Dubrovnik to Mostar is 162 km and about 2 h 55 from Dubrovnik Airport by routed time, rounded up and without the border wait. The routed path follows the D8 and the D9 and crosses into Bosnia and Herzegovina at Metković-Doljani, continuing on the M-17 to Mostar.
Bosnia and Herzegovina is outside the European Union and the Schengen area, so a car rented at Dubrovnik Airport needs permission from the booking help desk before it crosses. Police check every traveller and the vehicle on the way out and on the way back.
Can I drive a Croatian rental car to Bosnia and Herzegovina?
Only with permission arranged before the trip. Under the rental terms for Croatia, permission to travel outside the country is arranged by email with the booking help desk, and prices and conditions depend on the length of the trip, the type of car and the rental company's policy.
The terms tie the price and conditions of that permission to the type of car and the rental company's policy.
Do I need a green card for Bosnia and Herzegovina?
Not for a Croatian-registered car. The Green Card Bureau of Bosnia and Herzegovina recognises the registration plates of cars from the countries in the Multilateral Agreement, Croatia among them, as valid proof of insurance.
Vehicles from countries outside the green card system, or member-country vehicles without valid international insurance, must buy border insurance on entry.
Which border crossings lead to Mostar?
The routed path uses Metković-Doljani, an international crossing for passengers. Nova Sela-Bijača, listed for passengers and goods, is the other international crossing on the Croatian police list for the Mostar direction.
For Trebinje, closer to Dubrovnik, the passenger and goods crossing is Gornji Brgat-Ivanica, and Trebinje is about 50 minutes from the airport by routed time. Crossings listed only for local border traffic are not open to visitors.
| To | Distance | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Trebinje | 41 km | 50 min |
| Mostar | 162 km | 2 h 55 |
What happens at the border?
Croatia's borders with Bosnia and Herzegovina are external Schengen borders. Police check every traveller on exit and on entry, together with belongings and the vehicle. Non-EU nationals have their days in the Schengen area counted, and since 10 April 2026 the EU Entry/Exit System registers non-EU nationals on a short stay at each external crossing. EU citizens are checked but not registered in the system.
The Croatian Automobile Club (HAK) lists Metković among the busier southern crossings in summer and warns that waits of several hours are possible there. It advises checking conditions before travelling.
Do I pass Neum on the way to Mostar?
Not if you take the Pelješac bridge. North of Dubrovnik the old coast road runs through Neum, a short stretch of Bosnia and Herzegovina with two crossings, Klek-Neum I and Zaton Doli-Neum II. The Pelješac bridge route north towards Split avoids both crossings and stays in Croatia.
What costs and rules follow the car abroad?
Under the terms for Croatia the renter pays for fuel, parking, fines and toll roads, and a fine sent to the rental company after the return comes out of the deposit with administrative costs added. Rental cars may only travel on paved public roads.
Standard insurance excludes the wheels, the undercarriage, the windscreen and the interior. Under clause 6, an insured event must be reported to the rental agent immediately with a police report, unless the agent agrees otherwise, or the insurance on a Dubrovnik rental car is cancelled.
Can I leave the car in Mostar?
Cars collected in Dubrovnik are offered for one-way rentals from Dubrovnik to other Croatian cities: Split, Zagreb, Zadar and Pula. The car returns to the drop-off place in the voucher with the fuel level it left with.
