Croatia has been in Schengen since 1 January 2023, so your 90 days are shared with the rest of Europe. The land borders with Bosnia and Montenegro are external Schengen borders and now take your fingerprints.
- Croatia has been in Schengen since 1 January 2023, so your 90 days in any 180 are shared with the rest of Europe - time in Italy, Austria or Slovenia counts against the same allowance.
- Bosnia, Montenegro and Serbia are outside Schengen. Days there do not count, but every crossing back into Croatia is an external border crossing.
- The Entry/Exit System has been live since 10 April 2026: facial image and fingerprints on your first crossing, and no more passport stamps to count.
- Land crossings from Bosnia and Montenegro are where you feel it - allow well over an hour at Karasovici or Nova Sela on a summer weekend.
- ETIAS is not running. The Q4 2026 target was withdrawn in July 2026, so guidance telling you to apply this autumn is out of date; it will cost EUR 20 when it launches.
Schengen since 2023
Croatia joined the Schengen area on 1 January 2023, the same day it adopted the euro, and that changed the arithmetic of a Balkan trip.
- 90 days in any rolling 180 days, counted across the whole Schengen area, not per country.
- Time in Italy, Austria, Germany or Slovenia counts against the same allowance.
- Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia are outside Schengen. Days there do not count, but each crossing back into Croatia is an external border crossing.
- The Neum corridor is the odd one out. The coast road from Split to Dubrovnik passes through 9 km of Bosnia, so you leave and re-enter Schengen twice. The Peljesac Bridge avoids it entirely and most traffic now uses the bridge.
No stamps since April 2026
The Entry/Exit System has been fully operational since 10 April 2026.
- Your facial image and fingerprints are recorded on your first crossing, and children under 12 give no fingerprints.
- Manual passport stamping has ended. There is nothing to count in your passport now.
- Land crossings from Bosnia and Montenegro are where you will feel this, especially in August. Allow well over an hour at Karasovici or Nova Sela on a summer weekend.
- Keep your own note of entry and exit dates, because the database is now the only record and you cannot see it.
ETIAS is not running
- The official EU site says ETIAS is not in operation and no applications are being collected.
- The Q4 2026 target was withdrawn in July 2026, so guidance telling you to apply this autumn is out of date.
- It will cost EUR 20 when it eventually launches, for visa-free visitors aged 18 to 70.
Where your nationality lands
| You hold | What you need |
|---|---|
| Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Poland | Nothing. Free movement, no day limit |
| USA, Canada, Australia, UK, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan | No visa. 90 days in any 180 |
| China, India, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Cambodia | Schengen visa in advance |
- The Schengen visa fee rose to EUR 90 on 11 June 2026.
- Apply to Croatia if it is your main destination. Croatian consulates issue standard Schengen visas valid across the area.
- Russian applicants in Russia are now issued single-entry visas as a rule, following the Commission's decision of 7 November 2025.
- A national ID card is enough for EU citizens. Everyone else needs a passport valid 3 months beyond departure and issued within the last 10 years.
Arriving by boat
- Yachts must clear in at a port of entry and the skipper reports crew and guests. This is enforced.
- Cruise passengers are processed as a group and the ship handles the paperwork.
- The ferry from Italy counts as an internal Schengen crossing, so it is straightforward.
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