Croatian host has asked for copy of passport

[Anthea53]

Is it usual for a Croatian host to ask for a copy of my passport before I arrive?  Happy to show when I get there, but a little wary of taking a photo and uploading a week before the booking.  Any thoughts?

[Helen427]

Welcome to ABB CC @Anthea53 in the Uk from Auckland, New Zealand

@Branka-and-Silvia0, would you please be able to assist @Anthea53 as you are in Croatia?

Have a great trip to Croatia @Anthea53 

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

Hi @Anthea53 hosts in Croatia are obligated to register their guests to the police . We can do it online using “evisitor” national platform.

If we meet our guests in person and if the whole group checks in at once then we take a photo of everyones IDs or passports at arrival and register our guests online when we come home to save time.

But, if our guests self checks in or part of the group checks in later then others , then we ask them to send us photo of their IDs or passports in advance via Airbnb messages or WhatsApp.

This is common procedure and you dont have to worry.

[Anthea53]

Hi - many thanks for this, really useful  🙂  I don't have a problem providing the details when I get there, but not sure why the details are needed over a week in advance.  I have to provide address details for the Croatian Gov anyway.

Just worried about identity theft.  XX

[Helen3]

Its common in many European countries to provide to ask for a copy of your passport to comply with their local laws, sometimes in advance, particularly during Covid @Anthea53 

[Anthea53]

Hi - thanks for your message - yes, I understand that I also need to register my addresses in Croatia in advance of travel.  I was wary as the trip was over a week away when the info was requested and concerned about ID theft etc,  X

[Gemma315]

Hi Anthea,

Thanks for asking this because i also had the same concern.

Just wanted to check, when you said you had to register your address in croatia, where did you do this? I go next week and haven't seen anything.

Thanks,

Gemma

[Sudsrung0]

In Thailand it is a law that I copy your passport and enter the details on a immigration web site, I never ask to send me before as I dont do self check in.

Can get fined for not registering guest

[Rashad30]

A lot of the replies seem to be by people who are not aware of the security concerns of sharing sensitive information via Airbnb messages. Airbnb messages are not encrypted. They can be read by Airbnb employees. They provide no access controls for limiting how long a document can be accessed. As such, it only takes one host to be hacked in order for a guest's personal information to be leaked online. Hosts should stop requesting guests to send their documents in insecure manners. Instead, use secure platforms like Bitwarden Send to share such documents.

[Rashad30]

I am speaking as a software engineer.