Croatia/Schengen Area: Croatia Joins Schengen Area
December 9, 2022
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At a Glance
The Council has adopted the decision to add Croatia to the Schengen Area. As a result:
- Starting January 1, 2023, internal land and sea borders with Croatia will be lifted and short-stay visas issued by Croatia will be Schengen C visas (national short-stay visas issued by Croatia before January 1, 2023 will remain valid until they expire); and
- Starting March 26, 2023, border checks at domestic air borders will be lifted.
The situation
The Council has adopted the decision to add Croatia to the Schengen Area.
A closer look
The Council did not approve the requests of Bulgaria and Romania to join the Schengen Area.
Impact
As a result:
- Starting January 1, 2023, internal land and sea borders with Croatia will be lifted and short-stay visas issued by Croatia will be Schengen C visas (national short-stay visas issued by Croatia before January 1, 2023 will remain valid until they expire); and
- Starting March 26, 2023, border checks at domestic air borders will be lifted.
Background
Croatia has been part of the European Union since 2013, and has been unilaterally applying the Schengen agreement. As of January 2023, it will become a full member of the borderless Schengen Area. Travelers will not be subject to border checks when entering/exiting Croatia from/to one of the other 26 Schengen Area countries (except if ad hoc checks are implemented or border checks are temporarily reinstated by specific EU countries under certain circumstances (see the current situation here).
Looking ahead
Croatia will also start using the Euro instead of its national currency starting January 1, 2023.
Romania and Bulgaria will continue their efforts to join the Schengen Area, as they have been doing for over a decade.
This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].
