CrossBorderRentals works both ways. Pick up your rental car in Dubrovnik, Split, Zagreb, Zadar or Pula, add cross-border cover at booking, and drive into Montenegro, Bosnia or Serbia with the paperwork already arranged before you reach the crossing.
Zero-deposit cars
A useful slice needs none. Deposits held 30 to 45 days.
Free cancellation
On many cars, free up to 24 hours before pickup.
Covered before you go
Fee and Green Card written into your agreement.
What do you need?
When you book a car from a Croatian pickup city, select your cross-border destination at checkout. Croatia sells two options, split by EU membership, and the fee and paperwork are added before you travel rather than at the crossing.
- Cross-border cover is selected at booking, not at the border
- EU neighbours and non-EU neighbours are priced separately
- Albania and Kosovo are not sold from a Croatian pickup; start in Montenegro or Albania for those
Which cars are eligible?
Not every car in the Croatian fleet is cleared to leave the country. When searching from a Croatian pickup city, filter for cross-border eligible vehicles and check the country you are heading to is offered as a cross-border option on that car before you book.
Island ferries need arranging first
This one is specific to Croatia and catches people out. Taking a rental car by ferry between the mainland and the islands is only possible if it is arranged in advance, so a Hvar or Brač leg has to be agreed before you complete the booking rather than decided on the day.
Cross-border cover sold from Croatia
Croatia divides its cover by whether the country you are entering is in the EU, rather than by the tier system used on Montenegro pickups. Choose the one matching your route when you book.
Neighbouring EU countries
Slovenia, Hungary
Inside the EU insurance zone, so no Green Card is involved.
Neighbouring non-EU countries
Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia
Price and conditions vary by car, rental length and rental company, and it is arranged before you travel rather than at the border.
What you need to rent
- Driving licence
- A full national licence with the details repeated in Latin script, valid through to the end of the rental. Photocopies and phone images are not accepted. If your licence is only valid in the country that issued it, carry an International Driving Permit alongside it.
- Age and experience
- The minimum age and years held vary car by car rather than by category, and the agent can decline if you do not meet the requirement for that specific vehicle. Filter on driver age when you search rather than assuming.
- A card in the main driver’s name
- Usually a physical embossed credit card belonging to the lead driver, for the deposit. Some cars accept a debit card, stated on the listing and your voucher, but it still has to be physical and personalised. Croatian deposits are sometimes held for 30 to 45 days after you return the car.
- Your cross-border choice
- Selected while you book. It cannot be added at pickup or bought at the crossing, so decide where you are driving before you reserve.
Border crossing tips
The main crossing between Croatia and Montenegro is at Karasovici / Debeli Brijeg on the coast road south of Dubrovnik. A second crossing at Konfin sits on the inland route from Dubrovnik via Cavtat. Both can queue in peak summer.
- Karasovici / Debeli Brijeg: main coastal crossing, busiest July and August
- Konfin: quieter inland alternative via Cavtat
- Have your rental agreement, passport and cross-border confirmation ready
One-way drop-off
One-way drop-off outside Croatia is not available. The car must return to the Croatian pickup city at the end of the rental.
Drive times to Montenegro
Approximate driving times from Croatian pickup cities to popular Montenegro destinations.
| From | To | Distance | Approx. drive |
|---|
| Dubrovnik | Herceg Novi | 45 km | 1h |
| Dubrovnik | Kotor | 90 km | 1h 30m |
| Dubrovnik | Budva | 110 km | 2h |
| Dubrovnik | Podgorica | 150 km | 2h 45m |
| Split | Podgorica | 340 km | 5h |
| Zagreb | Podgorica | 715 km | 8h |
Renting from Croatia: common questions
Common questions about picking up a car in Croatia and driving across the border.
Can you rent a car in Croatia and drive to Montenegro?
Yes. Several cars in the Croatian fleet are approved for cross-border travel. Select your destinations when you book, and the cross-border cover is added before you reach the border.
Which countries can I drive to from a Croatian pickup?
Montenegro, Bosnia, Serbia, Albania, Kosovo, and the wider EU and Switzerland. The cross-border fee and Green Card (where required) are added at booking.
Do I need a Green Card to drive from Croatia to Montenegro?
No. Montenegro does not require a Green Card for vehicles entering from Croatia. For Albania, Kosovo, and destinations in the EU and Switzerland, the Green Card is included with the cross-border cover.
Which Croatian cities can I pick up from?
Dubrovnik, Split, Zagreb, Zadar and Pula all have pickup locations with cross-border eligible cars. Dubrovnik is by far the closest to Montenegro, sitting under an hour from the Debeli Brijeg crossing, and it is also the natural base for the Neum corridor through Bosnia. Kotor is about 1h 30m away.
Can I drop the car off in another country?
No. Cross-border one-way drop-off is not available. The car must return to your Croatian pickup city at the end of the rental period.
How long does it take to drive from Dubrovnik to Montenegro?
Herceg Novi is about 1h from Dubrovnik, Kotor around 1h 30m, Budva around 2h, and Podgorica about 2h 45m. Border queues can add time in peak summer.
