Croatia has clarified its rules on how long British nationals can visit the country without a visa. The visa-free travel rules will affect those planning a long summer break in Croatia.
Scots are permitted to travel visa-free in Croatia for a total of 90 days within a period of 180-days. All holidaymakers must have their passports stamped on entry and exit from the country to ensure they have not outstayed their visa-free quota.
Croatia is not yet part of the Schengen Area, but it has now imposed similar visa rules. This means that the days you spend in Croatia do not count towards your 90-day visa-free limit for Schengen countries.
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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.”
The country fully reopened to holidaymakers in April when it became one of the first European countries to remove all Covid-19 entry restrictions. But there are several passport rules that British citizens must be aware of ahead of time when visiting Croatia.
Croatia applies standard EU passport rules for UK citizens, this means that to enter Croatia you must have a passport issued less than ten years before the date you arrive. Passports issued before October 1, 2018, may have had extra months added to their expiry dates, the Foreign Office warns.
Additionally, your passport must be valid for at least three months after the day you plan to leave Croatia, the Foreign Office’s travel advice states . Check your passport's expiry date.
What is the Schengen Area?
The Schengen Area is an area of unrestricted travel between 26 countries in Europe, with ‘no border-control’. 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 Scots do not 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 that have applied to join the Schengen Area include Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus and Romania. Different rules may apply in these countries.
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