ZAGREB, 29 Sept, 2021 - The cancellation of visa requirements for Croatian nationals travelling to the United States is "a new recognition" 30 years after the recognition of Croatia, and a law on avoiding double taxation is expected to be signed now, Foreign and European Affairs Minister Gordan Grlić Radman said on Tuesday.

Thirty years after the recognition of the Republic of Croatia this is "a new recognition", the minister said commenting on the announcement by the US Department of Homeland Security about Croatia joining the Visa Waiver Program.

Exactly a year has passed since the end of the fiscal year in the United States and that was the deadline for Croatia to submit a sufficient number of qualified applications, which means the visa refusal rate had to be below three percent, he recalled.

That qualified Croatia for the cancellation of visa requirements in addition to some other minor conditions, such as security in air traffic, he said.

The next step that both countries are expecting soon is signing an agreement on avoiding double taxation, which will facilitate business communication.

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September 28, 2021 - Croatian visa-free travel to the USA is now a reality by December 1 as the United States includes Croatia as a new participant in the Visa Waiver Program. 

The United States has finally removed travel visas for Croatian citizens! The United States Department of Homeland Security website officially announced the news which is transmitted in its entirety below:

"Today, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas, in coordination with Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, designated Croatia as a new participant in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP).  Starting no later than December 1, 2021, the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) will be updated to allow citizens and nationals of Croatia to apply to travel to the United States for tourism or business for up to 90 days without obtaining a U.S. visa.  Croatia’s designation as a participant in the VWP is an important step toward further strengthening long-standing economic and security cooperation between the United States and Croatia.    

“Today’s designation of Croatia as a new participant in the Visa Waiver Program is an important recognition of our countries’ shared economic and security interests,” said Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas.  “I congratulate Croatia for becoming the 40th member of the VWP after having met strict requirements, and I look forward to our continued close cooperation on key priorities.”   

The VWP is a comprehensive security partnership between the United States and designated countries that facilitates international travel to the United States for business or tourism without a visa for up to 90 days, while protecting national security.  To participate in the VWP, a country must meet requirements related to counterterrorism, law enforcement, immigration enforcement, document security, and border management on an ongoing basis.  These requirements include having a rate of nonimmigrant visa refusals below three percent, issuing secure travel documents, and working closely with U.S. law enforcement and counterterrorism authorities.   

ESTA authorizations are generally valid for two years.  Travelers with valid B1/B2 visas should continue to use their visa for travel to the United States.  For more information on ESTA applications, please visit the CBP ESTA website.

For more information on the VWP, please visit the DHS VWP website."

Croatian Interior Minister Davor Božinović confirmed the news on his Facebook page:

"On behalf of the Government of the Republic of Croatia, I would like to thank Robert Silvers, Undersecretary of the United States Department of Homeland Security, who has just informed me of the official entry of the Republic of Croatia into the Visa Waiver Program. All Croatian citizens will be able to travel to the United States without visas no later than December 1. This is the end of a long path of negotiations and evaluations, but above all continuing and strengthening the strategic partnership of our countries."

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