Croatia student visa and temporary stay for studies

Temporary stay for studies is granted to a third-country national who studies at a higher education institution in Croatia at undergraduate, graduate or postgraduate level and meets the general conditions for temporary stay: a clear purpose, a passport valid at least three months beyond the requested stay, means of support, health insurance, no criminal convictions in the home country or a country of residence of more than one year, and no entry ban or Schengen alert.

Secondary school pupils follow a separate purpose, temporary stay for secondary education, which requires enrolment, a recognised exchange programme or ministry approval, parental consent and a host organisation that takes responsibility for the pupil.

The application is made on Form 1a with a 30 x 35 mm colour photo. Foreign documents must be originals or certified copies, not older than six months, legalised as required and accompanied by a certified Croatian translation, or an English one if there is no Croatian court interpreter in the country where you apply.

Nationals who need a visa add Form 18a for a first temporary stay: a certificate of health and vaccination status completed and stamped by a doctor in the home country, not older than 90 days when the application is lodged.

As a rule the application is lodged at a Croatian embassy or consulate before travelling. University students are one of the groups that may apply at the police administration or police station for their intended address in Croatia even if they need a visa, for example after entering on a short-stay visa; they may then remain in Croatia until the decision becomes enforceable if they applied before their short stay ended.

If the stay is approved while you are abroad, you request a D visa at the competent Croatian mission or VFS centre between two months before and two months after the start of the permit. For university studies the D visa is free of charge. The D visa is valid for up to six months and allows 30 days in Croatia, during which you register your address and give biometric data for the residence card.

Register your residence address at the police; the Croatian-language MUP page sets 15 days from entry, and temporary stay is withdrawn if the address is not registered within 30 days of the start of the permit, or six months where a D visa is needed. The biometric residence card costs EUR 31.85 (EUR 59.73 in the accelerated procedure) and is collected in person.

When the permit is issued for the whole programme, you must send the police a certificate of enrolment for the current academic year by 31 October each year. You may work up to 25 hours a week through student work, employment or self-employment; internships that are part of the curriculum are not limited. Students under EU or multilateral mobility programmes receive permits of up to two years, and students already admitted in another EEA state under such a programme may study in Croatia for up to 360 days without a Croatian permit after notifying the police.

Apply to extend the stay at the police administration for your address no later than 60 days before it expires. Visa-regime nationals who have lived in Croatia for less than three years attach a medical check from a county public health institute, not older than 90 days. A permit of one year or less is withdrawn if you spend more than 90 days abroad in total or more than 30 days at once, unless you are abroad on an EU mobility scheme or you informed the police of a justified absence of up to 90 days beforehand.