ETIAS and Croatia

13th April 2026

ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation Service) is an e-visa waiver that will be required by all travellers from certain (visa-exempt) countries when visiting the EU. Much like the ESTA scheme for travelling to the U.S., travellers will be required to obtain an ETIAS before travel.

Originally intended to be launched in the latter half of 2023, then 2024 and then 2025, the visa scheme has now been pushed back to the last quarter of 2026. (Read the latest news on the European Union website.) Although there’s still no confirmed launch date as yet, it’s important to be aware that this scheme is on the cards. So what do you need to know about ETIAS and Croatia?

Who will need to apply for an ETIAS?

If you are an EU citizen or passport holder, you do not need an ETIAS. You can freely travel to Croatia and within the rest of the EU without any restrictions on your movements or the length of time you can stay. (Lucky you!)

If you are travelling from certain countries which are visa-exempt when it comes to visiting the EU – such as the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Bosnia & Hercegovina, Serbia, Ukraine, Israel, Panama, Mexico, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, Colombia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and Taiwan – then an ETIAS will be for you. An ETIAS will be mandatory, and you will need to obtain one before travel.

If you need to obtain a visa for Croatia (you can check on the Croatian Ministry of Foreign Affairs website), an ETIAS is not relevant for you, as you will instead need to obtain a Schengen visa. Find out more about this on our Visa Requirements for Croatia page.

What’s the point of the ETIAS scheme?!

Much like the ESTA travel authorisation scheme in place for visiting the U.S., ETIAS will mean that travellers are pre-screened before entering the EU. This should help improve security across the bloc’s borders as your details will be held on an EU security database. However, an ETIAS will not guarantee entry to the EU, and you will still need to go through border checks as normal upon arrival.

Travellers holding an ETIAS will still only be able to visit Croatia/the rest of the EU for 90 days in any 180-day period.

How long will an ETIAS last?

An ETIAS will last for three years. You will need to apply for a new version each time your existing ETIAS expires. (Or if your passport expires in the meantime.)

Is the same thing as the EES?

No. EES (Entry/Exit System) is something that is now in full operation – as of April 2026 – at EU/Schengen borders. EES requires non-EU travellers to have their photo and fingerprints taken at passport control. You can find out more here: The new Entry/Exit System (EES) and Croatia.

As an EU member country (since 2013!), an ETIAS will absolutely be required to visit Croatia once the scheme is up and running.

Applying for an ETIAS travel authorisation

Applications for ETIAS will be made online on the official website or the official app. Neither of these is in operation yet.

An ETIAS is expected to cost €7, and payment must be made when applying. (Travellers under the age of 18 or over the age of 70 will be exempt from this fee.)

NOTE: as ETIAS is not yet in operation, you do not need to currently apply for this travel authorisation. Once ETIAS is up and running, do make sure that you apply for it from an official source only!