In 2024, Croatia, the newest member of the Schengen Area, handled over 42,000 visa applications in its first year of issuing Schengen visas, surpassing nine other Schengen countries in application volume. This strong start signals Croatia’s growing importance as a visa destination.

Out of 42,165 applications received, Croatia approved 33,441 visas, reflecting a solid approval rate of 79.3%. Meanwhile, 8,003 applications were rejected, representing a rejection rate of 19.3%, which is notably higher than the EU average of 14.8%. This places Croatia as the seventh-highest in Schengen visa rejection rates in 2024, behind countries such as Denmark, Sweden, Slovenia, Belgium, Estonia, and Malta.

Croatia accounted for roughly 0.3% of the total 11.7 million Schengen visa applications submitted across all member states in 2024. Despite lower application numbers compared to larger countries, Croatia’s rejection rate stands out as comparatively high.

Among nationalities, Chinese applicants led the way with 8,125 visa requests, of which 7,838 were approved—a remarkable approval rate of 96.4%, making them the top group granted visas by Croatia. South Africa was the second-largest source, with 5,396 applications and an 83.9% approval rate (4,530 visas granted). Turkish nationals submitted around 4,655 applications, with 3,240 approved. Indonesia followed with 3,300 applications (3,024 approved), and Indian nationals filed 2,315 applications, of which 1,676 were approved.

This data highlights Croatia’s emerging role as a key destination for visa applicants within the Schengen zone, especially among applicants from China, South Africa, Turkey, Indonesia, and India.