Short answer. Croatia has about 2,040 shelters for citizens, with room for 367,965 people, less than 10% of the population (Civil Protection Directorate data, September 2023, cited by the State Audit Office) 1. Since 2015, towns and municipalities manage public shelters 2. There is no national register or official locator: ask your town or municipality 1.
How many public shelters does Croatia have?
The State Audit Office reports: "u Republici Hrvatskoj ima ukupno 2 040 skloništa za građane, s kapacitetom za 367 965 osoba" (Croatia has a total of 2,040 shelters for citizens, with capacity for 367,965 people) 1.
| Where | Shelters | Places |
|---|---|---|
| Croatia, total | 2,040 | 367,965 |
| 77 towns | 2,007 | not broken down |
| 23 municipalities | 33 | not broken down |
| of which Zagreb | 1,041 | 168,122 |
The shelters are spread over 100 local government units, and Zagreb holds about half of them 1.
How do I find my nearest shelter?
There is no national shelter map or search tool 1. Contact your town or municipality (jedinica lokalne samouprave), which manages public shelters under Article 96 of the Civil Protection System Act 21. The State Audit Office found that the 14 cities it audited kept shelter records, or set them up during the audit, but most did not publish shelter information on their websites 1.
If you live in an apartment building, ask the building manager or co-owners as well: the Directorate treats shelters in residential buildings as the responsibility of the co-owners, although the State Audit Office says this is not clearly regulated 1.
Who maintains the shelters?
Towns and municipalities, since 2015 21. The State Audit Office notes that since 2015 no regulation requires a register of shelters, and that since 2000 there has been no obligation to build new ones 1. The Directorate publishes non-binding recommendations on maintaining and equipping public shelters and "basic protection" shelters in buildings 3.
What do I do when the sirens sound?
The Directorate's siren signals tell you to turn on radio or TV and follow the announced measures 4. Sheltering is one of the measures the announcement may give; the 2023 citizens' brochure covers sheltering and evacuation 45. See Emergency alerts in Croatia and our guides on air-raid alerts and shelter or evacuate.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a public shelter for everyone in Croatia?
No. The 367,965 places cover less than 10% of the population 1.
Is there an app or map of Croatian shelters?
No national map or locator exists. Ask your town or municipality 1.
Who is responsible for the shelter in my apartment building?
The Directorate treats it as a common part of the building maintained by the co-owners; the State Audit Office says this point is not clearly settled in law 13.
Does Croatia still build public shelters?
There has been no legal obligation to build shelters since 2000 1.
Sources
- Državni ured za reviziju — Izvješće o radu Državnog ureda za reviziju za 2023. godinu - Upravljanje i održavanje skloništa za slučajeve katastrofa — https://www.revizija.hr/UserDocsImages/izvjesca-novo/Revizije%20-%202023/IZVJESCE_O_RADU_DUR-A_ZA_2023/IZVJESCE%20O%20RADU%20DRZAVNOG%20UREDA%20ZA%20REVIZIJU%20ZA%202023.pdf (accessed 2026-10-20)
- Narodne novine — Zakon o sustavu civilne zaštite (NN 82/15), članci 96. i 98. — https://narodne-novine.nn.hr/clanci/sluzbeni/2015_07_82_1567.html (accessed 2026-10-20)
- Ministarstvo unutarnjih poslova - Ravnateljstvo civilne zaštite — Preporuke za održavanje i opremanje „Skloništa osnovne zaštite“ ili tzv. Atomska skloništa, koja se nalaze u stambenim, stambeno-poslovnim ili poslovnim građevinama, te javnih skloništa — https://civilna-zastita.gov.hr/UserDocsImages/CIVILNA%20ZA%C5%A0TITA/PDF_ZA%20WEB/1.%20SKLONI%C5%A0TA%20Upute.pdf (accessed 2026-10-20)
- Ministarstvo unutarnjih poslova - Ravnateljstvo civilne zaštite — Znakovi za uzbunjivanje (plakat) — https://civilna-zastita.gov.hr/znakovi-za-uzbunjivanje/143 (accessed 2026-10-20)
- Ministarstvo unutarnjih poslova - Ravnateljstvo civilne zaštite — Uloga građana u sustavu civilne zaštite i kako svojim djelovanjem možete pomoći u izgradnji sigurnijeg društva (2023) — https://civilna-zastita.gov.hr/UserDocsImages/CIVILNA%20ZA%C5%A0TITA/PDF_ZA%20WEB/Uloga%20gra%C4%91ana%20u%20sustavu%20civilne%20za%C5%A1tite%20-%20bro%C5%A1ura.pdf (accessed 2026-10-20)
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Sources
- Državni ured za reviziju · Izvješće o radu Državnog ureda za reviziju za 2023. godinu - Upravljanje i održavanje skloništa za slučajeve katastrofa checked 2026-10-20
- Narodne novine · Zakon o sustavu civilne zaštite (NN 82/15), članci 96. i 98. checked 2026-10-20
- Ministarstvo unutarnjih poslova - Ravnateljstvo civilne zaštite · Preporuke za održavanje i opremanje „Skloništa osnovne zaštite“ ili tzv. Atomska skloništa, koja se nalaze u stambenim, stambeno-poslovnim ili poslovnim građevinama, te javnih skloništa checked 2026-10-20
- Ministarstvo unutarnjih poslova - Ravnateljstvo civilne zaštite · Znakovi za uzbunjivanje (plakat) checked 2026-10-20
- Ministarstvo unutarnjih poslova - Ravnateljstvo civilne zaštite · Uloga građana u sustavu civilne zaštite i kako svojim djelovanjem možete pomoći u izgradnji sigurnijeg društva (2023) checked 2026-10-20