Reader Comment on Extended Tourist Stays in Croatia

Now that Croatia has joined the Schengen Zone, visitors are limited to staying 90 days in any 180-day period in the country and the rest of the Zone combined – which makes it harder to travellers to easily stay in Croatia and this part of Europe for longer periods of time. We were recently contacted by one of our readers regarding extended tourist stays in Croatia – who had the following to say:

Extended Tourist Stays in Croatia – Is The Tourism Ministry Missing a Trick?

Since the UK controversially left the EU, those British citizens who have cruising boats and holiday homes in Croatia have faced a problem. Like other third country nationals, their stay is limited to 90 days in 180 on a rolling basis. British subjects don’t need a visa to visit Croatia but, to extend their stay, they need to apply for a permit to cover any additional weeks. For a stay of more than 90 days each applicant must have a certificate to demonstrate they have no criminal convictions and proof of financial independence. That might seem reasonable, but the bureaucracy is anything but clear.

Enquiries made to the Croatian Embassy in London are simply referred to the Ministry of the Interior which responds by referring people to lengthy legislative documents in the Croatian language. Google Translate can help of course but, for a nation that relies heavily on income from tourists, and has policy to broaden the tourist season, couldn’t the procedure be made simpler and clearer?

It does seem odd that a person with criminal convictions can visit Croatia for up to 90 days but those who have invested in property in the country and are happy to contribute to the Croatian economy for the duration of an extended summer season are required to prove otherwise. A clear statement of requirements for applying for an extended tourist permit from the Ministry of Tourism, and an explanation of the procedure in English would be most welcome and could encourage more longer term tourists to visit the country. Will it happen?

Have you encountered the same problem? What are your thoughts? Leave your comments below!