Croatia Visa from Dubai: VFS, AED 390.27 Fee, Documents and Timeline

The short answer: Emiratis don't need a visa for Croatia: they can stay up to 90 days in any 180. Indian, Pakistani, Filipino, Egyptian, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan nationals living in the UAE need a Schengen visa, because Croatia has been a full Schengen member since 1 January 2023. You apply at VFS Global's Croatia Visa Application Centre in Dubai, the only one in the UAE, and the Consulate General of Croatia in Dubai decides. The visa fee is AED 390.27 for adults, plus VFS's service charge of AED 150.25. Processing averages 15 working days, and the checklist asks for three months of bank statements.

Dubrovnik's Old Town and city walls, Split's Diocletian's Palace, Plitvice Lakes and the Dalmatian coast are why most UAE residents go. Croatia issues Schengen visas, so a Croatian visa also covers the other Schengen countries, as long as Croatia is your main destination.

Croatia visa for UAE residents at a glance

Question	Answer (October 2026)
Emirati passport	No visa, up to 90 days in any 180
India, Pakistan, Philippines, Egypt, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka	Schengen visa before travel
Schengen member	Fully since 1 January 2023
Who decides	The Consulate General of Croatia in Dubai
Where to apply	VFS Global's Croatia Visa Application Centre in Dubai, the only centre in the UAE
Visa fee	AED 390.27 adults, AED 195.13 children aged 6 to 11, free under 6, plus the VFS service charge of AED 150.25
Processing	Average 15 working days, up to 45, exceptionally 60
Bank statements	Last 3 months, original, stamped and signed

Who needs a visa for Croatia

Whether you need a visa depends on your passport. UAE citizens have been able to visit Croatia and the rest of the Schengen area without a visa since May 2015. They will need the EU's ETIAS travel authorisation once it starts; it hasn't yet, and the EU says it will announce the date several months ahead.

Indian, Pakistani, Filipino, Egyptian, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan nationals need a Schengen visa, and so do most other nationalities living in the UAE. EU rules say you apply in the country where you legally live, so UAE residents apply in the UAE, not at home.

Apply to Croatia if it is your main destination, where you spend the most nights. Five nights in Dubrovnik and Split and two in Ljubljana is a Croatian application; the reverse is a Slovenian one. See our Schengen visa guide for how the rule works.

Before Croatia joined Schengen, it let holders of a valid Schengen visa from another Schengen country enter without a separate Croatian visa. That rule no longer matters: Croatia is a Schengen state in its own right now, so a Schengen visa from any other Schengen country covers it automatically, within that visa's dates and days, the same as it covers Austria or Hungary.

A short-stay visa never lets you work. Croatia's own rules say a traveller may not work there on a short-stay (type C) visa alone. A job in Croatia needs a stay-and-work permit that the employer applies for, usually after a labour market check with the Croatian Employment Service,.

How to apply from Dubai or Abu Dhabi

1. Fill in the Schengen application form online at Croatia's e-visa portal, crovisa.mvep.hr, then print it and sign it. For a child under 18, both parents sign.
2. Gather your documents, including VFS's Schengen Visa Applicant Questionnaire, which you download, fill in and sign, and a Letter of Guarantee from your host if you're visiting family or friends.
3. Book an appointment with VFS Global's Croatia Visa Application Centre in Dubai. Croatia has only one visa centre in the UAE: there is no separate Abu Dhabi centre, so residents of every emirate apply in Dubai.
4. Attend your appointment, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. You hand in your documents, give biometrics, and pay the fees.
5. Wait about 15 working days. The Consulate General of Croatia in Dubai decides, and VFS says it can take longer if documents are missing or more checks are needed.

VFS Global describes itself as the official partner of the Consulate General of Croatia in the UAE, and it runs a single centre, in Dubai. Some third-party guides mention a Croatia visa centre in Abu Dhabi; VFS's own centre locator lists Dubai only, and its checklists tell you to address your employer letter to the consulate in Dubai.

Documents

VFS's tourism checklist for Croatia, updated in October 2025, asks for:

• The signed application form, filled in online at Croatia's e-visa portal
• Passport and a copy, signed, with at least two blank pages facing each other, not older than ten years, valid at least three months beyond the visa's expiry date, plus your previous passport if you have one
• UAE residence visa, valid at least until you return to the UAE, and a copy
• One recent biometric photo, 35 by 45 mm, on a plain bright background, no older than six months, not digitally altered
• Copies of any previous Schengen visas in your passport
• A letter from your employer, dated within the last month, addressed to the Consulate General of Croatia in Dubai, stating your name, address, phone number, position and salary, or your trade licence if you own a business
• Bank statements for the last three months, original, stamped and signed, showing your salary, issued no more than two weeks before you apply
• Travel medical insurance with at least EUR 30,000 of cover for the whole Schengen area, including repatriation. VFS says insurance linked only to a credit card isn't accepted.
• Return flight reservation
• Hotel or apartment booking with the full address, paid and confirmed. VFS says a travel agency voucher isn't accepted, and a tourist application needs a receipt showing the accommodation is paid for.
• A detailed travel plan for your trip

Visiting family or friends

Your host provides a Letter of Guarantee, stamped by them and certified by a notary public in Croatia; you submit the original. Forms and guidance are on Croatia's foreign ministry site. If a parent, child or spouse is paying for your trip instead of your employer, add a birth or marriage certificate with an English translation showing the relationship.

Children

Bring the child's birth certificate with an English translation, and copies of both parents' passports. The application form needs both parents' signatures; if only one parent applies with the child, bring a consent letter from the other parent.

How much money you need to show

Croatia doesn't publish a daily amount for UAE applicants. The checklist asks for three months of stamped bank statements showing a salary, so a steady income across that period matters more than one month's balance.

Fees and processing time

Fee	Amount
Visa fee, adults	AED 390.27
Visa fee, children aged 6 to 11	AED 195.13
Visa fee, children under 6	Free
VFS service charge, every applicant	AED 150.25
Total for one adult	AED 540.52

VFS says the dirham amounts follow the exchange rate and can change without notice. Processing averages 15 working days once your application is complete, and can extend to 45 working days, or up to 60 days if documents are missing or more checks are needed. Eid, the July and August summer period, UAE national holidays, Christmas and New Year can add time too, and VFS says it cannot guarantee returning your passport by a particular travel date. You can apply up to six months before you travel; the EU's general rule for every Schengen country is to apply at least 15 days before.

If you're refused, you can appeal in writing within 15 days of receiving the decision, through the Consulate General of Croatia in Dubai. The appeal must be in Croatian, unless no certified Croatian court interpreter is available in the UAE, and costs EUR 130. Croatia's Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs then has 60 days to decide.

At the border

Since April 2026, Croatia and every other Schengen country register non-EU visitors in the EU's Entry/Exit System. On your first trip since it started, you give fingerprints and a photo at passport control instead of getting a stamp.

Flights from the UAE

• flydubai flies non-stop from Dubai to Zagreb, in about six and a half hours, with reports putting it at around three flights a week in 2026. Emirates sells seats on the same flights under its own code.
• flydubai also flew non-stop from Dubai to Dubrovnik in summer 2026, as a seasonal route running roughly from June to September. Outside that window, fly via Zagreb or connect in Europe, and check whether the Dubrovnik route returns for the following summer.
• From Abu Dhabi or Sharjah, you connect through Dubai or a European hub.

Flights between the UAE and Europe were disrupted for much of 2026, so check your flight with the airline before you book, and make sure the reservation you submit matches your application dates.

Frequently asked questions

Where do I apply for a Croatia visa in Dubai?

At VFS Global's Croatia Visa Application Centre in Dubai, the only visa centre for Croatia in the UAE. The Consulate General of Croatia in Dubai decides.

How much is the Croatia visa fee in Dubai?

AED 390.27 for adults and AED 195.13 for children aged 6 to 11, plus VFS's service charge of AED 150.25: AED 540.52 for one adult. Children under 6 pay no visa fee.

How long does a Croatia visa take from Dubai?

On average 15 working days, according to VFS and the Consulate General of Croatia in Dubai. It can extend to 45 days, or 60 in exceptional cases, so apply early.

How many months of bank statements do I need for a Croatia visa?

Three months, original, stamped and signed, showing your salary, issued no more than two weeks before you apply. Croatia doesn't set a minimum balance for UAE applicants.

Can I enter Croatia with a Schengen visa from another country?

Yes. Croatia has been a full Schengen member since 1 January 2023, so a valid Schengen visa from another Schengen country covers it, within that visa's dates and days. Apply to Croatia itself if it's your main destination.

Do Emiratis need a visa for Croatia?

No. UAE citizens can visit Croatia without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180. They will need an ETIAS travel authorisation once the EU starts it.

Planning a trip to Croatia

Four or five days covers Dubrovnik's Old Town and its city walls, with a day trip to the Elaphiti Islands; a week adds Split and Diocletian's Palace, or Zagreb and a day at Plitvice Lakes National Park. Ljubljana is under three hours from Zagreb by road and in Schengen too, so one visa covers both. See our Schengen visa services for help preparing your Croatia application, browse holiday packages, or talk to us about flights and hotels.

Related guides

• Schengen visa for UAE residents
• Hungary visa from Dubai
• Austria visa from Dubai
• Italy visa from Dubai

Last checked 9 October 2026 against VFS Global's Croatia pages, fee table and tourism checklist for the UAE, the Consulate General of Croatia in Dubai's processing-time information published through VFS, Croatia's Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs on the visa procedure and appeals, the EU Visa Code and fee regulation, the European Commission's ETIAS page, eu-LISA on the Entry/Exit System, and airline schedules and reports. This guide is general information, not immigration advice. Confirm the current requirements with VFS Global or the Consulate General of Croatia in Dubai before you apply.