Croatia officially became the 27th member of the Schengen Area to adopt the euro as its currency on January 1.
This comes after the final vote on whether the country would join the zone took place on December 9.
To mark the occasion, Finance Minister Marko Primorac and National Bank Governor Boris Vujčić pulled the first euro notes from a Croatian cash machine at midnight. According to Euronews, the last driver having a passport check at the Croatia-Slovenian border also received a congratulatory teddy bear.
Travel Daily News says Croatia’s entry into the Schengen Area permits open transport between it and other participating countries, meaning that its border controls with the rest of the Schengen Area no longer exist.
The nation’s adoption of the euro means 347 million Europeans now use the currency. The move is also aimed at safeguarding Croatia’s economy from the effects of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
