Back to Home

PHOTO GUIDE

Applying for a Croatia short-stay visa from Japan

Short-stay Schengen visa (Type C) applications for Croatia from Japan are received directly by the Consular Department of the Embassy of the Republic of Croatia in Tokyo (Hiroo, Shibuya-ku). Visits are by appointment only, booked by email.

Checked: 2026-08-15

Create your photo
Illustration of preparing a Croatia visa application from Japan

Application key points

Who applies where

This page covers short stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period. The destination rule above decides whether Croatia is your application country; long-stay (Type D) visas follow a different process.

Croatia has been part of the Schengen area since 1 January 2023 and issues Type C visas as uniform (Schengen) visas. Japanese ordinary-passport holders are visa-exempt for short stays, so the applicants using this route are foreign nationals resident in Japan who do need a visa.

Where to apply: the Embassy of Croatia in Tokyo receives applications directly

Applications from Japan are received directly by the Consular Department of the Embassy of the Republic of Croatia in Tokyo (3-3-10 Hiroo, Shibuya-ku). The Consular Department is open Monday-Friday 10:00-16:00, and visits are by appointment only — request one by email at crocons.tokyo@mvep.hr. Applications without an appointment cannot be accepted.

No external provider is used in Japan. The Croatian ministry's page lists the countries where VFS Global visa application centres receive Croatia applications, and Japan is not among them. Osaka (Kinki district) and Naha have honorary consulates, but their pages do not state visa handling and there is no residency-based jurisdiction split, so the Tokyo embassy serves all of Japan.

Application form (crovisa) and required documents

Complete the application form online at crovisa.mvep.hr in English or Croatian. The embassy's important notice requires the form to be filled in online and all required documents to be uploaded. Print the completed form and bring it with the supporting documents to your appointment.

The required documents depend on the purpose of stay. The ministry's Supporting documents page lists the completed and signed application form, a recent identity photograph in accordance with ICAO standards, the passport, travel insurance and purpose-of-stay evidence, among others. Check the latest checklist on the ministry's pages and with the embassy before your visit.

Illustration of checking an applicant-prepared printed photo before an appointment

Photo requirements: 35×45 mm, same as the global standard

Croatia's visa ordinance (Ordinance on Visas, Article 11) sets the photograph at 35×45 mm in colour on a light, monochromatic, pattern-free background, with the head about two-thirds of the photo and not more than 36 mm high, an eye distance of at least 8 mm, and development on high-quality glossy paper. The live C-visa guidance page asks for a recent photograph (not older than 3 months). The global Croatia photo requirements page is the reference for these specs.

The official pages state the number of photographs only in the singular ("a colour photograph") without a figure, so confirm the required number with the embassy when booking and consider bringing a spare. The format does not change for applications from Japan: prepare a 35×45 mm colour print. The photo tool's Croatia mode outputs exactly this format.

Fees, timing and biometrics

The fee is EUR 90 for both airport transit (A) and short-stay (C) visas; children up to age 12 are exempt (a Croatia-specific exemption), and an appeal against refusal costs EUR 130. An older EUR 80 figure remains on a ministry FAQ page, but the fees page (EUR 90) is the current one. The yen amount and payment method are not published — confirm with the embassy when booking.

Applications are accepted from 6 months before the start of the intended trip and, as a rule, no later than 15 calendar days before (seafarers may apply from 9 months before). Applications are submitted in person (by a legal representative for minors), and fingerprints are provided at submission for identification in the Visa Information System (VIS), where data is retained for 5 years. Decisions are taken within 15 calendar days as a general rule, extendable up to 45 days in individual cases.

Create your Croatia digital photo

Create a digital JPEG for your Croatia visa application in your browser.

Create your photo

Also available as an iPhone appOpen the App Store

Check before you apply

Before you apply: book the Tokyo appointment by email, complete the crovisa.mvep.hr form with all documents uploaded, and prepare the 35×45 mm photo. Fees, reception arrangements and checklists can change, so confirm the latest information with the embassy and the Croatian ministry before applying.

shoumei.org helps users prepare photo files based on publicly available requirements. It does not submit visa applications, and it is not an official government service, Schengen authority, embassy, consulate, VFS Global, TLScontact, or BLS International service. Please verify the latest requirements with the official embassy, consulate, or visa application center before submitting.

Related country guides

View all guides

Frequently Asked Questions

Where do I submit a Croatia visa application in Japan?

At the Consular Department of the Embassy of the Republic of Croatia in Tokyo (3-3-10 Hiroo, Shibuya-ku), by appointment only (Monday-Friday 10:00-16:00). The honorary consulates in Osaka and Naha do not state visa handling, so the Tokyo embassy serves applicants from all of Japan.

How do I book an appointment? Is VFS used?

Request an appointment by email at crocons.tokyo@mvep.hr. VFS Global visa application centres are not used for applications from Japan — Japan is not on the Croatian ministry's list of VFS-served countries, and the embassy receives applications directly.

How do I fill in the application form?

Complete the form online at crovisa.mvep.hr in English or Croatian. The embassy's notice requires all required documents to be uploaded as part of the online form. Print the completed form and bring it to your appointment.

How many photos do I need, and in what size?

The size is 35×45 mm in colour on a light monochromatic background (Ordinance on Visas Article 11 — see the Croatia photo requirements page for the full specs). The live guidance asks for a photo taken within the last 3 months.

How much is the visa fee?

EUR 90 for a short-stay (Type C) visa, free for children up to age 12. A ministry FAQ page still shows an older EUR 80 figure, but the ministry's fees page (EUR 90) is current. The yen amount follows the embassy's rate at booking, so confirm the exact amount and payment method when you book.

When can I apply, and how long does processing take?

From 6 months before travel and, as a rule, no later than 15 calendar days before departure. A decision is taken within 15 calendar days as a general rule, extendable up to 45 days in individual cases. Book early once your itinerary is fixed.

Are fingerprints taken? Can earlier ones be reused?

Fingerprints are provided at submission and used for identification in the Visa Information System (VIS), which retains the data for 5 years — within that period, stored fingerprints are reused for a new application. The application itself must be submitted in person (by a legal representative for minors).

How do children apply?

Applications for minors are submitted by their legal representative. Under the ordinance, a child's photo must show the child alone, with the face fully visible and eyes open. Check the ministry's supporting-documents pages and the embassy's guidance for the exact documents evidencing parent-child relationships.

Official and submission sources