Tourist visa for Croatia: documents, fees and steps

Documents requested

Schengen visa application form, completed and signed by the applicantConditions and details
The ministry places the completed and signed form at the top of the basic documents. It can be completed online on the portal crovisa.mvep.hr, then printed and submitted along with the other documents to the competent embassy, consulate or visa application centre.
Passport issued less than 10 years ago, with at least two blank pages, valid for at least three months after the planned exit from the Schengen areaConditions and details
The page sets out three conditions: at least two blank pages for the visa, issuance within the last ten years, and validity exceeding by at least three months the planned date of exit from the Schengen area (for several trips, the exit of the last trip). The original is presented at the time of submission. An applicant who must travel during the examination may collect it immediately after submitting it in person; they submit it again once the visa has been granted, for the sticker to be affixed.
Recent identity photograph complying with ICAO standardsConditions and details
The page requires a recent photograph that complies with ICAO standards. These standards are published in a document of the European Commission; their details are not reproduced here.
Travel medical insurance of at least 30 000 euros, valid throughout the entire Schengen area for the entire duration of the planned stayConditions and details
The insurance covers emergency medical assistance, hospitalisation and repatriation, including in the event of death. It must be valid throughout the entire Schengen area and cover the entire duration of the planned stay. The minimum amount is 30 000 euros.
Proof of payment of the visa feeConditions and details
Proof of payment of the visa fee is one of the basic documents. Where the application is submitted at a VFS Global visa application centre, service fees are added; their amount is not published on the ministry pages consulted.
Supporting documents for the purpose of the tourist stayConditions and details
The page requires documents relating to the purpose of the stay, without detailing them for tourism. It refers to the complete list published by the embassy or consulate and, for certain submission countries, to a harmonised list of supporting documents.
Supporting documents for means of subsistence during the stayConditions and details
The page requires documents relating to means of subsistence. It does not set an amount and does not specify the documents accepted: refer to the list of the competent embassy or consulate.
Supporting documents for means of transport for the journeyThe page requires documents relating to means of travel ("means of travel"), without specifying the expected form. Refer to the list of the competent embassy or consulate.
Proof of the intention to return to the country of origin or of the possibility of entering a third countryConditions and details
The page requires documents establishing the intention to return to the country of origin or the possibility of entering a third country, without listing them. Refer to the list of the competent embassy or consulate.

Depending on your situation

Fingerprints taken when the application is submitted, except for persons who are exempt from this requirementConditions and details
Fingerprints are taken at the time of submission, for identification purposes in the Visa Information System (VIS). According to the page, certain categories of persons are exempt, without these categories being listed: no field in the questionnaire makes it possible to identify them, hence the absence of a condition.
Letter of guarantee from a natural person in Croatia, with certified signature, together with proof of the guarantor's income or fundsConditions and details
According to the page, an applicant on a private visit, invited by a natural person, attaches to the application a letter of guarantee completed by that guarantor, as proof of the purpose of the visit. The guarantor is a Croatian national, or a national of the EEA, Switzerland or a third country admitted to stay in Croatia, who receives income there or has financial means there. He attaches proof of permanent income in Croatia over the last three months (salary or pension certificate) or of funds in the bank. His signature is certified by a notary; if the guarantor is present at the submission, it may be certified by the embassy or consulate (Croatian guarantor) or by the competent authority of the receiving State (other guarantors). The embassy keeps the original; the applicant receives a copy, to be presented at border controls if requested. The ministry recommends using its forms. The condition "accommodation with a private individual" in the questionnaire corresponds here to the private visit on invitation referred to by the page.

Official fees

Short-stay visa (C) fee, identical for the airport transit visa (A); the page also states it as USD 103.82 90 €
In the event of an appeal against a refusal, an annulment or a revocation of the C visa, or against the refusal to extend its duration 130 €

Steps

Verify that Croatia is the main destination (main purpose or longest stay); where durations are equal between several Schengen States, lodge with the one whose external border is crossed first.
Fill in the form on the online portal crovisa.mvep.hr, note the serial number and the PIN, then print the form to hand it in with the other documents.
Lodge the application in person, at the earliest six months and, as a general rule, at the latest 15 calendar days before the start of the planned trip.
When lodging, hand in the signed form and the required documents together with the photograph, then give your fingerprints for the Visa Information System (VIS).
Pay the visa fee at the time of lodging the application.
During the examination, provide the additional information or documents requested and attend the interview if summoned to one.
Wait for the decision: as a general rule 15 calendar days after submission, up to 45 days in the case of an in-depth examination; a prior consultation of other States may add up to seven days for certain nationalities.
When the visa is issued, check the sticker (passport number, period, number of entries, name) and report any error to the embassy or consulate.

Where to apply

Competent embassy or consulate of Croatia, as a general rule the one whose jurisdiction covers the country of the applicant's legal residence
VFS Global visa application centre, in the countries and territories listed by the ministry
Nearest embassy or consulate of Croatia in another country, when there is neither a Croatian representation nor a visa application centre in the country

Good to know

The visa does not guarantee entryConditions and details
The visa does not automatically confer the right to enter Croatia. At the border, information may be requested on means of subsistence, the duration and the purpose of the stay, and entry may still be refused. The ministry recommends carrying copies of the documents submitted with the application.
Declaration to the police when staying outside a hotelConditions and details
Outside a hotel or similar establishment, the traveller has two days after arrival to declare themselves to the police of the place of stay, and again within two days in the event of a change of address. In commercial accommodation, it is the host who declares them within the day following arrival.
Respect the length of stay shown on the stickerConditions and details
The "length of stay" field on the sticker sets the number of days authorised in the Schengen area, counted from entry to exit. Departure must be no later than the "until" date. The ministry warns that an overstay may lead to expulsion and a ban on obtaining a new visa.
Cumulative length of stay in the Schengen areaConditions and details
Time spent in Croatia is added to time spent in the other Schengen States: the stay is limited to 90 days in any 180-day period. The ministry refers to the online tool of the Entry/Exit System (EES) to check the remaining days. VisaGuideline does not calculate this rule or previous stays.
Harmonised lists of supporting documentsConditions and details
When the application is submitted in a third country with a harmonised list of documents for C visas (for example Algeria, Egypt, India, Morocco, Tunisia or Türkiye), the ministry recommends consulting it so as not to forget a document. The complete list is also published on the website of the embassy or consulate.
Where to take out travel medical insuranceConditions and details
The insurance is taken out with an insurer in the country of residence or, if that is not possible, in another country. The natural or legal person inviting the applicant to Croatia may take it out for them with a Croatian insurer. For a multiple-entry visa, the required cover applies to the first stay.
Appeal in the event of refusalConditions and details
A refusal, annulment or revocation of a visa may be the subject of a written appeal, lodged with the embassy or consulate within 15 days of receipt of the decision. It is drafted in Croatian, or accompanied by an official translation; English is accepted only exceptionally. It bears the applicant's handwritten signature. The visa service decides within 60 days; an appeal to the administrative court is then possible within 30 days.
Visa extension during the stayConditions and details
Extension is possible only for force majeure or humanitarian reasons (free of charge), or for serious personal reasons (fee of 30 euros). It is requested from a police directorate or police station before the expiry of the visa or of the duration of stay. Even if extended, the stay may not exceed 90 days in 180 days.
Visa issued at the border: an exceptionConditions and details
By way of exception, a short-stay visa may be issued by the border police station when the person was unable to apply for it in advance and provides justification of unforeseeable and imperative reasons. This is not an ordinary route for submission.
Take public holidays into accountConditions and details
The ministry recommends taking into account, for submission, the public holidays of the Schengen State of destination and of the country of submission. Holders of a multiple-entry visa valid for at least six months may apply for a new visa before the expiry of the previous one.

Nationalities covered

This procedure applies to 104 nationalities.

Afghanistan
Algeria
Angola
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Belarus
Belize
Benin
Bhutan
Bolivia
Botswana
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cambodia
Cameroon
Cape Verde
Central African Republic
Chad
China
Comoros
Congo
Côte d'Ivoire
Cuba
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Djibouti
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Egypt
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Eswatini
Ethiopia
Fiji
Gabon
Gambia
Ghana
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Guyana
Haiti
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Jamaica
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Lebanon
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Madagascar
Malawi
Maldives
Mali
Mauritania
Mongolia
Morocco
Mozambique
Myanmar
Namibia
Nepal
Niger
Nigeria
North Korea
Oman
Pakistan
Palestine
Papua New Guinea
Philippines
Qatar
Russia
Rwanda
São Tomé and Príncipe
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Sierra Leone
Somalia
South Africa
South Sudan
Sri Lanka
Sudan
Suriname
Syria
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Thailand
Togo
Tunisia
Türkiye
Turkmenistan
Uganda
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Vietnam
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe

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