How to obtain a Croatia Tourist Visa for Indians
Introduction
As most of you maybe aware, Croatia is a country in South East Europe. It is popular for it's beautiful coastline. Croatia has recently caught the fancy of many travellers as it is home to shooting location for the popular TV series "Game of thrones".
All Indian passport holders require a pre-approved visa to enter Croatia. Please note that Croatia although in Europe is not party to the Schengen Agreement. One has to apply for a separate visa through the Croatian Embassy.
That said, all Indian passport holders who hold a multiple entry Schengen Visa (valid during intended period of stay in Croatia) are permitted to enter Croatia without a separate visa.
You can find confirmation for the above on the official website of Croatian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Here is the complete step by step process for applying for a Croatia Visa for Indians.
Documents Required
- Visa Application form.
- Original Passport
- Should be issued in the past 3 years
- Should have a validity of at least 6 months from date of expiry of the visa (safer to have 6 months)
- Should have at least 2 blank pages
- Passport Size Photograph (1 no):
- In Colour
- 35 x 45 mm
- Should have a light background
- See full specifications here
- Travel Health Insurance from reputed insurers (same as specified for Schengen Visa)
- Covering Letter
- Indicate purpose of visit
- Provide details of past travel history
- Provide detailed travel itinerary
- Proof of Outward Journey:
- Return Ticket to India/ Return ticket to travel to a third country with visa for the said country.
- Proof of accommodation in Croatia:
- Copy of booking from a reputed site
- Proof of Funds:
- Past three months bank statement: Signed and stamped by authorized official of bank
- Past three months statement of International Credit Card
- Past three years' Income tax return
- Proof of Socio-Professional Situation:
- Leave Letter from Employer:
- Should indicate period of service
- Should be on official letter head
- Salary slip for past three months
- None of the documents submitted shall be older that 6 months
Visa Expenses
- Visa Application Fee: 60 Euros (approx. Rs. 5,000).
- Service Charges of Agent (if applicable): Rs 1,667.
- Total Expenses: Rs. 6,667.
Validity
- Validity: Subjective depending on intended period of stay and decision of embassy.
- Permitted Stay: 90 days within any 180 day period.
Step 1: Fill up the Application Form
There are 2 ways to fill up the application
- Download the application form, and fill it in writing
- Fill up the application form online and take a printout
Step 2: Submission of the Application
You can submit the application:
- Through Authorized Agent (VFS)
- Through Embassy/ Consulate: New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata
Here is the complete procedure for submission through Authorized Agent
-
Schedule an appointment online at a center near you.
- Submit the application form along with required documents and pay the visa fee
- Caution:
- You may be asked for additional documents in rare scenarios. This depends on the center you are making the submission at. Keep old passports handy in case they ask for the same.
- Carry the visa fee in cash as many a times, the electronics payment mechanism may fail.
- Once the submission is made, the center will send your application to the nearest embassy for processing.
- If the visa is approved, you should receive your passport along with the stamped visa within a week. However, the official stated time for processing the visa is 15 calendar days.
- In rare cases, you may be asked to attend an interview at the Embassy before applying the Visa.
The process is very similar for submission thorough embassy. However, Authorized agents are usually more efficient at the process.
Well there you have it. The complete procedure for getting a Croatian Visa.
Do check out our other posts on planning Euro Trips.
Smooth Travels!
The above information is updated periodically based on on-ground practical information received from travelers of the BorderTribe community.
