The Visa System of the Republic of Croatia
A visa is permission for foreign citizens to enter the Republic of Croatia and for a stay of up to 90 days or for transit through the territory of the Republic of Croatia. The visa regime and amount of funds necessary for living expenses while staying in the Republic of Croatia and for returning to the country of origin or travelling to a third country are regulated by Regulations set by the Government of the Republic of Croatia.
A foreign citizen must obtain a visa before entering the Republic of Croatia at the competent diplomatic mission or consular office of the Republic of Croatia. If the Republic of Croatia does not have diplomatic missions / consular offices in a certain country, the visa application can be filed at the closest Croatian diplomatic mission / consular office in another country.
A travel visa
may be issued for one, two or multiple entries into the Republic of Croatia, for tourist, business, personal or other purposes.
A transit visa
may be issued for one, two or exceptionally for several transits through the territory of the Republic of Croatia, with a validity period of up to six months. On the basis of a transit visa, a foreigner may stay in the Republic of Croatia for a period of up to five days upon each journey.
An airport transit visa
is issued for one or more transits through the international transit area of an airport, with validity period of up to three months.
A visa in a common travel document; a group of between 5 and 50 people can enter with a transit visa (for one transit) or travel visa (for one entrance and stay of up to 30 days), provided that members of the group enter the territory of the Republic of Croatia, stay there and leave it as a group.
During the period between 01 April and 31 October 2010 a decision of the Government of the Republic of Croatia to temporarily facilitate the entry of foreigners in the Republic of Croatia is in effect on the basis of valid Schengen residence permits and visas for foreigners who intend to visit Croatia as tourists.
Consequently, the following categories of foreigners do not require a visa for entering the Republic of Croatia during the above-stated time period:
- Holders of valid Schengen residence permits;
- Holders of valid Schengen visas arriving on cruise ships sailing out of a port in one of the Schengen states;
- Nationals of the Republic of India and of the People’s Republic of China, holders of valid Schengen visas, who collectively and in an organized manner visit the Republic of Croatia as tourists, if in possession of a valid travel health insurance and arriving from the Schengen Area, and
- Nationals of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the State of Qatar, the State of Kuwait, the Sultanate of Oman and the United Arab Emirates, holders of valid Schengen visas, if in possession of a valid travel health insurance.
Detailed information can be found on the following English-language website:
Who does not need a visa
To enter Croatia and stay of up to 90 days or for passing through the territory of the Republic of Croatia, citizens of the following countries do not require visas:
- Principality of Andorra, Argentine Republic, Australia, Republic of Austria, Kingdom of Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Federative Republic of Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Republic of Bulgaria, Canada, Republic of Chile, Republic of Costa Rica, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Kingdom of Denmark, Republic of Estonia, Republic of Finland, French Republic, Federal Republic of Germany, Republic of Guatemala, Hellenic Republic, Republic of Honduras, Republic of Hungary, Republic of Iceland, Ireland, State of Israel, Italian Republic, Japan, Republic of Korea, Republic of Latvia, Principality of Liechtenstein, Republic of Lithuania, Grand Duchy of Luxemburg, Republic of Macedonia, Malaysia, Republic of Malta, United Mexican States, Principality of Monaco, Republic of Nicaragua, Kingdom of the Netherlands, New Zealand, Kingdom of Norway, Republic of Panama, Republic of Paraguay, Republic of Poland, Portuguese Republic, Romania, Republic of El Salvador, Republic of San Marino, Republic of Singapore, Slovak Republic, Republic of Slovenia, Kingdom of Spain, Kingdom of Sweden, Swiss Confederation, Republic of Turkey, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Eastern Republic of Uruguay, United States of America, Vatican City State, Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
The exemption from the visa requirement also applies to the holders of valid travel documents issued in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China and in the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China.
The exemption from the visa requirement also applies to the following holders of valid travel documents of the Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland:
- British Nationals (Overseas);
- British Overseas Territories Citizens who have the right of abode in the United Kingdom, and
- British Subjects who have the right of abode in the United Kingdom.
Entering Croatia with an identity card
Citizens of the following countries can enter Croatia with a valid identity card
or other form of identification which proves the person’s identity and citizenship:
- Member states of the European Economic Area
- The Kingdom of Andorra
- The Kingdom of Monaco
- The Republic of San Marino
- The Holy See (Vatican City)
- The Swiss Confederation
Countries whose citizens require a visa
Nationals of the following states require a visa for entering the Republic of Croatia and for a stay of up to 90 days as well as for passing through the territory of the Republic of Croatia:
- Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Republic of Albania, People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria, Republic of Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Republic of Armenia, Azerbaijani Republic, Commonwealth of the Bahamas, Kingdom of Bahrain, People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Barbados, Republic of Belarus, Belize, Republic of Benin, Kingdom of Bhutan, Republic of Bolivia, Republic of Botswana, Burkina Faso, Republic of Burundi, Kingdom of Cambodia, Republic of Cameroon, Republic of Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Republic of Chad, People’s Republic of China, Republic of Columbia, Union of the Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of the Congo, Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, Republic of Cuba, Republic of Djibouti, Commonwealth of Dominica, Dominican Republic, Republic of Ecuador, Arab Republic of Egypt, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Republic of the Fiji Islands, Gabonese Republic, Republic of The Gambia, Republic of Georgia, Republic of Ghana, Grenada, Republic of Guinea, Republic of Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guyana, Republic of Haiti, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Islamic Republic of Iran, Republic of Iraq, Jamaica, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordon, Republic of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Kiribati, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, State of Kuwait, Kyrgyz Republic, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Lebanese Republic, Republic of Liberia, Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Kingdom of Lesotho, Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Maldives, Republic of Mali, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Islamic Republic of Mauritania, Republic of Mauritius, Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Kingdom of Morocco, Republic of Mozambique, Union of Myanmar, Republic of Namibia, Republic of Nauru, Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, Republic of Niger, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Sultanate of Oman, Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Republic of Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of Peru, Republic of the Philippines, State of Qatar, Rwandese Republic, Russian Federation, Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Independent State of Samoa, Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Republic of Senegal, Republic of Serbia, Republic of Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somali Republic, Republic of South Africa, Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, Republic of Sudan, Republic of Suriname, Kingdom of Swaziland, Syrian Arab Republic, Republic of Tajikistan, United Republic of Tanzania, Kingdom of Thailand, Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, Togolese Republic, Kingdom of Tonga, Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Republic of Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Republic of Uzbekistan, Republic of Vanuatu, Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, Republic of Yemen, Republic of Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe.
The visa requirement also applies to holders of travel documents issued in the territory of Taiwan, People's Republic of China.
The visa requirement also applies to holders of travel documents issued in the territory of the Palestinian Authority, the entity not fully recognised as a subject in terms of international law.
The visa requirement also applies to the following holders of valid travel documents of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland:
- British Overseas Territories Citizens who do not have the right of abode in the United Kingdom,
- British Overseas Citizens,
- British Protected Persons, and
- British Subjects who do not have the right of abode in the United Kingdom.
The Government of the Republic of Croatia may introduce a provisional suspension of the visa regime for a certain period, for nationals of some states.