PrEP is available in Croatia and supported by the public health system. Historically, the entire process was highly centralized in Zagreb, but this is changing. You can now access PrEP on the public system through specialized infectious disease clinics (infektološke ambulante) in Zagreb, Split, and Rijeka.
Who Can Get It
The Croatian Health Insurance Fund (HZZO) provides coverage for PrEP for individuals considered to be at substantial risk of HIV acquisition.
- This includes men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender people.
- To access public coverage, you must be a resident with an OIB (personal identification number) and active HZZO health insurance.
- Some reports indicate that having supplementary health insurance (dopunsko zdravstveno osiguranje) can help cover any partial co-pays that might arise during the consultation or lab work process.
How to Get It
The main public access points in Croatia are specialized hospital clinics:
- Zagreb: University Hospital for Infectious Diseases (UHID) "Dr. Fran Mihaljević"
- Split: KBC Split (Klinika za infektologiju, Križine)
- Rijeka: KBC Rijeka (Klinika za infektivne bolesti)
- The Referral: You must first visit your primary care doctor (liječnik opće prakse) and ask for a referral (uputnica) to an infectious disease specialist (infektolog) at one of these clinics.
- The Appointment: You attend your appointment at the clinic. They will conduct a baseline HIV test, an STI screen, and a kidney function test.
- The Prescription: If cleared, the specialist writes the prescription, which you can fill at the pharmacy.
The HUHIV Shortcut: Many general practitioners in Croatia are unfamiliar with PrEP protocols and may hesitate to give you the referral. Before you start, contact HUHIV (CheckPoint Zagreb) at huhiv.hr. They provide free guidance, know the exact current procedures, and can advise you on which GPs are friendly and how to navigate the UHID bureaucracy.
If You Can't Wait (Or Can't Travel)
If you cannot get a referral, or the waitlist for the hospital clinic is too long, you have limited alternatives.
The Private Route: You can bypass the public system by paying for a private infectious disease specialist consultation (approximately €80–120). With a private prescription, you can buy generic PrEP (TDF/FTC) at private pharmacies for roughly €30–€60 per month. HUHIV can advise on which private doctors in Zagreb (or potentially via telemedicine) are willing to prescribe PrEP.
Self-Sourcing: Importing prescription medications by mail from outside the EU is heavily restricted in Croatia and packages are likely to be seized by Customs. If you are traveling into Croatia, you can legally bring a personal supply (up to 3 months) in your luggage, provided you carry the original packaging and a valid prescription in your name. Do not attempt to order generic PrEP from online pharmacies outside the EU by mail to a Croatian address.
Non-negotiable regardless of route: You must confirm you are HIV-negative before starting PrEP. Starting PrEP with an undetected HIV infection risks developing drug resistance, making the virus much harder to treat.
What Happens After
To safely stay on PrEP, you must undergo monitoring every 3 months. In the public system, this means returning to the hospital clinic or coordinating with your GP and a local hospital if they allow remote monitoring (this is rare).
Your quarterly check-up should include:
- HIV test (4th gen/PCR)
- Kidney function test (Creatinine) — vital because you are on TDF/FTC.
- STI screen: Syphilis, chlamydia, and gonorrhoea. Make sure to ask for three-site testing (throat, genitals, rectum).
Note: For the HIV and STI testing portions, you can often use CheckPoint Zagreb (HUHIV) for free, anonymous, and friendly testing, rather than dealing with hospital labs.
What's Available
- Daily oral PrEP: The standard. TDF/FTC (generic Truvada).
- On-demand (2-1-1): Taking pills before and after sex. European guidelines support this, but Croatian doctors may be less familiar with it. If you want to use this method, explicitly discuss it with the specialist.
- Injectable (CAB-LA / Apretude): As of 2026, injectable PrEP is not yet widely funded or available in the standard Croatian public health pathway.
If you are taking daily oral PrEP (TDF/FTC), it takes 7 days of continuous use to reach maximum protection for receptive anal sex.
Access Methods Compared
| Route | Cost | Speed | Monitoring |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public System (Hospital Clinics) | Free/Covered | Slow (Waitlist) | Handled by Clinic |
| Private Clinic | Setup: €80-€120, Meds: ~€30-€60/month | Fast | Patient pays out of pocket |
| Self-Sourced (Import) | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Related: