The Croatia Schengen visa allows a short-term stay in Croatia and other Schengen countries. It’s perfect for exploring stunning landscapes, rich cultural heritage, and vibrant cities. Whether it’s for a holiday, business trip, or visit to friends and family, the Croatia Schengen visa offers a chance to experience all that this captivating country has to offer.
Our visa experts have crafted the following guide to assist you at every stage of the Croatian Schengen visa application process. Filled with valuable insights and in-depth information based on our expertise, this comprehensive guide will help you thoroughly prepare for your upcoming trip.
Here are the steps for a Croatia Schengen visa application:
Not every traveler heading to Croatia needs a visa. Before you travel, check the information below to determine whether you must apply for a visa or not.
You will have to apply for a visa when travelling to Croatia if you are:
You are exempt from applying for a visa to enter Croatia if you fall into any of the following categories:
For those exempt from a visa, check out the required documents for entry into Croatia It’s always good to be prepared!
A Croatia Schengen visa has a standard application process. There’s only one kind of visa, but it can be given for different reasons. Additionally, you can apply for a long-term or national D visa depending on your purpose of travel to Croatia.
The location where you should submit your Croatian Short-Stay visa application is determined by your place of residence. See below to find out whether you need to submit your visa application directly to the Croatian Embassy/Consulate or through the authorized visa application centers.
You can determine where you should submit your application by using this form, or reading further below:
I am a citizen of:
I am travelling to:
I am travelling from:
Have you ever been denied entry into the Schengen Area?
Do you hold a valid residence permit of ?
Individuals residing in Armenia, Belarus, Cyprus, Ireland, Kosovo, Russia, Türkiye, or the United Kingdom are required to submit their Croatian Schengen visa applications through VFS Global in their country of residence.
Residents in all other European countries not mentioned above have to submit their Croatian Schengen visa applications to the Croatian embassy or consulate in their country of residence.
Residents in all other African countries not mentioned above have to submit their Croatian Schengen visa applications to the Croatian embassy or consulate in their country of residence.
Residents in all other South American countries not mentioned above have to submit their Croatian Schengen visa applications to the Croatian embassy or consulate in their country of residence.
Residents in all other North American countries not mentioned above have to submit their Croatian Schengen visa applications to the Croatian embassy or consulate in their country of residence.
Residents in all other Oceania countries not mentioned above have to submit their Croatian Schengen visa applications to the Croatian embassy or consulate in their country of residence.
Residents in all other Asian countries not mentioned above have to submit their Croatian Schengen visa applications to the Croatian embassy or consulate in their country of residence.
Ensure a smooth application process by contacting the appropriate entity based on your location. If you require clarification or have specific inquiries, please reach out to the relevant agency/consulate for guidance.
If Croatia is the only country in the Schengen Area you plan to visit, it’s straightforward – apply at the Croatian embassy/consulate or the authorized Visa Application Center (VAC) in your country of residence.
However, if your journey includes Croatia and at least one more Schengen state, apply at the Croatian embassy/consulate/VAC in your country of residence only if:
You can’t apply for a short-stay Croatian visa from a country where you are currently on a short-stay visa. You must hold a residence permit in the country where you are applying.
Next, you have to complete the visa application form, which is accessible online via the provided link. Once filled out, print the form and sign it.
The application form covers the following sections:
Click ENTER new application to start filling out the application.
Under the Personal data of the applicant, it is mandatory to provide details such as your first and last name, place and country of birth, current nationality, nationality at birth, gender, marital status, and nationality number if you have one. All fields marked with an asterisk (*) must be completed.
Next, under Applicant address, you have to write your place of residence, postal code, street name and number, country, email, and telephone number.
Complete the Legal custodian section only if it applies to your situation, which is typically necessary for minors or individuals lacking legal capacity. Provide the responsible individual’s details, typically one parent’s information.
Before finishing the first section of the application form, you must enter the Captcha text, then click SAVE AND CONTINUE.
After clicking Save and Continue and before proceeding to the next section requesting information about your passport, residence permit, occupation, and employment, the following screen will appear with a serial number and PIN. These details are essential for tracking your application process. Please ensure that you either print or store them where you can easily recall them.
Under Passport information, begin by selecting your travel document type. Then, provide the travel document number, date of issue, expiry date, and the place and country of issuance.
Next, answer whether you have a residence permit in a country other than your country of citizenship. If you select “Yes,” you will then have to answer the questions as seen below:
Under Occupation and employment, you are obligated to click on your current occupation.
If applicable, provide your employer’s name, address, and telephone number in the designated fields. Alternatively, you can input your school’s name, address, and telephone number if you are a student.
In this section, select the purpose of your travel and specify your intended date of arrival and departure from the Schengen Area. Then, indicate the number of entries you require and provide the duration of your intended stay in Croatia.
In the Destination country section, select Croatia as your destination since you’re applying for a Croatia Schengen visa. For the Member State of first entry, choose the Schengen country where you intend to arrive. (Croatia is pre-selected by default, but you can adjust this based on your itinerary.) Then, in the Border crossing of first entry, indicate the arrival airport or road. Finally, if applicable, specify the country where you plan to spend the majority of your trip in the Main destination in the zone field.
Under the Entry permit for the destination country, you must provide information only if you intend to travel to a non-Schengen country after departing from the Schengen Area. You must possess a valid visa to enter those countries if such plans exist. Specify the validity period and issuing authority of the visa accordingly.
Next, choose whether you have been issued any other visas within the past three years. If you select “yes,” you must provide details, including the country of issuance and the visa(s) validity period.
Tick ‘Yes’ under Previously collected fingerprints if you have ever given your biometric information for a visa, and write the date if you know it. If it is within the last five years, you may be exempt from going to the embassy or visa application center to give your biometric information.
Choose a “natural person” or a “legal person” as the guarantor or inviting party in Croatia. Then, put the inviting party’s first name, surname, street name, house number, place of residence, and telephone and fax numbers accordingly. If this section doesn’t apply to you, you may leave it blank.
If the previous section is filled out, under the Information on the residence in the Republic of Croatia, click on Same as guarantor/inviting person, and the fields will be filled out automatically as the information you provided earlier.
If you haven’t completed the previous section, you’ll need to enter the information for the residence in Croatia yourself manually.
Finally, in the Travel and accommodation expenses section, you are required to explain how you plan to finance your travel and accommodation expenses. You have the choice between using a sponsor or funding the expenses yourself. Once you’ve selected, indicate the payment method you intend to use, such as checks, cash, or other forms of payment.
Within the Documents section, you can upload your photo and any necessary documents. While it’s not obligatory to upload these items, doing so can accelerate the processing of your application. However, remember that you’ll still need to bring these documents to your visa appointment.
You can fill out section 6 only if you have any family member who is a national of the EU, EEA, or the Swiss Confederation.
After completing the application form and ensuring the accuracy of the provided information, click FINALIZE. If you’re uncertain, you have the option to click SAVE instead. This allows you to revisit and double-check your details before proceeding.
Once you have clicked FINALIZE, your application form is complete. You are then required to print it out, sign it, and gather the necessary supporting documents. Within 30 days, you must submit these documents to the appropriate Croatian embassy/consulate, visa center, or accredited travel agency.
Depending on your country of residence, you have several options for booking an appointment:
In several countries, as noted above, Croatia has delegated Schengen visa applications to external centers such as VFS Global. It’s essential to note that these visa centers solely collect your application; the final decision rests with the Croatian diplomatic mission.
You should schedule an appointment within the specified timeframe for visa application submission. Typically, this means no more than six months before your intended trip and, ideally, no later than 15 calendar days before your planned departure. However, seafarers can apply for a visa up to nine months before their trip’s start date when fulfilling their duties.
Scheduling an appointment for a Croatian visa application is free of charge. However, there are other fees associated with the application process, which we have outlined below in this article.
We highly advise against scheduling appointments through non-accredited third-party intermediaries, as they may add extra fees.
Changing or canceling your appointment depends on how you set your appointment. If you make an appointment via email with the Croatian embassy/consulate, then you need to address that email for appointment changes.
If can set your appointment online via the VFS website, on the same website, there will be an option to cancel or change your appointment.
Please note that you must cancel or reschedule your appointment a minimum of one day before your actual appointment.
In order to obtain a Schengen visa, applicants need to follow a standardized set of documents specified in the Schengen visa code, though there may be some variations for each member country.
To meet the short-term stay visa requirements for Croatia, applicants must submit the following documents to the Croatian embassy or consulate:
Each visa application undergoes a personalized review, so the required documents may differ. The Croatian authorities may also ask for additional documentation in some cases.
Please ensure that you have all the documents with you since you may risk getting your visa denied if something is missing from your application.
Travel Medical Insurance is compulsory for Schengen visas under Regulation (EU) 2009/810 of the European Parliament.
Croatia visa applicants can obtain visa insurance from either Europ Assistance or vti.travel, a European insurance comparison website, comparing insurance policies of AXA, Allianz, Europ Assistance and Mutuaide.
These insurance providers are acknowledged and accepted by Croatian Embassies and Consulates worldwide. Moreover, you can cancel the insurance at no cost by submitting proof of Croatian visa rejection.
To visit Croatia, you generally need to demonstrate access to €70 per day of your stay unless you have certain documents like a certified letter of guarantee or proof of a tourist booking, in which case you must show €30 per day. If you apply for a visa at a Croatian consular office or through a representative country, you’ll need €100 or €50 per day with specific documentation.
After scheduling your appointment, visit the designated visa center or embassy as planned. There, you’ll need to submit your application form and required documents and provide biometric data such as fingerprints. Additionally, you’ll undergo a brief visa interview during this visit, where you’ll discuss the purpose of your trip and address any relevant questions or concerns. This interview helps the authorities assess your visa application thoroughly.
When you attend your visa appointment, you have to submit your biometric information (fingerprints and photographs). You may be exempted from this requirement if you have already provided your biometric information for a prior visa application sometime in the last 5 years. Your data is stored and can be used again, but if 5 years have passed since, you are required to show up in person to submit your biometric data again.
When you submit the visa application, you are required to pay a visa fee. The fee for a Croatia Schengen visa is €90 . If you are applying through VFS Global, you must also pay an extra fee of around €30-40. Depending on the place where you submit the visa application, you can pay the fee from one of the following payment methods:
On the day of your visa appointment, you have to attend a brief visa interview. The interview will be focused on your trip to Croatia and what you plan on doing while you are there. You must answer all the questions truthfully and make sure that they match the information you provided in your application, for example, the entry and exit dates.
If you’ve given someone permission, they can apply for a Schengen visa for you. However, this is only possible if you’ve authorized them to do so and if there’s no need for your biometric data to be submitted as part of the application process.
After you submit your application, it will undergo processing, which typically takes a minimum of 15 working days. However, it’s important to be aware that this processing period may sometimes extend beyond 30 days or even longer.
To track your application status, access the online application form and click on Check application status. Then write the serial number and pin you saved while completing your application form.
If your visa application is approved, you will receive a notification regarding your application and instructions on how you can collect your passport with your visa. After, you can travel to Croatia as per the validity of your visa.
Your visa application may be denied, and the reasons for this denial will usually be highlighted in the notification you receive. If this happens, you have the following options:
Your visa fee can’t be refunded because it pays for the costs and time spent processing your application. You won’t get your money back even if your application is denied.
When your visa is finished processing, you can collect your passport with your visa attached to it as a sticker. The embassy will either telephone you or send you an e-mail letting you know how you can collect your passport. In most cases, you have to pick up your passport in person at the embassy/consulate.
However, you may have the option to have your passport sent to you by courier; this is usually the case if apply via VFS — but keep in mind that for this service, you have to pay extra.
Finally, you can enter Croatia with your visa. You have to keep in mind that having a visa does not necessarily mean you will be granted entry. Border patrol officers have final authority over your entry into the country and can refuse you for many reasons, mainly due to security reasons.
It’s important to note that in addition to your passport and visa, you need to have the following documents with you as well:
A Schengen visa for Croatia allows stays of up to 90 days within a 180-day timeframe. However, based on their decision, the consular office may issue visas for shorter periods. You can use the Schengen calculator to ensure accurate tracking of the duration of your stay.
You can request to extend your Schengen visa to Croatia, but it’s usually allowed only for important reasons like health issues or unexpected events. To extend your visa, you need to submit a request to a local police station/administration in your local area where you are staying in Croatia. You will need to submit a new visa application form and some additional documentation, such as your passport and documents proving your need to stay longer.
If you stay beyond the permitted duration of your visa, you could face serious consequences. These may include fines, deportation, and even being banned from entering the Schengen Area or Croatia in the future. It’s crucial to stick to the terms of your visa and leave the country before it expires to avoid such penalties.
You can travel to other countries within the Schengen Area using a Croatian visa unless you possess a Limited Territorial Validity Visa. However, it’s essential that Croatia remains your main destination, and any time spent in other Schengen countries will be included in the 90-day duration limit.
Under certain conditions and upon meeting specific criteria and entry requirements, it may be possible to travel to other non-Schengen countries using a Croatia Schengen visa.
Employment in Croatia is not permitted with a Schengen visa. Typically, this visa is intended for short-term purposes such as tourism, business, or other non-employment activities. To work in Croatia, you must apply for an employment visa.
During the visa application process, your personal data is protected and stored following Articles 13 and 14 of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (General Data Protection Regulation).
The Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Croatia oversees the processing of data collected during visa procedures. If you need to access, correct, restrict, or erase your personal data, you can address your request to the Personal Data Protection Officer.
To request access, correction, or deletion of personal data processed in the Visa Information System (VIS), please send the completed form directly to the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Croatia at the following address:
MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AND EUROPEAN AFFAIRS
Personal Data Protection Officer
Trg N. Š. Zrinskog 7-8, 1000 Zagreb, Croatia
Telephone: 00385 1 4597 429
E-mail: [email protected]
If you believe that your data have been processed unlawfully, you have the right to file a complaint with the national supervisory authority in the Republic of Croatia at any time:
