Sunday shop closure law in Croatia begins

Zagreb

The Croatian government’s regulation on non-working Sundays came into effect on 1 July.

Under the amended Trade Act, which came into force on 1 July, shops will only be able to operate for 16 Sundays a year, and they will independently choose when to work. 

This year they will have an easier situation as they will have to distribute the 16 working Sundays over the remaining 27 weeks of the year, while starting from 2024, they will have a more demanding task as they will only be allowed to trade on 16 Sundays in the year.

Trading shops at railway and bus stations, airports and ports, on ferries and petrol stations, as well as in hospitals, hotels, cultural and religious institutions and museums are all exempt and will remain open on Sundays.

Kiosks, which sell newspapers and other small products and are located all over the country, are also exempt, and as Index.hr reported today, they will be able to open Sundays from 7 am until 1 pm. 

Kiosks will remain open

Shops will also be open within visitor centres or interpretation centres, nautical marinas, campsites, family farms and declared protected nature areas in accordance with special regulations. Some large shopping malls around the country have already announced which Sundays they will be closed on until the rest of the year.

Banning trading on Sundays has been discussed in Croatia for a long time now and it has now come into effect. The aim of the changes is to create a better work-life balance and give citizens more family time, which remains the basis of society.

Croatia is not the only EU country with Sunday trading laws. Poland also implemented a Sunday trading ban. Shopping malls and supermarkets are closed on Sundays, while restaurants, online stores, and essential services still operate.