Diving areas must be clearly marked by setting a red or orange buoy in the center of the area, or by displaying a diving flag from a high point on the boat being used to dive from. At night, the buoy must be illuminated.
Independent diving requires special authorization issued by the harbormaster or branch office for a fee of HRK 2,400. According to regulations, some parts of the coastal waters are off limits for diving, while others require a special permit.
Diving is forbidden in ports, entrances to ports, anchorages and areas frequented by heavy traffic. Diving is not allowed in special marine reserves, nature parks, and protected areas such as Mali Ston Bay, Lim Gorge and Telašćica Nature Park, and in the Brijuni and Krk National Parks. You should not dive within 100 meters of naval ships at anchor or manned military coastal installations.
Areas requiring a special diving permit are the Kornati islands, Mljet and Telašćica Nature Park. Permits are issued by the park authorities. You may dive in organized groups in Brijuni.
Areas which require a special license issued by the Ministry of Culture and where you may only dive under the supervision of a licensed diving center are the Vis Archaeological Zone (the islands of Vis, Biševo, Svetac and Brusnik), Lastovo Archaeological Zone (the islands of Sušac, Kopište, Lastovo and the islet groups of Donji Školji and Vrhovnjaci), Palagruža Archaeological Zone (all the islands and islets), Mljet Archaeological Zone (300 meters from the coast of the island and all the islands, islets and rocks within 2,000 meters of the coast), the archaeological zones around the islands of Cres, Kakanj, Krapanj, Ilovik, Unije, Mali Lošinj, Osor, Susak, Rogoznica,
Premantura (near Pula) and shipwreck sites such as Szent Istvan (Premuda), Coriolanus (Novigrad, Istra), Baron Gautsch (Sv. Ivan na Pučini, Istra), S57 (Pelješac), the wreck of the TA 45, Francesca di Rimini (island of Kaprije), the B24 plane (Vrsar), the Hans Schmidt (Rovinj) and the Flamingo (Pula); and the archaeological sites of Žirja and Cavtat.
The maximum depth permitted for recreational diving is 40 meters.
