Other Services
Entry and Residence Requirements
IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING TEMPORARY WORK VISAS IN CROATIA
Croatia has recently enacted changes to its visa law such that families of non-EU nationals in Croatia on temporary work visas will not be able to obtain resident status until the principal applicant has been resident in Croatia for 2 years. This means that family members of U.S. citizens who are working in Croatia will not be able to extend their stay beyond 90 days in a six month period. The law went into effect effective on January 1, 2008.
The U.S. Embassy is seeking further clarification of the implications of the revised law and how Croatia intends to implement it. This information will be updated as it becomes available.
The following is an unofficial summary of key provisions of the new visa law. For the most up-to-date and complete information on entry and residency requirements, contact the Croatian Ministry of Interior or visit the website at www.mup.hr. This website has information in English on obtaining residence and work permits.
Disclaimer: The U.S. Embassy in Croatia takes no responsibility for the accuracy of the information in this guide and recommends that applicants for Croatian visas or residency also contact the nearest Croatian Embassy or Consulate or the Croatian Ministry of the Interior: www.mup.hr.
Short trips for business or tourism. A valid passport is required for travel to Croatia. A visa is not required for U.S. passport holders for temporary tourist and business trips (up to 90 days during a six-month period). All foreign citizens must register with local police within 24 hours of arrival. Foreigners staying in hotels or other accommodations through a rental company are automatically registered by the hotelier or rental company. Foreigners also can register at the local Ministry of Interior (Ministartsvo Unutarnjih Poslova- MUP) office. In Zagreb, that office is located at Petrinjska Street 30. Failure to register is a misdemeanor; violators can be fined.
Temporary residence - U.S. citizens planning to stay in Croatia longer than 90 days within a six-month period, must apply to the Ministry of Interior for a temporary residence permit. Important: THE FIRST TEMPORARY STAY PERMIT must be registered at the Croatian Embassy or Consulate in the U.S. More information is available at: http://www.mup.hr/main.aspx?id-1266
U.S. citizens already in Croatia can apply for temporary residency for humanitarian reasons or reunification of family members with an asylee or participant in a Croatian government-approved science or education program. In these cases, foreigners must must apply in person at the local MUP office and present a copy of their U.S. passport, two photos, a birth certificate with an apostille (click here for information on apostilles), and evidence of health insurance, housing, and adequate funding, along with a criminal history report with apostille. Criminal history reports are required from the country of citizenship or legal permanent residence. U.S. citizens residing in the U.S. should contact their local police or the FBI for a criminal history report prior to departing for Croatia. More information is available at the Department of State website. U.S. citizens already in Croatia can mail their fingerprints with apostille (obtainable at the local police office) to the FBI on Interpol fingerprint cards as long as the fingerprint sample includes rolled fingerprints of all ten fingers as well as press down prints of all fingers excluding thumbs. Fingerprinting service is available from local MUP offices, or contact the main office in Zagreb, Heinzelova 98, tel: 385-1-6333-333. Information on FBI records requests can be found at http://www.fbi.gov/hq/cjisd/fprequest.htm.