How it works
Sign in
Rules abroad

Is metal detecting legal in Croatia?

Not as a hobby. Article 37 of Croatia's heritage law bans using a metal detector anywhere in the country, underwater included, to look for archaeological finds without Ministry approval, and there is no permit a holidaymaker or hobby detectorist can apply for.

Breaking it is a criminal matter, not a fine on the beach.

What the law says

The rule is Article 37 of the Law on the Protection and Preservation of Cultural Goods (Zakon o zaštiti i očuvanju kulturnih dobara). It has three paragraphs:

  • Protected sites. Nobody may search archaeological zones and sites without the Ministry's prior approval, including underwater zones and places where finds are only presumed.
  • The detector itself. Metal detectors, side-scan sonar and similar devices are banned everywhere in Croatia when they are used to find archaeological material. The only exception is archaeological research the Ministry has approved.
  • The penalty. Searching without authorisation, and keeping an archaeological find, are punishable under criminal law.

The law has no permit for private people. The one exception is approved research.

What about a ring I lost yesterday?

The ban is written around purpose. It names searching for archaeological finds, and a search for a ring you dropped yesterday is not what it names. That is as far as anyone can honestly go.

It does not make such a search allowed. There is no permit to show, and it is the person holding the detector who would have to explain what they were doing, on a coast where much of the shore and seabed is registered archaeological ground. Underwater is the riskiest place of all. We found no case of anyone prosecuted for looking for a lost ring, which only means we found none.

What this means for you

Do not ask anyone to come with a detector. You would be asking a stranger to risk a criminal case for your ring.

What you can do: look yourself, by eye, and with a mask in shallow water. Tell the hotel reception, the beach bar and the lifeguards, describe the ring and leave your number. An honest finder usually hands things in exactly there. And if you see something old in the sand, leave it where it is.

This is not legal advice, and laws change. The official text is the law itself, in its current version on zakon.hr, and the authority is Croatia's Ministry of Culture and Media.

Common questions
Can I use a metal detector on the beach in Croatia?
Not as a hobby. Article 37 bans using a detector anywhere in Croatia to look for archaeological finds, on the beach as much as underwater, and there is no permit for private people.
Is there a permit for hobby detectorists in Croatia?
No. The law has one exception: archaeological research the Ministry has approved in advance.
I lost my ring on a beach in Croatia. Can someone search for it with a detector?
The law names searching for archaeological finds, not for a lost ring. That does not make it allowed: there is no permit, and the person with the detector carries the risk. We will not tell you it is fine.
What happens if you keep something old you found?
Article 37 names that too: keeping an archaeological find against the law is punishable. Leave it where it is.
Who writes this

Kenny built Retrievly. He has snorkelled the Danube for years and keeps bringing up things that belong to other people: wallets with the ID still in them, phones, keys. That is where Retrievly came from.

Is metal detecting legal in Croatia? | Retrievly