Can you build a private shelter in Croatia?

Short answer. Croatia has no specific permit, declaration or legal duty for private shelters ¹². There has been no obligation to build shelters since 2000, and the 2015 Civil Protection System Act repealed the shelter rulebooks ¹². The State Audit Office found that shelter planning, building and maintenance are not regulated by law ¹. Ordinary building rules still apply, as for any construction.

Is a shelter required in Croatian homes?

No. The State Audit Office writes: "Od 2000. nije propisana obveza gradnje skloništa. Zbog navedenog, prema propisima koji su na snazi, poslovi planiranja, gradnje, upravljanja i održavanja skloništa nisu zakonski regulirani." (Since 2000 there has been no obligation to build shelters. As a result, under the regulations in force, the planning, building, management and maintenance of shelters are not regulated by law.) ¹

Do I need a permit for a private shelter?

There is no shelter-specific permit or declaration ¹². Ordinary building rules apply; they are not specific to shelters. Ask your town or municipality which rules cover the work you have in mind on your plot.

Is there a Croatian technical standard for shelters?

Not a binding one. Article 98 of the 2015 Civil Protection System Act repealed the earlier rulebooks ²:

• Rulebook on technical norms for shelters (NN 53/91).
• Rulebook on maintaining shelters and other protective structures in peacetime (NN 45/84).
• Rulebook on the towns and settlements where shelters must be built (NN 2/91).
• Rulebook on the conditions for leasing shelters in peacetime (NN 98/01).

The Civil Protection Directorate publishes only non-binding 2022 recommendations on maintaining and equipping "basic protection" shelters in residential and commercial buildings and public shelters ³. They cover regular checks (visual inspection, testing all devices, measuring overpressure), routine upkeep (airing, door seals, cleaning, disinfection) and equipment by capacity, from 50 to 300 persons: sealed doors, manual and electric ventilation with pre-filters to keep overpressure, sanitary equipment, lighting including on a hand generator, and an antenna and radio connection ³. These recommendations concern existing shelters; they are not a design or approval scheme for new ones.

What about the shelter already in my building?

The Directorate treats shelters in residential buildings as common parts of the building, maintained by the co-owners ³¹. The State Audit Office says this point is not clearly settled in law ¹. If your building has a "basic protection" shelter, the 2022 recommendations are the official reference for its upkeep ³.

Who should design a private shelter?

Anything underground or load-bearing needs a qualified structural engineer. Phaenyx does not give construction instructions. Our general guides explain the questions to raise with an engineer: reinforcing a buried container, buried containers, shelter ventilation, radon underground and humidity and mould. For how other countries set standards, see safe room standards.

Frequently asked questions

Is it legal to build a bunker in Croatia?

Croatia has no shelter-specific permit, declaration or duty, and the State Audit Office found shelter building is not regulated by law ¹². Ordinary building rules apply; ask your town or municipality.

Do new buildings in Croatia need a shelter?

No. There has been no obligation to build shelters since 2000 ¹.

Can I use the old shelter norms NN 53/91?

They were repealed in 2015 by Article 98 of the Civil Protection System Act and are no longer in force ².

Does the government approve private shelters?

No approval scheme for shelters is in force in Croatia ²³.

Sources

1. 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)
2. 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)
3. 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)