Legal regulations

The Health Care Act ("Official Gazette", no. 100/2018, 125/2019, 147/2020, 119/2022, 156/2022, 33/2023) stipulates that health tourism means the provision of health services - diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, health care and medical rehabilitation procedures using natural healing factors, along with the provision of catering services and/or services in tourism.
 
Health services in health tourism can be provided by health institutions, health care companies and private health professionals. Spa services can only be provided by special hospitals and health resorts. Medical wellness services may be provided by health institutions, health care companies, private health workers, tourist medical services and other legal entities that, in accordance with a special regulation, perform catering activities and/or provide services in tourism.
 
These legal and natural persons may also provide services in tourism in accordance with the regulations governing the provision of services in tourism and perform catering activities in accordance with the regulations governing the performance of catering activities.

Health institutions and private health professionals may provide health services in health tourism only beyond the capacities contracted with the Croatian Health Insurance Fund.
 
A tourist medical service may be organized by a regional self-government unit, i.e. the City of Zagreb, a local self-government unit, a tourist board, another legal and natural person performing a catering activity and/or providing services in tourism, a health institution, a health care companies or a private health worker.
 
The Ordinance on norms and standards for the provision of health services in health tourism ("Official Gazette" No. 3/2024) establishes norms and standards for the provision of health services in health tourism.
 
The Ordinance on norms and standards for a tourist medical service (Official Gazette No. 3/2024) prescribes minimum norms and standards regarding premises, workers and medical and technical equipment that must be met by a tourist medical service.
 
The Ordinance on the appearance, conditions and manner of using the health tourism trademark ("Official Gazette" No. 3/2024) prescribes the appearance of the health tourism trademark and the conditions and manner for its use.
 
The Ordinance on the content and manner of keeping the Register of Health Tourism ("Official Gazette" No. 3/2024) prescribes the content and manner of keeping the Register of Health Tourism.