Vize
Visa is an approval to enter Croatia for a stay of up to 3 months (in any 6-month-period from the day of first entrance to the country) or for transit through the territory of Croatia. Visas are issued by diplomatic missions or consular posts of Croatia. A visa cannot be used as a work permit.
Foreigners who are subject to the visa requirement are obliged to apply for a visa prior to their entry into Croatia at a Croatian diplomatic mission/consular post. If there is no Croatian diplomatic mission or consular post in the applicant’s country, visa application may be submitted at the nearest Croatian diplomatic mission/consular post.
As a general rule, a foreigner must lodge a visa application personally. Exceptionally, a foreigner does not need to lodge the application personally, but needs to present him/herself in person when called upon by the diplomatic mission/consular post. A visa application may be lodged no sooner than three months before the date of the intended entry into Croatia.
Since the Croatian accession to the European Union on 1 July 2013, Croatia applies the European Union’s Common Visa Policy. This means that the classic visa regime will apply to the citizens of all those countries who need a visa for entering EU member states. Additionally, starting with 1 January 2014 until Croatia fully applies the provisions of the Schengen acquis, all foreigners who are holders holders of valid Schengen documents or visas and/or residence permits of Bulgaria, Cyprus or Romania, do not require an additional (Croatian) visa for entry and short-term stay in Croatia. All other nationals require a visa for entering Croatia and for a stay of up to 3 months or for passing through the territory of Croatia, unless stipulated otherwise by international agreements.
Foreigners who require a visa for Croatia can fill out the visa application form on-line at crovisa.mvep.hr (available in Albanian, Arabic, Croatian, English, French, German, Moldovan, Russian, Spanish, Turkish and Ukrainian language). Printed and filled out application form along with other required documents should be submitted to the competent Croatian Embassy/Consulate or visa centre or through an accredited tourist agency.
For more information and possible temporary exceptions please check the visa requirements overview on the website of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs.
A foreign national submitting an application for a visa to a diplomatic mission or a consular office of Croatia is obliged to prove that they have sufficient financial means to cover their subsistence during their stay in Croatia and the return to the country of origin or transit to a third country. When a foreign national enters Croatia, the body in charge of state border crossing control is authorised to request of them to present financial means necessary to cover their subsistence during his or her stay in Croatia and return to the country of origin or transit to a third country. The amount of financial means is fixed at the equivalent of 70 EUR per day of the estimated stay in Croatia.
If a foreign national is in possession of a certified letter of guarantee by a natural or legal person from Croatia, proof of a tourist booking or a similar document, they are obliged to present proof that they possess the amount equivalent to 30 EUR per day of the estimated stay in the Croatia.
Documents needed to apply for a visa are:
- Visa application form*
- Original and a copy of a valid travel document (the period of validity of the travel document should exceed that of the visa’s by three months, must include at least two empty pages and must be issued in the last 10 years)
- Colour photograph 35x45 m
- Supporting documents that prove:
- Purpose of visit to Croatia
- Means of support to cover stay in Croatia **
- Means of transport and intention to return to the country of origin or to a third country
- Ensured accommodation
- Travel health insurance***
- Evidence of paid visa fee
* Application form is available in several languages and can also be filled in online and printed out for submission. It must be filled in the official language of the applicant’s country or in English; in Latin alphabet, clearly and in block letters.
** Means of support can be proven with:
a) Appropriate certificate on regular income of the applicant or the person responsible for allowance
b) Certified statement of a third legal or natural person-sponsor who agrees to take over the costs of maintenance, with a proper proof of solvency
c) Letter of Guarantee, with appropriate proof of solvency
d) Cash in local or foreign convertible currency, non-cash payment funds (travellers’ checks, credit cards, etc.), provided that it is not a short-term payments of higher amounts with the aim of misrepresenting the actual financial situation (credibility).
*** Travel health insurance is an appropriate and valid travel medical insurance that covers the expenses that might occur during a foreigner’s stay in Croatia due to health reasons, urgent medical assistance and/or urgent hospital treatment. Applicants are obliged to buy travel health insurance with an insurance company in the country of their stay. If this is not possible, travel health insurance needs to be bought in another country. Physical or legal persons from Croatia inviting the applicant can on their own behalf buy a travel health insurance with an insurance company from Croatia. The lowest sum insured must be in kuna equivalent of €30,000.
Applicants for visas for one or two entries have to provide a proof of health insurance and a policy of an appropriate and valid travel health insurance covering the entire period of their stay in Croatia. Applicants for multiple-entry visas are obliged to provide evidence of medical insurance and an appropriate and valid travel medical insurance policy covering the period of their first stay in Croatia. For third-researchers, coming to Croatia for the purpose of scientific research, proof of health insurance is their hosting agreement since it should have provisions on mandatory health insurance.
Family members of third-country researcher can, at the same time as researcher, apply for visa at the relevant diplomatic mission / consular office. The documents are the same as those previously described and each family member has to have his own set of required documents. A visa application for a foreign minor or a foreigner deprived of his/her business capacity shall be submitted by his/her legal representative. In this case a birth certificate of a minor (if the parents are legal representatives), or the decision of the competent authority on determining the legal representative must be submitted when applying for visa.
Airport-transit visa (A), Short-term visa (C) – 60.00 EUR.
Urgent visa issuance (when the application has been submitted three or less days prior to the intended journey without justification) – 70.00 EUR.
Following categories of persons are exempted from visa application fees:
- Family members of a Croatian citizen (spouse and children)
- Family members of citizens of EEA Member States
- Children up to the age of 12
- Holders of diplomatic and service passports travelling in their official capacity
- Pupils, students, postgraduate students and teachers accompanying them when they come to attend school, study and professional training
- Researchers coming to conduct research
- Representatives of non-profit organizations up to the age of 25, who are to attend seminars, conferences, sport, cultural or educational events organized by non-profit organizations.
A foreigner coming to Croatia for a business visit, invited by a legal person, must enclose a letter of guarantee to the visa application, filled out by the guarantor-legal person from Croatia. Guarantor must enclose a document proving its liquidity (“Bon 1” or “Bon 2” or certificate of the commercial court that no liquidation proceedings have been initiated, etc.) to the letter of guarantee. A letter of guarantee must be signed by the person authorised to represent the guarantor and certified with an official stamp. The applicant will receive a photocopy of the letter of guarantee, so that (s)he may present a proof of the purpose of his/her stay in Croatia if requested so by the national authority at the state border crossings.
A foreigner coming to Croatia for a private visit, invited by a natural person, must enclose a letter of guarantee to the visa application, filled out by a guarantor-natural person from Croatia. Guarantor may be a Croatian national or a foreigner with granted residence in Croatia, who has a steady income or financial means in Croatia. Guarantor’s signature on the letter of guarantee shall be certified by a notary public. If the guarantor is present when submitting the visa application, the signature on the letter of guarantee may also be notarised (certified) by the Croatian diplomatic mission/consular office (if the guarantor is a Croatian national) or by the competent authority of the receiving state (if the guarantor is a foreigner). The applicant will receive a photocopy of the letter of guarantee, so that they may present a proof of the purpose of his stay in Croatia if requested so by the national authority at the state border crossings.
More information on the Letter of Guarantee is available here.
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