Arriving at Dubrovnik Airport: from the plane to your ride into town

What should you know before landing at Dubrovnik Airport?

Dubrovnik Airport is a single-runway airport at Čilipi, in the municipality of Konavle, about 22 km south-east of the city. Since 2023 it has carried the name of the Dubrovnik-born scientist Ruđer Bošković, and its codes are DBV and LDDU. It is Croatia’s third-busiest airport, and in 2025 it handled a record 3,090,245 passengers, according to the airport’s statistics.

Traffic is highly seasonal. In 2025, 86% of passengers travelled between May and October, and August is the busiest month. If you arrive in summer, expect queues at passport control and the taxi rank on busy afternoons.

The United Kingdom is the airport’s largest market, with about a quarter of all passengers in 2025, followed by France, Germany and Italy. United Airlines flies daily to New York (Newark) from May to September, which makes Dubrovnik the only Croatian airport with direct flights to the United States.

How does passport control work?

It depends on where your flight comes from and on your nationality.

Flights from Schengen countries, such as Germany, France or Italy, arrive without border control: Croatia joined the Schengen area on 1 January 2023, and checks at its internal air borders ended on 26 March 2023, according to the European Commission.

Flights from outside Schengen, such as from the United Kingdom, Ireland, the United States, Serbia, Turkey or the United Arab Emirates, go through passport control in Building B. Since 10 April 2026 the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) has been fully running there. For travellers from outside the EU on a short stay, officers record passport details, a facial image and four fingerprints on the first entry; children under 12 are not fingerprinted, and there is no fee.

The airport has self-service EES kiosks, which work in 15 languages, according to the Croatian Ministry of the Interior: you scan your passport, have your photo and fingerprints taken, answer a short questionnaire and then see a border officer. EU citizens, and non-EU nationals with a residence permit or long-stay visa, do not register. The airport’s EES guidance has the details.

ETIAS, the EU’s planned travel authorisation for visa-exempt visitors such as British travellers, was not yet in operation on 1 October 2026, and the EU says it will announce the start date several months in advance. Nothing is needed for it yet.

What is in the arrivals hall?

After passport control come four baggage belts, then a single door, signposted as the exit from the zone, into the public arrivals hall. Everyone leaves through that door, so it is also where drivers and friends wait.

The airport’s services list includes:

• cash machines of six Croatian banks (RBA, PBZ, Zagrebačka banka, Erste, OTP and HPB) plus several independent machines;
• a currency exchange office;
• free Wi-Fi;
• an information desk and a lost-and-found office;
• a small shop and a café.

Croatia uses the euro, adopted on 1 January 2023, so travellers from the eurozone need no exchange at all. Taxis wait directly in front of the building, and the airport shuttle, the city-bus stop and the rental-car park are all on the forecourt.

How do you get from the airport into the city?

The city is about 22.5 km from the airport; the drive takes 30–35 minutes on average and up to an hour in summer. There are five ways in:

Local buses also serve the airport, but only a few times a day and not on Sundays, so they suit few arriving passengers. Our guide to getting from the airport to the Old Town compares the options in detail, with costs for one, two and four people.

What if you land late at night?

Late arrivals are common. On 1 October 2026 the arrivals board showed flights landing at 23:10, 23:25, 23:35 and 23:40, with two more scheduled after midnight. The shuttle bus runs after every arrival, including those after midnight, and taxis wait at the rank.

A pre-booked transfer is the calmest option after a late flight: the driver tracks your flight, waits in the hall whatever the delay and drives you straight to your accommodation. The first 60 minutes after landing are free, and there is no night surcharge. See airport transfers for prices to each part of the city.

Travelling with children?

Croatian law requires a suitable child seat or booster for every child under 150 cm, in taxis and transfers as well as private cars. Request seats when you book, giving each child’s age. Our guide to child car seats in Croatia explains the rules.

What about the flight home?

Allow time for the drive and for security. The airport advises allowing up to an hour for the journey from the city in summer, and departures leave from Building C. Since August 2026 the airport has been installing new cabin-baggage scanners that let passengers leave liquids and electronics in their bags, with all six due in service by early December 2026.

For an overview of buses, taxis, transfers and driving in and around the city, read our guide to getting around Dubrovnik.