X-Ray Cost in Croatia
What you actually pay with an HZZO referral, with or without dopunsko insurance, and at private polyclinics in Zagreb, Rijeka and Split. Last reviewed October 2026.
Short answer: how much does an X-ray cost in Croatia?
With a referral (uputnica) from your family doctor, an X-ray at a public hospital or HZZO-contracted clinic is free if you hold dopunsko supplementary insurance (€15 a month); without it you pay a 20% participation. Paying privately, a plain X-ray costs about €35–45 per region (about $39–50) — €45 at Poliklinika Sinteza in Zagreb and €35 at Thalassotherapia Opatija — while a whole-spine image costs around €110 ($123).
Quick Overview
Croatia's compulsory health insurance is run by HZZO (Hrvatski zavod za zdravstveno osiguranje) and funded mainly by a 16.5% health contribution that employers pay on gross salaries. Insured adults share the cost of most hospital and specialist care, including diagnostics such as X-rays: the participation is 20% of the full cost, with a legal minimum and a per-invoice cap. Most adults avoid it by buying HZZO's dopunsko (supplementary) policy for €15 a month, and children under 18 are exempt. Private polyclinics publish euro price lists — prices have been in euros since Croatia adopted the currency on 1 January 2023 — and charge €35–45 for a plain X-ray of one region.
🏥 HZZO + dopunsko
- Referral (uputnica) from your family doctor
- Public hospitals and HZZO-contracted clinics
- Dopunsko pays the 20% participation
- Waiting lists for non-urgent CT and MRI
🩺 HZZO without dopunsko
- 20% of the full price of the diagnostic test
- Minimum 2% of the state budget base, capped per invoice
- Children under 18 exempt
- Applies to EHIC holders too
🏥 Private self-pay
- Per region, no referral needed
- €90 spine standard + functional; €110 whole spine
- Same-day appointments common
- Radiologist's report usually included
X-Ray Prices in Croatia by Exam: HZZO vs Private
Croatian private providers charge a flat price per standard projection or anatomical region. The private range below runs from the 2025 list of Thalassotherapia Opatija (a public special hospital that also sells self-pay services: €35 for one region, €20 for each extra segment) to the Zagreb list of Poliklinika Sinteza (€45 per region).
| Exam | HZZO with uputnica | Private self-pay (EUR) | USD (≈) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chest X-ray (RTG pluća / toraks) | €0 with dopunsko; 20% without | €35–45 | $39–50 |
| Hand / wrist X-ray | €0 with dopunsko; 20% without | €35–45 | $39–50 |
| Ankle / foot X-ray | €0 with dopunsko; 20% without | €35–45 | $39–50 |
| Knee X-ray | €0 with dopunsko; 20% without | €35–45 | $39–50 |
| Cervical spine X-ray | €0 with dopunsko; 20% without | €35–45 (standard + functional €90) | $39–101 |
| Lumbar spine X-ray | €0 with dopunsko; 20% without | €35–45 (standard + functional €90) | $39–101 |
| Whole spine / legs with pelvis (panoramic) | €0 with dopunsko; 20% without | €110 | $123 |
| Pelvis X-ray (zdjelica) | €0 with dopunsko; 20% without | €35–45 | $39–50 |
| Abdomen X-ray (nativna snimka) | €0 with dopunsko; 20% without | €35–45 | $39–50 |
| Dental panoramic (ortopan / OPG) | Dental care rules apply | approx. €30–50 | $34–56 |
| Ultrasound, abdomen | €0 with dopunsko; 20% without | €40–90 | $45–101 |
| CT scan | €0 with dopunsko; 20% without | €135 one region; €170 chest, abdomen or pelvis | $151–191 |
| MRI scan (per region) | €0 with dopunsko; 20% without | €207–230 (1.5T); €300 (3T) | $232–336 |
Private prices from Poliklinika Sinteza, Zagreb (radiology price list: €45 per standard X-ray, €90 spine standard + functional, €110 whole spine; ultrasound abdomen €90; MRI €207–230 per region, €140 next segment, contrast €60) and Thalassotherapia Opatija (Cjenik 2025: X-ray €35 one region, €20 each further segment; CT from €135; MRI €215, 3T €300; abdominal ultrasound €40; urgent same-day reporting +50%). Dental ranges are approximate advertised clinic prices. USD at the ECB reference rate of October 2026 (€1 ≈ $1.12).
How HZZO Covers X-Rays
1. Referral (uputnica)
- Issued electronically by your chosen family doctor (obiteljski liječnik)
- Book at a public hospital or HZZO-contracted polyclinic
- CT and MRI usually need supporting medical documentation
- Urgent cases are triaged separately from the waiting list
2. Participation (participacija)
- 20% of the full cost of specialist diagnostics
- Minimum 2% of the state budget base (proračunska osnovica)
- Capped per invoice
- Exempt: children under 18 and other groups defined by law
- Fully covered: preventive care, pregnancy, cancer treatment, out-of-hospital emergency care
3. Dopunsko insurance
- HZZO policy: €15.00/month (€180/year)
- Pays the participation with a referral at contracted providers
- State-paid for low-income households, students over 18, 100% disability, long-term donors
- New policies start 15 days after signing
- Buy online via the HZZO webshop or check your balance on e-Zdravstveno
Where to Get an X-Ray in Croatia
🏥 Public / University Hospitals
- KBC Zagreb (Rebro)
- KBC Sestre milosrdnice — Zagreb
- KB Dubrava — Zagreb
- KBC Split
- KBC Rijeka
- KBC Osijek
- Thalassotherapia Opatija — also sells self-pay imaging
🏥 Private Polyclinics
- Poliklinika Sinteza — Zagreb (X-ray €45, MRI from €207)
- Medikol — Zagreb, Split, Osijek, Rijeka, Čakovec; MRI/CT also on HZZO referral
- Affidea Hrvatska — diagnostic imaging centres
- Akromion — orthopaedic hospital, Krapinske Toplice
- Sv. Katarina — special hospital, Zabok and Zagreb
💡 Regional differences
- Zagreb has the widest choice of private imaging
- Coastal tourist areas: polyclinics and hospital self-pay units in Split, Rijeka, Opatija
- Islands: X-ray capacity is limited — injuries are often sent to the mainland
- Compare the polyclinic's cjenik before booking
Guide by Patient Type
🇭🇷 HZZO-insured residents
- Get an uputnica — with dopunsko the X-ray costs nothing
- Without dopunsko, budget for the 20% participation
- Self-pay (€35–45) when you need the result quickly
- Check whether you qualify for state-paid dopunsko
🇪🇺 EU / EEA / Swiss / UK visitors
- EHIC or UK GHIC gives access as an HZZO-insured patient
- You pay the participation (no dopunsko for visitors)
- Present your card and passport at the hospital
- Planned treatment and dental tourism are self-pay
✈️ Other visitors
- Agreements cover visitors from BiH, Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Turkey and Albania
- Everyone else: self-pay or travel insurance
- Private X-ray €35–45, with same-day results
- Keep the invoice and report for your insurer
Practical Details
📋 What to bring
- ID card or passport and OIB
- HZZO card and dopunsko policy (or EHIC/GHIC)
- E-referral (uputnica) for covered imaging
- Previous imaging on CD/USB
⏰ Typical wait times
- Emergency: triaged on arrival
- Plain X-ray with uputnica: days to weeks
- HZZO MRI/CT: often months; some contracted slots booked to end of 2026
- Private self-pay: same day
💡 How to save money
- Buy dopunsko — €15/month removes the participation
- Ask if extra segments are discounted (e.g. €20 each in Opatija)
- Compare Zagreb polyclinic and hospital self-pay prices
- Avoid urgent-report surcharges when you can wait a day
FAQ
How much does an X-ray cost in Croatia?
With a referral (uputnica) and HZZO insurance, an X-ray at a public hospital or HZZO-contracted clinic costs you nothing if you have dopunsko supplementary insurance, or a 20% participation if you don't. Paying privately, a plain X-ray costs about €35–45 per anatomical region (roughly $39–50): Poliklinika Sinteza in Zagreb charges €45 per standard projection and Thalassotherapia Opatija €35 for one region (2025 price list).
How much is an X-ray without a referral (rentgen bez uputnice)?
Without an uputnica you pay the provider's self-pay price. Examples: Poliklinika Sinteza (Zagreb) charges €45 for a chest, pelvis, abdomen or single bone/joint X-ray, €90 for spine standard + functional views and €110 for a whole-spine image; Thalassotherapia Opatija charges €35 for one region and €20 for each additional segment.
What is the HZZO participation (participacija) for an X-ray?
Under the Compulsory Health Insurance Act, insured adults pay 20% of the full cost of specialist diagnostics, subject to a legal minimum (2% of the state budget base) and a per-invoice maximum. Children under 18 and certain other groups are exempt, and dopunsko supplementary insurance pays the participation in full.
How much does dopunsko insurance cost in 2026?
HZZO's supplementary policy (dopunsko zdravstveno osiguranje) costs €15.00 a month (€180 a year). It covers the participation for hospital care, specialist visits and diagnostics, aids and dental care when you use a referral at contracted providers. The state pays it for low-income households, students over 18, people with 100% disability and long-term blood and organ donors. Cover starts 15 days after signing a new policy.
How much does a private MRI, CT or ultrasound cost in Croatia?
Published self-pay prices: MRI €207–230 per region at Poliklinika Sinteza (Zagreb; €140 for each further segment, €60 contrast) and €215 per region at Thalassotherapia Opatija (€300 on 3T). CT at Thalassotherapia Opatija costs €135 for one region and €170 for chest, abdomen or pelvis. Abdominal ultrasound costs €40 in Opatija and €90 at Sinteza.
Can I get an MRI or CT on HZZO at a private clinic?
Yes, some private clinics hold HZZO contracts. Medikol, for example, performs MRI on uputnica in Zagreb, Split, Osijek and Čakovec and CT in Split, but in 2026 states that these referral slots are fully booked until 31 December 2026. Waiting lists for HZZO-funded MRI and CT are long, which is why many patients self-pay.
Do tourists with an EHIC pay for X-rays in Croatia?
EU/EEA/Swiss and UK visitors with an EHIC (or GHIC) are treated like HZZO-insured patients for medically necessary care, so they pay the same participation as a Croatian without dopunsko. Croatia also has health-care agreements with Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Turkey and Albania. Other visitors pay self-pay prices and should carry travel insurance.
How much is a chest X-ray (RTG pluća) in Croatia?
A private chest X-ray costs about €35–45: Poliklinika Sinteza charges €45 for a chest (toraks) or heart-and-lung X-ray and Thalassotherapia Opatija €35 including the radiologist's reading. With an uputnica and dopunsko, it is free at public hospitals.
How much is a dental panoramic X-ray (ortopan) in Croatia?
Dental clinics in Croatia advertise panoramic (OPG/ortopan) X-rays at approximately €30–50, with intraoral images around €10–20. Prices are often lower or bundled when the X-ray is part of dental treatment, which is popular with dental tourists.
Is out-of-hospital emergency care free in Croatia?
Yes. The law lists out-of-hospital emergency medical care (hitna medicinska pomoć) among the services covered in full for insured patients. X-rays taken in hospital emergency departments are part of hospital care; for an EHIC holder or HZZO-insured patient without dopunsko, a participation can apply.
Compare X-Ray Costs Across Countries
Sources
- Zakon o obveznom zdravstvenom osiguranju (Compulsory Health Insurance Act), Article 19 — participation rules (consolidated text in force from 1 August 2025)
- HZZO — dopunsko zdravstveno osiguranje FAQ (premium €180/year, state-paid groups, start of cover)
- HZZO — health care abroad and contracting states
- Poliklinika Sinteza, Zagreb — radiology and diagnostics price list
- Thalassotherapia Opatija — Cjenik 2025 (radiology, CT, MR, ultrasound)
- Medikol — services on HZZO referral (MR, CT) and locations
- European Central Bank — euro foreign exchange reference rates (October 2026)
Last reviewed: October 2026. Prices change — confirm with the provider before booking.