August the 22nd, 2025 – The long awaited ETIAS should finally come into function next year for certain travellers to Croatia, but it looks as if it’s going to come with a price tag of 20 instead of the initial 7 euros.

Travellers to Croatia who are not EEA/EU citizens and who do not have the right of abode in Croatia (such as residence in Croatia and the ability to prove it with a valid residence card) will need to obtain an ETIAS before travelling here in 2026 (as things stand). The introduction of this travel document has been planned and delayed for some time now.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, the fee for the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), which is scheduled to be implemented in the last quarter of 2026, will be 20 euros, instead of the previously announced 7 euros.

The European Commission (EC) proposed the increase in the ETIAS fee in an effort to align with global travel standards and respond to rising operational costs. The adjustment represents a significant change for non-EU citizens who do not require a visa to enter EU nations.

The ETIAS system is designed to make it easier for travellers to travel to the EU and improve security, the European Commission claims, though its introduction has been plagued with issues and dogged for a considerable amount of time now. It is an electronic travel authorisation, similar to an online application that is checked before a person enters the passport-free Schengen zone.

The measure is expected to affect more than 1.4 billion tourists and business travellers from more than 60 countries around the world. The ETIAS fee is paid only once. The authorisation is valid for three years and allows an unlimited number of entries into the EU or Schengen area during that time.

who does not need an etias to enter croatia as of the last quarter of 2026?

People under 18 or over 70 will be exempt from paying for an ETIAS, regardless of their citizenship, as long as they do not require a visa for the EU.

People with legal residence in Croatia or any other EU country (and can prove it with a valid residence permit) will not require an ETIAS.

EU citizens will not require an ETIAS.


 


Subscribe to our newsletter

the fields marked with * are required