Croatian citizens travelling to Turkey will need a visa as of April 1, the Croatian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs said on Friday. Visas will be available at border crossings or in Turkish diplomatic and consular missions.
Likewise, Turkish citizens, holders of ordinary passports, will need a visa to enter Croatia as of April 1.
Croatia was required to align its visa system with that of the European Union no later than three months before accession. Since Croatia is scheduled to join the EU on July 1, its visa system has to be in line with the EU's by April 1. This means that citizens of Turkey, Russia and other non-EU countries will be subject to visa requirements as of this date.
For entry into Croatia, Russian citizens will be required to apply for a visa with the Croatian Embassy in Moscow, through travel agencies accredited with the Embassy or through visa centres in Russia.
The Croatian government, at its meeting on Thursday, amended the regulation governing the visa regime, which goes into force on Monday, April 1. The regulation finalised alignment of Croatia's visa system with that of the EU.
Under a government decision, from January 1, 2013 until Croatia's accession to the EU, all foreign nationals who hold a valid Schengen visa do not need an additional (Croatian) visa to enter Croatia or for a short-term stay.
Turkey and the Russian Federation have been added to the list of countries whose citizens will need a visa to enter Croatia.
