by On 1 January 2023, Croatians rung in the new year with their country joining the Schengen and the eurozone. The former Yugoslav republic, which gained independence in 1991, joined the EU in 2013 as part of the bloc’s first enlargement since 2007. A decade later, joining the Schengen and Euro zones are being touted as major milestones in the process of deeper European integration for the Balkan nation of 4 million people.
Croatia’s entry as the 27th country into the Schengen zone is the first new entry in 11 years and will abolish all border controls between Croatia and other Schengen area countries for people crossing by land, rail, or sea. For people travelling through air, the checks will end on March 26, 2023. Short term tourists no longer need to go through passport control when entering Croatia from another Schengen member state.
But what does this mean for Euro-Nomads? Well the options have now reduced. Currently, Croatia does not offer a 6 month visa, nor a Digital Nomad visa. Some legwork by Schengen-shufflers is needed to confirm the impact. Watch this space.