Croatia fully reopened to tourists earlier this year when it became one of the first European countries to remove all Covid-19 entry restrictions. However, as Brits flock to the popular holiday destination, Croatia changed its rules on British nationals visiting without a visa.
Brits are now only permitted to travel in Croatia for 90 days without a visa. Croatia is not part of the Schengen area but applies a similar rule on visas.
Travellers without a visa must not spend more than 90 days in Croatia within a 180-day period. However, as Croatia is not yet part of the Schengen area the days you spend in Croatia do not count towards your 90-day visa-free limit for Schengen countries.
The Foreign Office’s latest travel advice for Croatia states: “Croatia is not part of the Schengen area, but does apply Schengen rules of entry. If you have been banned from entering Schengen countries, you will not be allowed to enter Croatia.
“Visits to other EU or Schengen countries do not count towards your 90-day visa-free limit in Croatia. Visits to Croatia do not count towards your 90-day visa-free limit in the Schengen area.
“You can travel to Croatia for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa. This applies if you travel as a tourist, to visit family or friends, to attend business meetings, cultural or sports events, or for short-term studies or training.”
Brits visiting Croatia must have their passports stamped on arrival and leaving the country. This is so border guards can check you have not outstayed the 90-day visa-free limit for short stays in Croatia.
Holidaymakers must also check that their passports are less than 10 years old before entering Croatia. Your passport must have been issued less than 10 years before the date you arrive in Croatia, check your passport's 'date of issue'.
Passports issued before October 1, 2018, may have had extra months added to their expiry dates, the Foreign Office warns. So be sure to double-check your passport's date of issue, rather than the expiry date, when checking this.
Your passport must also be valid for at least three months after the day you plan to leave, the Foreign Office’s travel advice states. Check the expiry date of your passport before booking travel.
What is the Schengen Area?
The Schengen Area is an area of border-control-free unrestricted travel between 26 countries in Europe. The UK has never been part of the Schengen Agreement, however, British citizens are allowed to travel freely within the area as they are covered by a Schengen visa waiver.
This means that British citizens don’t need to apply for a visa to visit Schengen countries for periods of up to 90 days in 180-days. They may travel for tourism or limited business activities.
There are currently 26 countries in the Schengen Area: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
Countries applying to join the Schengen area include Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus and Romania. Different rules may apply in these countries.
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