Tesla Just Got Self-Driving Approved in Croatia — Europe’s 8th Country, and a Camper’s Dream Coast
Today, 30 September 2026, Tesla’s Europe, Middle East and Africa account confirmed on X that Full Self-Driving (Supervised) has been approved in Croatia and will start rolling out shortly. Croatia becomes the eighth European country to clear the system on its own roads — and the third this month alone.
That might sound like another regulatory line item. It isn’t, at least not if you camp. Croatia is one of Europe’s most-wanted camping destinations, and getting there from Central Europe means a very long, very dull stretch of motorway. Here is what changed, what hasn’t, and why it matters for your next trip to the Adriatic.
Eight Countries — and Counting Faster Than Brussels
The list of European countries that have independently authorised FSD (Supervised) now runs to eight:
| Country | Approved |
|---|---|
| Netherlands | April 2026 — first, via RDW exemption framework |
| Lithuania | May 2026 |
| Estonia | May 2026 |
| Denmark | June 2026 |
| Belgium | June 2026 |
| Slovenia | 7 September 2026 |
| Czechia | 21 September 2026 |
| Croatia | 30 September 2026 |
One more approval and Tesla will hold national permission in a third of all EU member states before Brussels has voted on anything at all. Worldwide, 16 markets now have FSD switched on — and half of them are in Europe.
The pace is the story. Nearly all of it rests on the regulatory exemption framework the Dutch vehicle authority (RDW) built in spring 2026, and Tesla is now working country by country rather than waiting. Ireland is in active talks (15,000 Teslas delivered there, 2,729 new registrations so far this year). Italy is in deep consultation. France, Finland and Greece are also considering it.
The EU-Wide Vote Slipped to December — and There Is Pushback
The honest counterweight: Brussels has postponed the EU-wide vote from 6 October to December at the earliest. To pass, Tesla needs a qualified majority — 15 of 27 member states representing at least 65% of the EU population.
And on 29 September, the European Transport Safety Council publicly urged member states to reject approval. Their objection is specific: FSD includes a speed offset function that can raise the maximum speed by up to 50% above the limit the car detects, and the ETSC says Tesla has not sought a UNECE exemption for that. They also object to the feature that matches speed to surrounding traffic. Sweden, France and Czechia have raised similar concerns.
So expect the argument to run for a while. What matters for you in the here and now is simpler: if you drive a Tesla in one of those eight countries, the motorway part of the trip just got considerably less tiring — and you are still legally the driver. Supervised means supervised. Hands ready, eyes up.
Why Croatia Matters More Than the Others
Croatia is not a random eighth country for anyone who sleeps in their car. According to the PiNCAMP (ADAC) “Most Wanted” rankings for 2026, 23 Croatian campsites sit inside Europe’s Top 100 — third of any country — and 11 of them are in Istria alone. German campers logged roughly 21 million overnight stays there in 2025.
It is also one of the longest drives in European camping. From Munich, Vienna or Prague you are looking at six to nine hours, most of it motorway, and the last leg down the Adriatic coast is exactly the kind of road where fatigue does the damage. That is the part a supervised system is genuinely good at: holding a lane in heavy summer traffic, managing the endless roadworks on the A1, and doing the boring middle four hours while you stay fresh for the coast road at the end.
Arriving at a campsite at 5pm with your attention intact, rather than drained, is not a small thing. It is the difference between setting up properly and eating whatever is closest.
What You Still Need to Pack (the Car Does Not Do That Bit)
Software gets you there. It does not get you a bed, a cold drink or a hot meal. The short list for an Adriatic trip, in the order most people actually wish they had bought it:
- Tesla Roof Top Tent — off the ground, out of the damp, and set up in minutes. On a Croatian pitch in September this is the whole holiday.
- 2048Wh LiFePO4 Portable Power Station — your own mains socket, so you can take the cheap pitch without electricity instead of the expensive one with.
- 35L Dual-Zone Compressor Fridge — real food for several days; the nearest shop on an Istrian peninsula is often further than you think.
- Tesla Trunk Organiser Box — seven hours of motorway with everything rattling loose in the boot is not a good start.
- Tablet Mount Holder — if anyone in the back is watching something for six hours, this is the cheapest peace you will ever buy.
- Tesla Inflatable Air Mattress — for the nights when the forecast is good and you cannot be bothered with the tent.
The Bottom Line
Eight European countries in seven months, three of them this September, and a coastline that happens to be one of Europe’s best camping destinations. The EU-wide decision is now a December problem, and a safety council wants it blocked — that debate will run. But on the ground, in Croatia, the software is coming to cars that are already there, free, over the air, and the trip it improves most is the long, boring, beautiful one down to the sea. Sort the sleeping end of it now: the Tesla Roof Top Tent and the 2048Wh LiFePO4 Portable Power Station are the two things that decide whether the drive was worth it.
