Frequently asked questions

1. DO I NEED A VISA TO TRAVEL TO CROATIA?
Please check in the drop-down menu:  https://mvep.gov.hr/en/consular-information/visas/visa-requirements-overview/.

2. CAN I TRAVEL WITH A CROATIAN VISA TO THE SCHENGEN AREA?
Croatia is not a Schengen Member State and Croatian visas are valid only for its territory (and for travelling to Bulgaria, Romania, and Cyprus). You cannot travel to Schengen countries with a Croatian visa.

3. WHERE CAN I SUBMIT MY VISA APPLICATION?
At the Embassy of the Republic of Croatia in Moscow:  http://ru.mvep.hr/hr/konzularne-informacije/konzularni-ured/ or in Visa Application Centres in Russia: www.vfsglobal.com/croatia/russia, Belarus: www.vfsglobal.com/croatia/belarus or Kazakhstan: http://www.vfsglobal.com/croatia/kazakhstan/.
If you are travelling for the purpose of tourism, you can contact any of the travel agencies accredited by the Embassy of the Republic of Croatia in Moscow.

4. HOW LONG MAY I STAY IN CROATIA WITH A VISA?
A visa is the approval for a stay of up to 90 days in each 180-day period. How long you may stay in Croatia is written on your visa sticker, under “Duration of stay … days”.

5. HOW EARLY BEFORE MY TRAVEL CAN I APPLY FOR A VISA?
You can apply for a visa at the earliest three months before the date of your travel to Croatia. Please make sure that you apply on time in order to avoid any delays and waiting.

6. HOW MUCH IS A VISA FEE?
VISA FEES

7. HOW CAN I PAY A VISA FEE?
You can pay your visa fee only by using a payment slip obtained at the Embassy of the Republic of Croatia in Moscow, in the nearby Unicredit Bank or in the Reiffeisen Bank.
If you submit your application via Visa Application Centres or accredited travel agencies, you can pay your visa fee in a Visa Application Centre or to an accredited travel agency.

8. MY PASSPORT EXPIRES IN TWO MONTHS. CAN I OBTAIN A VISA?
Your passport should be valid for another three monthe after the planned date of departure from Croatia – this is one of the criteria for visa admissibility. Therefore, if your passport is valid less than three months, you cannot not apply for a visa.

9. MAY I LEAVE CROATIA AND RETURN WITH THE SAME VISA?  
Check the “Number of entries” section of your visa sticker. If it states “01”, you have a single-entry visa meaning you can enter Croatia only once and cannot not return with the same visa.
If it states “02”, it means you have a two-entry visa, i.e. two entries are allowed. If it states “MULTI”, you have a multiple-entry visa meaning your are allowed to enter and exit Croatia unlimited amount of times before your visa expires.
Do not forget to check the number of visa-approved days of the stay on your visa sticker (given under “Duration of stay … days”). If you have a two-entry or a multiple-entry visa, the actual days of stay are deducted from the total number of days during your subsequent visits.

10. I HAVE A VALID RESIDENCE PERMIT IN A SCHENGEN COUNTRY. DO I NEED A VISA TO GO TO CROATIA?
Third-country nationals who have a valid residence permits issued by a Schengen member state do not need a visa for stay in Croatia not exceeding 90 days in each 180-day period or for transit through Croatia.
You can find more details at https://mvep.gov.hr/en/consular-information/visas/visa-requirements-overview/.

11. WHEN ENTERING CROATIA, DO I NEED TO PRESENT ANY DOCUMENTS OTHER THAN MY PASSPORT AND VISA?
A valid visa is not a guarantee of entry to Croatia. You may have to satisfy other legal requirements. Third-country nationals may be allowed to enter Croatia if they:

  • possess a valid travel document which allows its holder to cross borders
  • possess a valid visa, if required
  • justify the purpose and conditions of their intended stay and have sufficient means of subsistence both during their intended stay and for return to their country of origin or transit to a third country;
  • do not have an alert issued for them for the purpose of refusing entry;
  • are not be considered a threat to public policy, international security, public health or international relations.

This means that a police officer, during border control, may ask you to present both notifications and documents that justify the purpose and conditions of your stay in Croatia and the evidence that you have sufficient means of subsistence.
The sufficient means of subsistence equal to 70 EUR per day of your intended stay in Croatia. If you have a notarised letter of guarantee by natural or legal person from Croatia, a proof of the paid travel package or a similar document, your means of subsistence should equal 30 EUR per day of your intended stay in Croatia. On the other hand, if you have a notarised letter of guarantee by natural or legal person in Croatia showing that your guarantor assumes full responsibility for all costs related to your stay in Croatia and your departure from Croatia, you are exempt from presenting documents supporting your means of subsistence.

12. I AM TRAVELLING BY PLANE AND I AM WAITING AT A CROATIAN AIRPORT TO CONTINUE MY TRAVEL. DO I NEED A VISA FOR CROATIA?
The nationals of Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus who do not leave the international area of a Croatian airport do not require  airport transit visa

13. CAN I HAVE MY VISA EXTENDED?
Exceptionally, in cases of serious personal or humanitarian reasons you can extend your visa. The application for visa extension is submitted in a competent police administration/station, according to the place of your stay in Croatia.

14. MY VISA HAS BEEN REFUSED. WHAT CAN I DO? CAN I GET A REFUND AFTER HAVING PAID FOR A VISA FEE?
If your visa has been refused, you will receive a form with a Decision on Refusal, Annulment or Revocation of Visa either in person or in accordance with the Act on General Administrative Procedure (Official Gazette 47/09), along with instructions about the possibilities to appeal this decision. You are not entitled to a refund for a paid visa fee.

15. I AM AN ARMENIAN NATIONAL WORKING IN RUSSIA. MAY I SUBMIT A VISA APPLICATION AT THE EMBASSY IN MOSCOW?
If a third-country national who needs a visa for Croatia has a residence permit in Russia, he/she may submit the application at the Embassy in Moscow.

16. I WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE MY STUDIES IN CROATIA. WHAT KIND OF A VISA DO I NEED?
A visa is the approval for transit or for entry and stay in Croatia for up to 90 days in each 180-period as of the date of the first entry.
It is issued for one, two or multiple entries for the purposes of transit or for tourist, business, private or any other travel.
For any stay longer than 90 days in each 180-day period, you need a temporary residence permit, in this case for studying. For more information regarding residence permits, please contact the Embassy of the Republic of Croatia in Moscow.

17. MY EMPLOYER IS SENDING ME FOR A ONE-MONTH WORK ASSIGNMENT
A visa is not a work permit. A third-country national may work in the Republic of Croatia based on the stay and work permit or the work registration certificate if not otherwise specified by the Aliens Act. For more information, please contact the Embassy of the Republic of Croatia in Moscow.