Croatia regulatory framework

HAKOM in practice: numbering, sender ID and STOP for SMS in Croatia

HAKOM (Croatian Regulatory Authority for Network Industries) supervises Croatia's mobile numbering plan and A2P provider duties towards three local carriers: A1 Hrvatska (Telekom Austria), Hrvatski Telekom (HT, Deutsche Telekom) and Telemach (United Group). 4notify delivers SMS to +385 numbers via tier-1 international A2P gateway, preserving alphanumeric sender ID, automatic STOP/PRESTANI handling and full delivery audit trail.

The three Croatian mobile carriers

A1 Hrvatska

Prefixes: +385 91 · +385 95

Largest carrier (ex-VIPnet), Telekom Austria group, ~38% share

Fastest sender ID approval (2-3 days).

Hrvatski Telekom (HT)

Prefixes: +385 98 · +385 99

Second-largest (T-Mobile brand), Deutsche Telekom group, ~36% share

Conservative on alphanumeric IDs.

Telemach

Prefixes: +385 97 · +385 92

Third (ex-Tele2), United Group, ~26% share

Good sender ID acceptance, P50 ~2.5s.

HAKOM numbering plan

+385 91/95 xxxxxxxA1 Hrvatska — mobile
+385 98/99 xxxxxxxHrvatski Telekom — mobile
+385 97/92 xxxxxxxTelemach — mobile
+385 1 xxxxxxxZagreb — landline
+385 21 xxxxxxxSplit — landline
+385 51 xxxxxxxRijeka — landline
+385 20 xxxxxxxDubrovnik — landline
+385 52 xxxxxxxIstria (Pula) — landline

5-step HAKOM compliance flow

  1. 01

    Register alphanumeric sender ID

    Sender ID (up to 11 chars) registered once with tier-1 gateway. Required: trade-mark registration (Croatian SIPO or EU TM). A1 whitelists in 2-3 days; HT and Telemach 5-7.

  2. 02

    Enable STOP / PRESTANI keyword

    Per HAKOM, every A2P sender must recognise STOP, PRESTANI, ODJAVA and HELP. 4notify handles automatically with webhook confirmation.

  3. 03

    HLR lookup and per-operator DLR

    Before dispatch, HLR identifies current carrier (~35% portability). Per-operator reason code DLR in dashboard.

  4. 04

    Compliance with Electronic Communications Law + Data Protection Act

    Electronic Communications Law (OG 76/2022) and Croatian GDPR Implementation Act (OG 42/2018) require opt-in for marketing; soft opt-in for existing customers.

  5. 05

    Per-operator latency monitoring

    Typical P50: A1 2.2s, HT 2.3s, Telemach 2.5s.

FAQ

Which local carriers does 4notify use in Croatia?

Not directly. 4notify delivers SMS via tier-1 international A2P gateway that connects to A1 Hrvatska, Hrvatski Telekom and Telemach. The gateway provides unified billing, alphanumeric sender ID and per-carrier DLR without requiring a Croatian legal entity.

What are HAKOM fines for SMS spam?

Electronic Communications Law allows fines up to €100,000 per violation. In parallel, AZOP can impose GDPR fines.

How long does sender ID activation take?

Overall 2-7 business days. A1 typically 2-3; HT and Telemach 5-7. Required: trade-mark registration (Croatia or EU), sample message, declaration of use.

Does portability work in Croatia?

Yes. Since 2008 under HAKOM. ~35% of numbers have switched carriers. 4notify HLR refresh every 12h.

Is there a do-not-call register in Croatia?

Not centralised. Each carrier maintains its own opt-out list. 4notify maintains an internal per-sender STOP database applied across all carriers.

Start free

Full HAKOM compliance, sender ID in 2-7 days, hr/en support.