The process was fairly easy, but it still took some time. We first went to the local MUP station, which is the police station where I am registered. That's where the embassy site says to go, but as it turns out, all licenses here are issued through the MUP on Heinzelova Ulica. We'd taken the bus to the local MUP because it was so close, but this other MUP station is much further away. As it turns out, we should have driven. But we just took the tram there instead. Of course, they required one more piece of paper from me. We had a translation of my license that was basic from the American consulate, but they needed a full translation also. So we took a taxi back to the center and got the full translation, then went back and got my license. It took more time and effort than that all sounds like. But the people at that MUP station were great, very efficient, and the process was easy.
The bummer is, they kept my California license. I couldn't keep it. Well, anyway, this is one more piece of the puzzle that I've gotten. Mission accomplished today.
We also had the best Chinese food we've had yet in Croatia today at Asia Chinese food, right by Glavni Kolodvor. Not amazing, but very good.
So good day overall.
The license here looks very strange to my American eyes. I guess they don't use it as ID here, because this would be easy as hell to counterfeit. They have a separate card for ID and I don't have one of those yet. The license is like a little book. Looks like this:
More information about the process of getting a license here if you're an American is at the link below. But, be aware that the cost is 70 kuna for the stamps you have to get, called "biljezi", not 35, and then another 35 paid as a bill. And you must have a full translation of your license AND the translation from the American embassy that explains the class of license that you have.
http://zagreb.usembassy.gov/service/other/drivers_licenses.html
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4 comments:
"Biljezi", actually. :)
herudamm
Oops! Corrected! Thanks Darko.
You've done well. We're not going to take on the Bosnian authorities on this one but are going to hold onto our UK/EU licences. We're still crying over importing our car. Just managed to do it in time before one particular document ran out so now we have to do it all over again. I love the Balkans, the ex-yugo countries are amazing but the bureaucracy, it is a killer!
Pleased to see you blogging again.
Yeah, paperwork is a nightmare here too. And they don't understand papers from the west even when translated sometimes. Here, they update their birth certificate with marriage info and such, so when you show them the American one, they ask where it lists whether or not you're married.
I didn't import my car here. Didn't wanna tackle that one. I sold it instead and we bought a Škoda Octavia. Importing my basic things was a big enough pain in the ass. But I'm glad I did, because that had my beer making equipment and I'm brewing here now! They always rip you off on the fees though.
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