Croatia to join Schengen area in 2023
On December 9, 2021, the European Union High Council released an official note stating that the Republic of Croatia had meet with all the necessary prerequisites to join its border-free travel zone and could therefore soon become an effective member of the Schengen Area.
Croatia and European institutions
Established in 1993 after the disaggregation of the Republic of Yugoslavia, the young Croatian Nation has joined the European Union in 2013.
The EU is a political and economic union of 27 countries located in geographical Europe. EU Member Countries share commercial laws and cooperate on political level. Although EU Membership is not linked to border policies. Hence EU Membership is not necessarily linked to Schengen Area Membership since some EU Countries are for instance not part of the Schengen Area (i.e. Cyprus and EIRE) while some non-EU Countries are Members of the Schengen Area (i.e. Switzerland and Norway).
The assessment over Croatia’s application to join the Schengen Area took place between 2016 and 2020 and, since its positive outcome, Croatia could soon become a member of the European border-free travel zone that currently includes 26 Member States plus 4 de facto Member Countries.
In order to forward its Schengen Membership candidacy Croatia underwent a comprehensive evaluation that proved the Country has met:
- 281 recommendations in the 8 areas of the Schengen acquis.
- 145 recommendations involving external border control.
Croatia has also been participating, in such context, in several bilateral meetings with a number of Member States that expressed reservations about the country’s accession to Schengen.
Croatian Minister of the Interior affirmed that following such meetings and the aforementioned 4 yearlong evaluation process, representatives of all Schengen Members nations have formally endorsed for Croatia to become part of the Schengen Area.
This latter declaration was subsequently confirmed by EU’s Commissioner Johansson that additionally stated that Croatia is now considered ready to join the Schengen Area.
Some of the directives that were evaluated before the green light to Schengen Area Membership could be given included measures to maintain standards in the following areas:
- Data protection
- Shared visa policy
- Police cooperation in criminal and financial matters
- Firearms control
- Judicial cooperation in criminal matters
When will Croatia effectively join the Schengen area?
A fixed date is yet to be established but, according to the European Union Institutions’ protocols it is likely that the Republic of Croatia induction in the Schengen Zone could happen in 2023.
How will Schengen membership affect Croatia’s border regulations?
Up to this day, being a Member of the EU but not yet part of the Schengen Area, Croatia applies its own national border rules that are not under the control and supervision of the European Mutual Authorities. Starting from presumably 2024 this will change since the young Eastern European Nations is set to become member of the Schengen Area. This means that starting from this imminent induction Croatia border policies will be matching with those already enforced by the 26 Nations that have formerly subscribed the Schengen Acquis.
In brief all border controls for incoming and outgoing persons, capitals and goods coming from/going towards other Schengen Member Nations will be no longer be applied.
On the other hand, Croatia’s land/air and sea borders will be managed accordingly with the Schengen acquis’ regulations with regard to all incoming travelers from non-Member Nations. Croatia will therefore also become one the countries to require an ETIAS to visitors with passports issued by any of the 60 Visa Waiver Countries.
This is expected to further boost Croatia’s appeal to foreign visitors and investor and therefore enhance the ongoing growth its economy has been experiencing in the last few decades.
At the same time, since Croatia shares its border not only with other EU / Schengen Countries but also with non-EU nations, such as Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro, its institutions, together with the European one’s, will have to face remarkable capital investment to perfect the security of its external borders that will soon become in part those of the Schengen Area itself.
ETIAS to Croatia
Schengen Membership acquisition will automatically imply becoming part of the ETIAS Systems for Croatia. Once its acceptance will be perfected so, the Croatian land, air and sea borders will all become potential entry ports into the ETIAS Area.
Entering ETIAS Zone through Croatia will very likely work like access from any other Member Country and the clauses that limit Visa Waiver eligibility according to Nationality of the Visitor, duration of stay and purpose of the journey will be in place in Croatia like in all other Schengen States.
What is the Schengen Acquis?
The Schengen Acquis is a set of official documents signed between 1985 and the present day that establish the regulations and standards required to Member States as well as the Membership Agreements signed by all the participant Countries.
Current status for other Schengen candidate nations
Up to this day there are 4 EU Member States, besides Croatia, that do not participate in the Schengen Acquis. These Nations are Romania, Bulgaria, Cyprus and the Republic of Ireland (EIRE). Among these Ireland is the only State whose EU Membership conditions allow the right to self-determine whether to join the border-free travel zone.
This means that the other EU Members of Romania, Cyprus and Bulgaria are bound to one day become part of the Schengen Zone and therefore comply with the Schengen Acquis.
While Croatia’s acceptance went through a very careful scrutiny, still it has been an overall fast process of only 4 years and its efficiency in meeting with the Schengen Acquis prerequisites is surely to be admired.
As a matter of fact, it is to be highlighted that Croatia itself was the last among such Nations to become EU Member in 2013, while Cyprus joined the Union in 2003 and Romania, together with Bulgaria, was inducted in 2007. Such time frames perhaps give us a better understanding of how long and meticulous the Schengen Membership evaluation process can be and, to the same extent, of how outstandingly tenacious Croatia’s Authorities and Institutions have been in order to reach this a goal in such little time.