Border Crossing Croatia-Slovenia and Vignette Purchase

Posted by Teresa (Vancouver) on 02/23/25 02:01 PM

We are driving from Rovinj to Skocjan Caves in June, crossing the Croatia-Slovenia border near Dragonja, Slovenia. Two questions if anyone has information, please:

Can a vignette for the toll roads in Slovenia be easily purchased from the border officials at that border? (Is this the usual way drivers buy the vignette?)
Is it currently a quick border crossing? (We'll be heading to a morning reservation at the caves.) Both countries are in the EU, but there were extensive border delays a year or two ago due to increased Slovenian border security measures.

Posted by Paul636

Munich

02/23/25 02:43 PM

229 posts

The best way to buy the vignette for Slovenia is online https://www.si-vignette.com/en/

Croatia has been part of the Schengen zone since 2023. Therefore, there should be no border controls. However, there is always the possibility that countries will carry out increased border controls at short notice.
Our experience September last year was, that we crossed the Croatian-Slovenian border without any waiting times.

Posted by Teresa OP

Vancouver

02/23/25 07:41 PM

43 posts

Buying a vignette online requires the registration number of the car, which isn't possible until we get our rental car. Surely vignettes can be purchased at the Slovenian border.

Posted by veerle3

Brussels, Belgium

02/25/25 09:14 AM

114 posts

In the past, before availability via internet, vignettes were for sale in gas stations close to the border.
Probably this is still the case, but I have not crossed that border for a while, so cannot say for certain.

Posted by Kenko

Citizen of the World

02/25/25 05:37 PM

2500 posts

If the car rental company does not already provide the Vignette, it can be bought at post offices and gas stations.

Posted by Emily

Vienna, Austria

02/25/25 06:18 PM

5586 posts

There are gas stations at the border crossing where you buy the vignette. It is obvious, large signs. There will be officials at the border waving you through - these are police officers and they won’t be the ones selling vignettes. I make this border crossing about once per month.

Posted by Teresa OP

Vancouver

02/28/25 07:59 PM

43 posts

Thanks everyone. I'll probably try the gas stations in Croatia that the DARS website lists, to hopefully buy a vignette before entering Slovenia.

I'd be happy to buy the vignette online at the DARS website but, in my experience, most credit card companies now send an SMS message with a 6-digit verification code to complete payments in foreign currencies (e.g. euros) if using our credit cards online. This is a problem since most of us travel with data-only e-sims or e-sims with a new phone number provided by the cell company that won't receive the credit card's SMS message.

The DARS website says it accepts PayPal payment for the vignette. Has anyone ever set up PayPal to make purchases like this online, and if so, does it work without requiring the SMS code?