In an exciting announcement, Victoria J. Taylor, the US Ambassador in Zagreb, has confirmed that Croatians will soon be granted visa-free travel to the United States. This significant decision comes after Croatia met a crucial condition to join the Visa Waiver Program for the USA.

Benefits of the US Visa Waiver Program

• Allows foreign citizens to travel to the United States for tourism and business purposes.
• Allows for stays of up to 90 days without the need for a visa.
• Provides convenient and hassle-free travel arrangements.

Visa-Free Entry through the US ESTA

To gain visa-free entry to the USA, Croatian citizens will be required to complete a straightforward application for a US ESTA. The ESTA, an electronic travel authorization, serves as an approval for multiple entries to the United States within a validity period of 2 years.

This positive development will undoubtedly strengthen ties between the United States and Croatia, facilitating smoother travel experiences and encouraging further collaboration between the two nations.

Croatia fulfills crucial condition for visa-free travel to the US

In the realm of visa regulations, certain European Union countries have been striving to fulfill essential criteria to gain visa-free entry into the United States. While the entire European Schengen Area already enjoys the benefits of the visa waiver scheme, new EU members such as Croatia, Cyprus, Bulgaria, and Romania have been diligently working towards meeting the necessary conditions.

Croatia's Achievement

In exciting news, Croatia has successfully fulfilled a crucial stipulation to secure visa-free travel to the US. One of the key requirements was to ensure that the rejection rate for US tourist and business visa applications from Croatian citizens remains below 3%. Taylor, a reliable source on visa policies, has confirmed this significant milestone for Croatia.

Reduction in Rejection Rate

Over the past three years, Croatia has been actively working towards reducing its visa rejection rate. After concerted efforts, the rejection rate has significantly decreased from approximately 5.9% to around 2.69% as of September 2020. This impressive achievement has propelled Croatia into eligibility for the highly sought-after visa waiver program.

Conclusion

With the fulfillment of the critical condition regarding visa rejection rates, Croatia is now one step closer to attaining visa-free travel privileges for its citizens visiting the United States. This development not only signifies Croatia's commitment to meeting international standards but also opens up new opportunities for tourism and business exchanges between the two nations.

Croatia on track to achieve visa exemption for US visitors in the near future

In a tweet issued on February 16th, 2021, the U.S. Ambassador to Croatia, Taylor, expressed her gratitude to the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Croatia, the Ministry of Interior Affairs of the Republic of Croatia, and the Croatian government. She acknowledged the significant advancements made in meeting the key requirements of the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), ranging from data sharing to border security.

Additional Requirements for Visa Exemption

Taylor clarified that although Croatia already complies with many of the security requirements for the VWP, there are still certain additional criteria that need to be fulfilled for Croatians to be granted visa exemption for travel to the United States.

Commitment to Fulfill Remaining Requirements

Despite the outstanding requirements, Taylor affirmed Croatia's commitment to completing them within the coming year. She reassured that updates on the progress would be announced as further advancements were made.

Pending Implementation Date

No specific date for the implementation of visa-free travel for Croatian citizens to the United States has been announced at this time. However, Taylor emphasized that the United States remains dedicated to collaborating with Croatian government partners to fulfill all remaining security requirements. The partnership and cooperation between the two countries continue to move forward.