Croatia to adopt euro as currency from January 1

More than nine years after Croatia became the European Union's newest member, the country is on a roll to make the most of its status as the EU member in the Western Balkans. On January 1, the nation will join the free-movement Schengen zone, where most European Union citizens are not subject to passport checks and become the 20th country to replace its national currency, kuna, with the common European one. 

To adopt the euro, Croatia had to fulfil a set of strict economic conditions including having a stable exchange rate, low inflation and sound public spending. The Croatian central bank has prepared and distributed 1.2 million of the euro starter kits with exactly 13.28 euros in each and each containing all the euro coins that will enter circulation on January 1.

Since the first day of December, people in Croatia can buy these starter kits for 100 kuna each at 2,000 separate locations around the county.