Long Stay Visas for Croatia: A Complete Guide

Are you preparing to spend multiple months in Croatia? Or are you still in the fact-finding stage?

Either way, there are a lot of things to learn about how to make your Croatian-hopes come to fruition - and one of those things is visas.

To spend multiple months in Croatia, most travelers will need to apply for a long stay visa. But who needs one? Which one should you apply for? And how exactly do you do that?

In this complete guide, we will give you all of the relevant information you need to confidently take the next step in your journey to this coastal European country.

Do I need a long stay visa for Croatia?

For many non-EU or non-Schengen citizens, staying in Croatia for more than 90 days requires obtaining a long stay visa. Typically, these visas allow you to reside in the country for up to 6 months, but there are some exceptions depending on the visa type/purpose of your trip.

If you are NOT an EU/Schengen country citizen AND are planning to spend more than 90 days in Croatia, you likely need a long stay visa.

While anyone can apply for a Croatian visa, generally speaking, there are some eligibility requirements you need to meet.

What are the requirements for Croatian long stay visas?

Croatian visa authorities look at a few key requirements during the visa application process. They include:

• Financial stability: It's required to demonstrate that you have sufficient funds to support yourself throughout your stay. You may see this listed as "evidence of means of travel." What the Croatian authorities are looking for is proof that you can sustain yourself financially while you're on Croatian soil.
• Purpose of stay: Whether you’re traveling for school, work, family reunification, or to embrace the digital nomad lifestyle (yes, Croatia offers the prized digital nomad visa), you’ll need to provide documentation that clearly outlines your reason for being in Croatia.
• Supporting Documentation: Alongside financial evidence, you will need to present several other documents (detailed in the next section).

It’s essential to gather and organize these documents carefully, as the Croatian Embassy/Consulate requires them.

General long stay visa requirements for Croatia

While the details listed above are some of the requirements you'll need to meet in order to obtain a Croatian long stay visa, they aren't the only documents you will need to provide. When preparing your visa application, make sure you have the following documents ready:

• Valid passport/travel document: Your passport must have been issued within the last 10 years, contain at least two unused pages, and remain valid for at least three months beyond your planned departure from Croatia.
• Recent color photograph: A passport-sized photo (in color) taken within the last few months. It must be ICAO compliant.
• Travel medical insurance: Proof of coverage for your first 30 days in Croatia. It must include emergency medical, hospitalization, and repatriation. It must also be valid for the entire Schengen area with a minimum of €30,000 in emergency medical coverage. This is similar to Schengen visa travel insurance requirements.
• Proof of financial means. As mentioned above, showing that you can financially sustain yourself for the duration of your visit is mandatory.
• A completed and signed visa application form: This form can be found online (for free) and downloaded.
• Biometric Data: Typically, a collection of fingerprints will be required during your in-person appointment. Make sure you download the official form by making sure you get it from the official Croatian Embassy or a partnering visa processor (such as VFS Global)
• Proof of payment: Confirmation that you have paid the required processing fee and any relevant service fees.

Other documents may be required depending on which visa you're applying for and what you plan to do while in Croatia. If you intend to go to Croatia to immigrate, there will be additional processes on top of the long stay visa one.

Types of long stay visas for Croatia

There are a few different types of long stay visas for Croatia, and which one you need depends on why you're spending time there.

One helpful thing to note is that you might also see long stay visas for Croatia referred to as national visas, Croatian visas, or Type D visas. While the terminology can differ, they all refer to the same thing.

You can find the most common categories below.

• Study abroad
• Secondary school education
• Research
• Family reunification (joining a family member/spouse overseas)
• A lifetime partnership
• Work
• Digital nomad

It's important that you apply for the visa that most accurately fits your purpose for traveling to Croatia.

How to apply for a Croatian long stay visa

Regardless of which long stay visa you need for your extended stay in Croatia, there is a general process that you will need to follow in order to apply.

Typically, the steps are as follows:

• Figure out which visa you need: Whether you're heading to Croatia to work, study, or reunite with a loved one, you need to know which long stay visa pertains to you.
• Review the visa application requirements: Carefully check that you meet all the necessary financial and documentary criteria. You can find lists of the exact requirements on the Croatian Embassy's official site. Always check with the Embassy for the most accurate and up-to-date information when it comes to visas, entry requirements, and immigration.
• Gather your documents: Your visa application includes an application form and a number of other documents (as we talked about above). In order to apply for your visa, you will need to have all of the documents in the requested formats. This includes originals and sometimes photocopies, too.
• Schedule an appointment: Currently, in-person appointments are mandatory for all Croatia long stay visa applicants. Your appointment must be scheduled in advance and take place at a partnering visa application center or a Croatian consulate/Embassy. Which one you go to is up to the Croatian authorities in your country of residence. This is also of note: you must attend the appointment in your current country of residence.
• Go to your visa appointment: Bring all the required documents and be prepared for biometric data collection (fingerprints) during your in-person appointment. At this appointment, a visa attendant will go through your documents to make sure you have all of the required papers in all of the requested formats.
• Submit your long stay visa application: Complete the process by submitting your application at the appointment and waiting for the final decision!

Though the process may seem overwhelming at first, being well-prepared with the right information will make your journey toward applying for a Croatian long stay visa much smoother.