1st January 2023 - Croatia and the EU
On 1 January 2023, as well as adopting the Euro as its currency, Croatia joined the EU’s border-free Schengen zone.
Croatia’s entry into the Schengen zone is expected to boost its tourism industry, which accounts for 20% of its GDP and welcomes millions of visitors each year.
The UK Government website advises:
If you are travelling to Croatia and other Schengen countries without a visa, make sure your whole visit is within the 90-day limit. Visits to Schengen countries within the previous 180 days before you travel count towards your 90 days.
If you stay in Croatia with a Croatia residence permit or long-stay visa, this line does not count towards your 90-day visa-free limit for Croatia.
What does joining mean for Croatia?
Taken from expatincroatia.com:
By joining Schengen, the border control between Croatia and other EU member states (Slovenia and Hungary) will be abolished. Border control will remain in place at the external borders with Serbia, Montenegro, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and it will be stricter. Croatians who live in these neighboring countries who hold both Croatian as well as non-EU citizenship will be treated as EU citizens as long as they use their Croatian documents to cross borders.
Once people are controlled at an external border, they can freely travel inside the Schengen without being checked again.
Next up, ETIAs
The new travel authorisation for EU visitors.
Taken from etias.com:
Starting in 2023, the European Commission will roll out a U.S. style electronic travel authorisation system for visitors from countries that are currently not part of the EU. These visitors have been granted visa-free access to the EU and Schengen member countries through virtue of their good track record on security issues and, thus, have not been deemed as a threat to EU security. However, the EU is wanting to strengthen its border security as well as digitally screen and track travellers entering and leaving EU countries.
ETIAS stands for European Travel Information and Authorisation System. The system will check the security credentials and charge a fee to travellers visiting EU member countries for business, tourism, medical or transit purposes.
Update to the Schengen Days App
The Schengen Days EU 90/180 day travel calculator now includes Croatia.
