Ministarstvo vanjskih i europskih poslova

General visa information

Information on the visa requirement, including application forms for visas, is available at www.mvep.hr/en/ (https://mvep.gov.hr/en/consular-information/visas/visa-requirements-overview/,284.html ).

*By choosing country of your citizenship you will be able to find out if you are required to have a visa for entry and stay up to 90 days’ maximum in 180 days’ period in the Republic of Croatia.

On the same website, a full list of exemptions and conditions for exemptions is available.

WHERE AND WHEN TO APPLY
Following information applies to foreigners who are required to have a visa:
In order to obtain a visa, the applicant must apply in person at the nearest VFS Centre or nearest Croatian Embassy in their area of his/hers residence.
A list of Croatian diplomatic missions and consular posts, as well as all additional information on cooperation with VFS is available at www.mvep.hr/en/ ( https://mvep.gov.hr/en/diplomatic-directory/diplomatic-missions-and-consular-offices-of-croatia/ and https://mvep.gov.hr/en/consular-information/visas/visa-requirements-overview/ )
Visa applications should be submitted no more than six months (for seafarers in the performance of their duties no more than nine months), prior to the beginning of the intended trip, and as a rule, no later than 15 calendar days prior to the beginning of their intended trip.

Documents Required
It is issued for one, two or more entries for transit, tourist, business, private or other purposes.
The validity period of a visa depends on the circumstances of traveling and cannot exceed five years.
  • Applicants should request for visa PERSONALLY, at least one month before the planned trip to Croatia.
  • All documents must be officially translated in English and verified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
  • Necessary documents:
    • Passport valid for (at least) three more months after the planned departure from Croatia, with (at least) two empty pages in which visa could be affixed
    • Birth Certificate in English
    • Online Visa application form (http://www.mvep.hr/files/file/obrasci/VisaApplicationEnglish.pdf )
    • Travel Itinerary (Computerized,typed, Travel plan should be submitted by all applicants. Handwritten plan is not acceptable.)
    • One recent front-view, color photograph, white background, size: 3.5× 4.5
    • If you are invited to Republic of Croatia by private or legal person
      • Original guarantee letter from the inviter,
        • or copy of it, if the original is deposited to the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Croatia
    • Proof of Paid Accommodation (Hotel, apartment, etc.)
    • Letter of employment specifying the applicant’s type of work or position in the company, his salary, length of employment and days of vacation granted as well as guaranteeing that he/she will keep his/her post after returning from Croatia (in English)
      • Officials (holders of ordinary passports, not diplomatic or service): act of appointment or certificate of tenure and last payslip ;
      • Employees: certificate of employment or recent employment contract + payslips for the last three months, certificate of affiliation to Tamin-e Ejtemaei (Social Security Organisation), Khadamat-e Darmani (Health Services Organisation) or equivalent, or letter of the employer explaining why this certificate is missing;
      • Traders: proof of entry in the trade register (e.g. trade licence or declaration from official trade organisation) and proof of membership of Tamin-e Ejtemaei (Social Security Organisation), Khadamat-e Darmani (Health Services Organisation) or equivalent, if applicable;
      • Directors or shareholders of Iranian companies: introduction letter signed by a legal representative of the company confirming the office or status of the applicant; proof of existence of the company in Iran (e.g. notice published on the Official Journal); proof of appointment if not mentioned on the Official Journal;
      • Artists: proof of membership to one of the artist's official professional associations (e.g. House of Cinema, House of Photography, etc.) and/or proof of previous engagement in professional artistic activity (exhibitions, festivals, etc.) and certificate of affiliation to Tamin-e Ejtemaei (Social Security Organisation), Khadamat-e Darmani (Health Services Organisation) or equivalent, if applicable;
      • Pensioners: proof of receipt of a retirement pension;
      • Students or minors: evidence of the parents’ social or employment status and, where applicable, school/university attendance certificate
    • A letter from the applicant’s bank, and bank statement, specifying the amount of money held in the account, type of account and date it was opened and account turnover for the last six months (in English)
    • Proof of ownership of property in Iran, if applicable (in English)
    • Health travel insurance, with territorial validity for Republic of Croatia, valid for the whole duration of the applicant’s stay in Republic of Croatia, covering medical expenses in the amount of thirty thousand Euros
    • Tow wayticket reservation
  • Applicants are required to pay consular fee (80 Euros in cash), when lodging the request for visa. It is advisable to bring the exact amount.
  • Each applicant must have 70 Euros or the equivalent in his bank account for traveling to Republic of Croatia per day.
  • For minors and persons deprived of legal capacity: visa application shall be submitted by a parent/legal representative, including:
  • birth certificate of the minor (if parents are legal guardians)
  • decision of the competent body designating the legal guardian
  • If a minor is traveling without a parent/legal guardian, (s)he must carry a notarized consent of a legal guardian that shall contain personal information of the parent/legal guardian and the purpose, the period and length of stay in Croatia, the period for which the consent is issued, and the signature of the parent/legal guardian.
  • The date of travel must match the date of ticket reservation, hotel reservation, guarantee letter, and duration of travel insurance.
  • Visa processing time is usually up to 15 days.
  • Applicants cannot apply earlier than three months before the intended date of their trip.
  • Please fill out the visa application form online at https://crovisa.mvep.hr/default.aspx?langId=en
    Printed and filled out application form along with other required documents should be submitted to the Embassy.
 
How to prove the purpose of stay:
*If the visit is tourism, the applicant must submit an accommodation reservation or a tourist voucher (only a reservation/voucher in the applicant’s name is acceptable - therefore, if somebody else booked accommodation in applicants name he/she should contact provider of accommodation to provide them with appropriate confirmation of accommodation with visa applicants name clearly stated)! For applicants who have private accommodation booking, a copy of the Decision of the relevant office in Croatia in Croatian language, proving the legal right to rent out the property, has to be enclosed as well (applicant has to request this from the provider of the accommodation).
*If the visit is private (visiting friends and family), the applicant must submit an original letter of guarantee of a private person (Please advise your host/guarantee to find forms and more information at: https://mvep.gov.hr/en/consular-information/visas/issuance-procedure/letter-of-guarantee/  and https://mvep.gov.hr/UserDocsImages/files/file/obrasci/JamstvenoPismoFizickaOsoba.pdf   ) from the person he/she is visiting in Croatia (notarized by a public notary in Croatia). Please find more information at https://mvep.gov.hr/en/consular-information/visas/
*If the visit is business related, the applicant must submit an original letter of guarantee of a legal person - from the company he/she is visiting in Croatia (notarized with a signature of the legal person) - Please advise your host/guarantee to find forms and more information at https://mvep.gov.hr/en/consular-information/visas/issuance-procedure/letter-of-guarantee/ and https://mvep.gov.hr/UserDocsImages/files/file/obrasci/JamstvenoPismoPravnaOsoba.pdf
If one is just TRANSITING through Croatia, the applicant must submit along with the application form, photo, valid travel document/passport (the period of validity of the travel document should exceed that of the visa by at least three months, must include at least two empty pages, and must have been issued in the preceding 10 years), valid residency permit, travel ticket and a visa or another proof that one is not required for entering the third country.

PLEASE NOTE:
Applicants must provide copies of all submitted documents.
THE EMBASSY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REQUEST ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS WHILE DECIDING ON A VISA APPLICATION RELATED TO EACH REQUEST SUBMITTED BY AN APPLICANT. 
The submission of all required documents does not automatically grant the visa.
The issuance of a visa does not necessarily guarantee the entry into the Croatian territory.

VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION
EXEMPTIONS FROM VISA REQUIREMENT:
  1. Foreigners who are holders of a valid:
- long-stay visa (D) with validity exceeding three months issued by one of the Schengen Area member states;
- residence permit issued by one of the Schengen Area member states;  
The passport and the Schengen visa/residence permit must be valid at the moment of entering, during the stay, and at the moment of leaving Croatia (a C02 visa is not considered valid if both of the entries into the Schengen Area are used before entering Croatia). The passport must also be valid for at least 3 months after the planned departure from Croatia.
  1. Holders of EEA family member residence CARD/permit issued by a member state of the EU are exempt from visa requirements when they are travelling together with family members or are joining each other in or out of the country. UK is no longer a member of the EU and therefore holders of residence permits issued to EEA family members issued by UK authority are no longer exempt from visa requirement.
  2. Holders of travel documents for refugees issued by signatory states to the Geneva Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees of 28 July 1951 and Stateless persons – New York 28/09/1954 issued in EEA member states, the recognised refugees and stateless persons and other persons who do not hold the nationality of any country and reside in the United Kingdom and are the holders of a travel document issued by the United Kingdom, do not require a visa to enter the Republic of Croatia and to stay for up to 90 days in any 180-day period or to transit through the territory of the Republic of Croatia during its validity. Please note that only holders of Certificate of travel issued by the UK need a visa for entering Republic of Croatia.
 
*ADDITIONAL INFORMATION for applicants who are family members of a CROATIAN or EU/EEA/CH nationals and who do not hold an EEA family member residence card/permit issued by a member state of the EU– visa is required! UK is no longer a member state of the EU.
If you are a family member of a Croatian or EU/EEA/CH national, who is not a holder of an EEA family residence card/permit issued by a member state of the EU (and you hold for eg. UK residence permit for EEA family member) travelling to the Republic of Croatia together or joining each other, the following documents and their copies are required:
1. Visa Application Form as explained above,
2. A valid travel document with at least two blank pages, not older than 10 years and valid not less than three months after the planned visit,
3. Residence permit or visa or other proof of legal residence in the country where applying for a Croatian visa. UK residence permit must be valid for at least 1 month after the departure from Croatia or if it is expiring while in Croatia, one must present valid travel ticket to the country of origin,
4. A colour photograph (35 x 45 mm),
5. Marriage certificate/civil partnership/birth certificate (if your marriage certificate is issued by a non-UK or non EU country certified copy by the Embassy of the respected country Apostille stamp of the respected country with translation to Croatian or English language may be required),
6. Passport of EEA family member (or Croatian family member)
Applicants must provide copies of all submitted documents.
The visa in this case will be issued free of charge IF YOU ARE TRAVELING TOGETHER ONLY.

PROCESSING TIME AND COLLECTION
Regular processing time: up to 15 days (exceptionally 30 to 60 days or more);
Collection of passports with visas is possible on the date specified by the instructions of the official who received the application. If there is a problem with the application, you will receive phone call or an e-mail by the official with detailed instructions on how to proceed.
If the applicant provides an addressed and prepaid Special delivery envelope, the passport can be returned by post in which case the Embassy is not responsible for this passport including the time frame of delivery/ mistakes made by the mail carrier/ loss of passport. The Embassy does not provide tracking service in this case. Please, make sure your prepaid envelope covers the weight of your passport and that you have stated your name, surname and the address correctly on the envelope.

APPEAL
If the visa has been refused or already issued visa has been annulled or revoked, applicants receive a notification on refusal, annulment or revocation of a visa. Applicants may appeal against the Decision on refusal, annulment or revocation of visa through the responsible Embassy/Consulate of the Republic of Croatia, within the period of 15 days from the date of receipt of the decision. Appeal shall be submitted in written, in Croatian language. If the applicant lodges the appeal in another language, he/she must submit an official translation thereof. Division for Visas of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs decides on the appeals within 60 days from the date of receipt.
Additional information: konzteh@mvep.hr