Quick answer
Croatia has been in Schengen since January 2023, so Indians need a Schengen visa, lodged through VFS Global and decided by the Croatian Embassy in New Delhi. The fee is EUR 90 (about ₹9,200) plus VFS charges. Apply to Croatia when it is your longest stay, and ask for multiple entry if Dubrovnik day trips include Montenegro or Bosnia.
At a glance
- Visa type
- Schengen short-stay visa (Type C) issued by Croatia
- Stay allowed
- Up to 90 days in any 180-day period
- Fee
- EUR 90 (about ₹9,200) per adult, EUR 45 (about ₹4,600) for children aged 6–11, plus a VFS Global service charge
- Processing
- About 15 calendar days; plan 6–8 weeks from booking a slot for June–August
- Validity
- As issued: ask for multiple entry if you will visit Montenegro or Bosnia
- Apply at
- Official portal
Documents checklist
- Schengen application form, completed and signed
- Passport issued within 10 years, valid 3 months beyond return, plus old passports
- Two 35 x 45 mm photographs on a white background
- Cover letter and day-by-day itinerary, including island ferries and any non-Schengen day trips
- Bank statements for the last 3–6 months, stamped
- ITR acknowledgements for the last 2–3 years
- Leave letter and last 3 salary slips, or GST and business records
- Hotel bookings for every night and a refundable flight reservation
- Travel insurance with at least EUR 30,000 medical cover for all Schengen states
- Copies of previous Schengen, UK or US visas
Common mistakes that get Indians refused
- Booking Kotor or Mostar day trips on a single-entry visa; leaving Schengen uses your only entry.
- Leaving summer applications late. Croatia is a smaller mission and June–August slots run out.
- Ferry-based island itineraries with dates that don't match the summer timetable.
- Applying to Croatia when Slovenia or Venice gets more nights on a combined trip.
Croatia has been Schengen since 2023
Croatia joined the Schengen area on 1 January 2023 and adopted the euro the same day. Before that, Indians could visit Croatia on a valid Schengen visa without a separate Croatian visa. Now Croatia simply is Schengen: a Croatian-issued Schengen visa covers all 29 countries, and the common rules are on our Schengen visa guide.
When is Croatia the right country?
Apply to Croatia when it is your longest stay. Dubrovnik, Split, Hvar and the Plitvice Lakes easily fill a week. Croatia is often combined with Slovenia (Lake Bled and Ljubljana) or with Venice, so count nights before booking.
Who handles Croatian visas in India?
Applications are decided by the Embassy of Croatia in New Delhi and lodged through VFS Global visa application centres in major Indian cities. Book only on the official VFS website. Croatia is a smaller mission than France or Germany, so in the June–August peak it can run short of slots. Apply as soon as you are inside the six-month window.
The day-trip trap: Montenegro and Bosnia
Dubrovnik is a short drive from Kotor in Montenegro and Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and many tours sell these as day trips. Both countries are outside Schengen. Leaving to visit them uses an exit, and coming back needs another entry, so you must ask for a multiple-entry visa and show the day trips in your itinerary. Check each country's own rules for Indian visitors holding Schengen visas before you book the excursion.
Ferries and islands
Island-hopping between Split, Hvar, Brac and Korcula runs on ferry and catamaran timetables that thin out sharply from October. Put the ferry legs in your itinerary with dates that match the published season.
Documents that decide the outcome
Bring three to six months of stamped bank statements, ITRs for two to three years, a leave letter and salary slips (or GST and business records), a day-by-day itinerary, hotel bookings for every night, a refundable flight reservation and insurance covering at least EUR 30,000 in all Schengen states. Copies of previous Schengen, UK or US visas help.
Processing is usually about 15 calendar days, but in summer plan six to eight weeks from booking a slot to having your passport back.
May, June and September give warm sea days with fewer cruise crowds in Dubrovnik than July and August. Our visa assistance team prepares Croatian files and cover letters, and we arrange Schengen-compliant travel insurance. For packaged trips, see our international tour packages.
Frequently asked questions
Do Indians need a separate visa for Croatia?
Can I visit Montenegro or Bosnia from Dubrovnik on a Schengen visa?
When is the best time to apply for a Croatia summer trip?
Which country do I apply to for a Croatia and Slovenia trip?
How we checked this page
Last reviewed
Written and fact-checked by the Elitech Travels editorial desk in New Delhi, drawing on our consultants' day-to-day booking work and the official sources below. Rules, fares and fees change — always confirm anything critical with the issuing authority before you travel. Our editorial policy.
