Jun 13, 2022
21 min read
Croatia has quickly become one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations because of its breathtaking coastline, rich culture and history, and people flocking to see King’s Landing (yeah, from Game of Thrones) in real life.
But before you stroll down the streets of Dubrovnik, pondering the sad fate of Ned Stark, you might need a Croatian Tourist Visa. Don’t worry, at Atlys it's our mission to have everybody traveling like a local. That's why we’ve compiled this Croatian Tourist Visa guide, in which we’ll discuss all of the visa requirements, and the application process for a tourist visa to Croatia.
Specifically, we’ll be looking at:
What Are The Required Documents For A Tourist Visa To Croatia
What Type Of Travel Insurance Should I Get For My Croatian Tourist Visa Application
What Are The Photo Specifications For A Tourist Visa To Croatia
What Are The Requirements For Minors Applying For A Visa To Croatia
Even though Croatia is part of the EU, it is not yet part of the Schengen Area. and as such, there is no such thing as a Croatian Schengen Tourist Visa. Instead, it is simply known as a Croatian Tourist Visa, or a Croatian Short Stay Visa.
The good news is, that any traveler with a valid Schengen visa will be granted automatic entry into Croatia for 90 days, within a 180 day period.
Citizens from countries outside the EU may need to acquire a visa before traveling to Croatia. EU, US, UK, New Zealand, & Australian citizens do not need a Visa when traveling to Croatia for 90 days or less. The main details of this visa are as follows:
The best and easiest way to get your tourist visa for Croatia is to use Atlys. With Atlys, you can effortlessly start your next Croatian Tourist Visa application. A benefit of Atlys is that you don't need to stress about the visa application process and everything it entails. All you need to do is select a destination, travel date, and enter your relevant details. Afterward, Atlys will do all the tedious paperwork for you. With Atlys, you can receive your next Tourist Visa for Croatia in no time at all!
A Croatian Tourist Visa allows travelers to visit Croatia for 90 days within a 180 day period, provided that they are traveling to Croatia for tourist reasons. This visa is also sometimes referred to as a Croatian Short Stay Visa.
Whether a traveler needs a visa when visiting Croatia will depend on whether their nationality (the country of their passport) enjoys visa exemption or not.
Currently, the non-EU countries that do enjoy visa-free travel to Croatia are as follow:
Albania, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, El Salvador, Georgia, Grenada, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, Kiribati, Macau, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, New Zealand, Nicaragua, North Macedonia, Palau, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Korea, Taiwan, Timor Leste, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Vatican City, Venezuela.
Even If your nationality enjoys visa-free travel to Croatia, you will still need to meet some requirements before jetting off to Croatia.
Citizens from the EU/EEA or Switzerland do not need a visa when traveling to Croatia for less than 90 days within a 180-day period.
As mentioned above, citizens from the US do not need a visa to travel to Croatia for less than 90 days within a 180-day period. There are, however, a couple of additional requirements that they’ll have to meet.
Unfortunately, being a US Green Card holder does not automatically qualify you for visa-free travel to Croatia. Instead, your nationality will still determine whether or not you’ll need a Croatian Tourist Visa. The good news is that you do not need to travel back to your country to apply for a visa to Croatia, as you’ll be able to apply at your local Croatian Consulate General, or the Embassy Of Croatia in the USA.
We suggest that as soon as you’ve figured out if you need a Croatian Tourist Visa, your next step should be to determine where you’ll be applying for your Croatian visa. The location of your closest facility might affect how long your application will take due to travel time to and from the facility.
When it comes to making this choice, you basically have 3 options:
1. Use Atlys To Effortlessly Apply For Your Croatian Visa. Atlys is your easiest and quickest option. Atlys is designed to be fast and simple. With Atlys, you can cut the time it takes to apply for your visa in half. Furthermore, Atlys has very helpful and friendly customer service that will help along the way. With the Atlys app, you can apply from the comfort of your home.
2. Apply At Your Local Croatian Embassy or Consulate Applying at your local Croatian Embassy or Consulate-General Of Croatia is the more traditional way of getting your Croatian Tourist Visa. Keep in mind that this option does involve some uncertainty and time-wasting. Unlike Atlys, there is no clear guidance from the Embassy. Forgetting a document or submitting an incomplete application form can lead to your visa being denied, without you even being aware of the error until it’s too late.
3. Apply Through A Visa Application Center Submitting an application at an application center is fairly similar to submitting an application at the Embassy. In fact, many embassies outsource their visa services to application centers. However, due to the increasing demand for visas, these application centers may become overburdened at times. As a result, there is a lengthier wait time. Also, there are numerous accounts of people who have had negative experiences with the application center’s customer support. However, this is not always the case.
Each of these options can lead to you getting your France Schengen Visa. The final decision is always yours to make. Choose the option you like the most, and be sure to follow the exact instructions given to you.
Even though the average processing time for a tourist visa to Croatia is only 15 calendar days, we suggest that you apply for your tourist visa as soon as you have your flights and hotel reservations sorted.
This is to give yourself enough time to react if something goes wrong. In extreme cases, a Croatian visa can take anywhere between 30 and 60 days to process.
The easiest way to cut down on the processing time for a Croatian visa is to use Atlys
Even though a Croatian Visa is not equal to a Schengen tourist visa, they do cost the same. However, the cost of a visa application depends on the nationality of the applicant. As such, we suggest that you contact the Croatian embassy in your country to determine the exact cost.
On average, the fee for a Croatian Visa is as follows:
For an adult - €80
For children between the age of 6 - 12 years - €40
For children younger than 6 years - Free
Note that paying the visa application fee doesn't guarantee you a successful visa application. Instead, the fee you're paying is for the service provided by the Embassy. Also, the payment for your Croatian Visa is non-refundable.
Fees are liable to change and we suggest you contact your nearest Embassy or Consulate-General of Croatia to determine the exact fee.
As mentioned, some foreign nationals don't need to apply for a Tourist Visa to visit Croatia. However, citizens from these nations must still present a few documents upon entry into Croatia.
The following supporting documents must be presented at the request of the Border Police upon your arrival in Croatia:
Your passport must be valid for at least 3 months beyond the date of departure to your home country. Also, it must not be older than 10 years and be in good condition.
Croatian authorities may ask you to present proof of accommodation upon your arrival. You must have the supporting documents that indicate where you'll be staying for the duration of your trip. Proof of accommodation can include hotel reservations, Airbnb bookings, or a rental agreement.
You must prove to border control that you'll be leaving Croatia once your initial 90 are over. You may be asked to present a return flight ticket that indicates the exact date you'll be traveling back to your home country. Use the Atlys tool to get a free flight itinerary.
If you're on a professional trip, you must present a document that provides details on your profession or capacity. It must also contain details of the establishment or organization located in Croatia that is expecting you.
Another requirement is that you obtain valid medical/health insurance that provides medical coverage across the entire EU for the duration of your intended stay. Your medical insurance must cover all medical and hospital expenses, as well as medical repatriation costs and expenses in the event of death. You can contact your Croatian Embassy or Consulate General of Croatia to learn more about the specific requirements for your medical insurance. In general, your medical insurance should provide minimum coverage of €30,000.
Before we talk about the Croatian Visa application process, we need to look at the required documents for your Croatian Tourist Visa.
Note that different Croatian Embassies may require you to collect and submit various documents. Therefore, we recommend contacting your nearest Croatian Embassy or Croatian Consulate to learn more about their exact document requirements.
The following documents can be used as a guideline for the documents that you'll need to gather and submit:
Ensure that the information you provide on the application form is correct and accurate. Incorrect information may lead to your visa application being denied.
Your passport photos must be in color and not older than 3 months. Later in this post, we'll be discussing the exact requirements.
Your passport must be valid for at least 3 months beyond the intended date you plan to return to your home country. It must be in good condition and not older than 10 years. Also, your passport must have at least 2 blank pages available for your visa sticker/stamps.
You need to obtain valid medical/health insurance that provides medical coverage across the entire EU for the duration of your intended stay. Your medical insurance must cover all medical and hospital expenses, as well as medical repatriation costs and expenses in the event of death. In general, your medical insurance should provide minimum coverage of €30,000.
You must present an itinerary that indicates a list of things you'll be planning to do during your trip. The itinerary will help support the purpose of your trip. Also, your itinerary will prove to authorities that you intend to depart back to your home country after your visit.
You need to prove that you can financially support yourself during the duration of your stay in France. If you don't have prepaid accommodation, you'll need to have a total amount of €120 per day. In the case where you have prepaid accommodation, the amount is reduced to €65 per day. Note that if you provide proof of cheaper accommodation, the total amount reduces to €32.25 per day. Documents you can use as proof include personal bank statements, payslips, credit card statements, and traveler's cheques.
You need to submit documents that prove where you'll be staying during your visit to Croatia. Documents you can submit include hotel reservations, a rental contract, or an Airbnb reservation.
In addition to the documents mentioned above, you'll need to submit a few extra documents that prove your employment status in your country of origin. The documents you need to submit are as follow:
You must provide a letter from your employer that confirms you will be leaving for vacation. Also, you can submit your work contract and recent payslips as proof of sufficient funds and proof of employment.
A letter from a solicitor, accountant, or Companies House, which confirms your status.
You'll need to submit a document that proves you are a student. The document you provide must include your personal details, the institution you're studying at, your current major, and must be stamped by the institution. Also, you need to provide proof that you have sufficient funds to support yourself during your stay. This can be done by providing a work contract, bank statements, or a letter from your sponsor. Note that if you have a sponsor, they should attach all relevant documents to the letter.
You can submit a document or certificate that states you are a retiree. You may also present a pension statement from the last 6 months.
Because most EU countries provide public healthcare, travel insurance, but not health insurance, is required to obtain a Croatian visa, to ensure that visitors don’t become a financial burden on Croatia’s health system in the event of unforeseen issues.
The insurance should explicitly meet these requirements:
Coverage of at least EUR 30,000.
Be valid in all 26 Schengen States: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland.
Cover medical emergency expenses and anything connected with repatriation for medical reasons, urgent health attention, and/or emergency hospital treatment or death.
For those hoping to get a longer-term Schengen visa, it is advisable to provide travel insurance that lasts the whole year as per this EU directive:
“Applicants for a uniform visa for more than two entries (multiple entries) shall prove that they are in possession of adequate and valid travel medical insurance covering the period of their first intended visit. In addition, such applicants shall sign the statement, set out in the application form, declaring that they are aware of the need to be in possession of travel medical insurance for subsequent stays.”
In the next section, we’ll discuss how to apply for your Croatian Tourist Visa application.
The first thing you need to do is gather all the required documents for your Croatian Visa application. If you are unsure about the documents you require, you can contact your nearest Croatian Embassy or Consulate. We recommend you start gathering your documents as soon as possible, as some documents may take some time to obtain.
Once you have gathered all your required documents, it is time to fill out the Croatian Tourist Visa application form. You'll need to download the application form, fill it out, and submit it at the Embassy in person. When you start filling out the application form, ensure that all details you provide are accurate and correct. Later in this post, we'll walk you through some of the niggly bits of the application form.
After you have gathered your required documents and filled out your Croatian Tourist Visa application form, you'll need to schedule an appointment at your nearest Croatian Embassy, Consulate, or application center.
Or you can use the handy Atlys Appointment Box at the top of this page and schedule your Croatian Visa Appointment in no time!
Ensure that you have all your documents before scheduling your appointment, as you'll need to submit your documents at the appointment.
On the day of your appointment, you must travel to the Embassy to attend an in-person interview. Here you'll submit all your supporting documents and answer some simple questions about your trip to France. Ensure that you answer all questions truthfully and to the best of your knowledge.
After your interview, you're required to submit your biometric data. This includes a photo and your fingerprints.
Once your interview is finished, and the authorities have collected your biometric data, you'll need to pay the visa application fee. You can expect to pay around €80 for your Croatian Tourist Visa.
Note that paying the fee does not automatically guarantee you your visa. The fee is used for the service being provided by the Croatian Embassy or Consulate.
You're almost finished. Now you need to wait for feedback. Successful applicants will be contacted via mail or email. Once you receive feedback, you can travel back to the Embassy to collect your visa.
Congratulations, you can now legally travel to Croatia with your Tourist Visa.
The Croatia Schengen visa application has to be filled online and takes about 45 minutes to finish.
The application is split into six sections:
In the first section of the Croatia Visa application form, you will have to provide all your personal information. This includes information like name, date of birth, address, etc. In order to submit the information, you will have to enter a captcha code and click the Save and Continue button to move forward with the application. As soon as the second page appears, a dialog box will pop up showing the serial number and pin number. You need to save this information.
In this section, you will have to fill in all the information about your travel document, i.e., passport. Along with this, you need to fill in the details of your residence permit. In most cases, this is your US visa or Green Card.
For those employed, information about your employer is required. For students, provide the name of your educational institution, address, and telephone number.
Here, you will have to fill in all the details about the visa in this section, such as arrival and departure dates, and duration of stay.
For those traveling to another country from Croatia, provide the necessary documentation. For instance, if you're coming back to the United States, provide proof of your US residence permit. permission and entry details.
In this section, you will have to provide the information regarding the guarantor, the residence of the guarantor, and lastly, the information about your traveling expenses. In other words, this section collects data on your accommodation in Croatia.
In this section, you can upload all the necessary documents like photocopies of your passport or travel document, residential proof, identity card, hotel reservation documents, airline tickets, etc. Apart from the documents, you can even upload a photo. Uploading these items can lessen the processing time of your visa application and is therefore highly recommended. However, you may choose not to submit these proofs. Ensure the file size is less than 2.0MB - you can use this tool to compress the size of your images.
This is the sixth and last section of the Croatia Visa application and only pertains to travelers who have family members who are citizens of either Switzerland or the European Union, European Economic Area. If your family member is a citizen of EU, EEA, or CH, fill in the details in this section, otherwise, under the ‘Citizenship,’ option, mention the country you are from and press either 'Save' it to submit later or conclude the request. For those filling this section, you will require a verified letter verifying this from your reference in the European Union.
Verify all information is correct, and save the application. We suggest saving the application ID.
The photo requirements for a Croatian Tourist visa follow ICAO standards.
Two identical photos. Not older than six months.
Photo size: 35x45mm or 2 in x 2 in.
In color. No black and white
Head should cover most of the photo.
White background.
Even children require a visa to travel to Croatia. In addition to all the standard documents, you've to provide the following.
Application form signed by both parents
Birth certificate of the child
If a child is traveling alone, a notarized parental authorization is signed by both parents or guardians.
If the child travels with one of the parents, then there must be an official permission letter issued by a notary in English from the other parent. In case of the parents' absence (divorce, death, etc.), a relevant official certificate (i.e., divorce, death, etc.) must be presented. Additionally, copies of IDs of parents are also required.
While not required, it is preferred that for children who go to school - a reference letter from the relevant school: address and contacts of the school, signature, stamp of the person in charge, and reference to the Embassy should be noted in the letter.
You can stay for 90 days in the period of 180 days in Croatia with your visa. The duration of stay is always written on the visa sticker so take a look at it once you get the visa.
In rare cases, Croatia might allow you to mail in your application and then submit biometrics in person during collection. This is especially helpful for those who do not live in the same city as a consulate so they can schedule their pick-up and flight to Croatia from the city of the Croatian consulate serving their jurisdiction.
Many qualify however showing a bank statement is the most straightforward. You can also use one of these:
invoices of prepaid travels and accommodations
Pay stubs
travelers’ cheques
attested documents showing spouse’s consent in covering the expenses, etc. Other types of visas and document requirements
Short-term work visa: Reference letter of the U.S. employer mentioning profile, salary, date of hiring, dates of vacation, and itinerary.
Self-employed: Your business existence proof and the client’s details you intend to meet in France. The proof of income from the business.
Foreign students on F-1 visa: A valid I-20, reference letter from an educational institution, education details, and expected date of the end of graduation course.
The visa sticker contains information on the visa’s validity period and the duration of the authorized stay. A visa can be issued for one entry or multiple entries.
The maximum duration of stay is shown on the visa sticker, and it varies according to the reasons for your stay.
What you must remember
No, Croatia does not provide a visa-on-arrival.
Only legal resident aliens in the US can apply for a visa in the United States. If you are only visiting you need to apply at the Croatian Embassy or Consulate in your home country.
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