great option. Any person can open a personal post office box at Hrvatska pošta (Croatian postal office) regardless of residency status in Croatia.

Hrvatska pošta is obligated to offer the usage of post office boxes to every person after signing a contract. The usage of a box is completely free of charge. A post office box is called poštanski sandučić in Croatian.

In this article, we cover:

• How to get a post office box
• Other useful things to know
• Post office box address

The facts are these…

How can you get a post office box in Croatia

What is the procedure for getting a Croatian post office box?

#1 Check the availability

The first step to getting a post office box in Croatia is to make sure there is a box available at your selected Hrvatska pošta location.

[Read: Hrvatska pošta – Croatian postal office]

If there is no free box at the post office, you must wait until a box becomes available. Please note that not all Hrvatska pošta locations offer post office boxes.

The list of all the post offices of Hrvatska pošta can be found in English here and Croatian here. Unfortunately, there is no way to filter this list to show only the post offices that offer boxes. A call to Hrvatska pošta to ask for a specific list of post offices with boxes only ended in paralyzing confusion. Visit a location near you and ask them where you can get a box.

#2 Sign a contract

Once you have located a free box, you must sign a contract with Hrvatska pošta. This contract can be signed at any post office where boxes are available.

At the time of signing, you’ll need to provide an ID and proof you have an address in Croatia. Foreigner passports or your Croatian national identification card will work for your ID. To prove an address, any bill with your Croatian address will do (if you don’t have a Croatian residence permit or national ID).

[Read: Available visas and residence permits for Croatia]

An example of the contract can be found here.

What else do I need to know about Croatian post boxes?

Once you’ve opened the box, all the packages you receive are going to be delivered to the box EXCEPT for:

• EMS packages
• HPekspres-packages
• E-packages

These exception packages will be delivered to your home address within Croatia.

If there’s a need, the owner may arrange the delivery of specific packages to their home address via regular delivery.

[Read: Prebivalište and boravište: two addresses that must be registered with the police]

The owner must pick up their packages/items on a regular basis. If a person doesn’t pick up his/her post packages on time, the post office can cancel the usage of a post office box after sending a preliminary warning.

The box owner can give authorization to another person to pick up the packages.

How does a Croatian address look?

It is important for people to know how to properly address a postal item. To provide accuracy in delivering postal items/packages, it is very important to correctly address the recipient. There are enough delays with the Croatian post already, so best not to add to the problem by improperly addressing your mail.

When sending an item to a recipient, the order of the information on the address is important. So, be sure to keep the following address order in mind.

• FIRST LINE: Addressee – name and surname
• SECOND LINE: Street and premises – they need not be inserted – however, if you wish to insert this part of the address, street, and premises must be written above the PO box number
• THIRD LINE: Post office box number
• FORTH LINE: Destination post office number and name – the post office name should normally be written in capital letters, without abbreviating it

Here are examples of correctly written addresses:

Company d.o.o.
P.P. 308
10 000 ZAGREB

Company j.d.o.o.
Kneza Mislava 33
P.P. 308
10 000 ZAGREB

View our other post articles

• Hrvatska pošta – Croatian postal office
• How to hold or forward your mail with the Croatian post office

Sources:
Poštanski pretinac by Hrvatska pošta
Hrvatska pošta