Foreign banks’ share in Croatia jumped from less than 10 per cent in 1998 to about 90 per cent of total banking assets after 2000. Survey data indicate that pull factors were strong. Foreign banks are perceived to have strong impacts on the level of competition and the quality of products and services. Heavily involved in broad retail and wholesale markets, foreign banks express strong interest in lending to small and medium enterprises. Balance sheet and income statement data show that de novo foreign banks in particular have had higher levels of cost efficiency, asset quality, reliance on borrowed funds, and credit growth.