Document checklist
Serbia → Croatia: Temporary stay for the purpose of study
What you need before you submit, checked against official requirements, not guesswork.
Checked by our automated verification on 20 Oct 2026: every source on this page resolves and the data is structurally complete. This does not confirm a person re-read the source text for accuracy.
Required documents
10 itemsIdentity
Application form 1a
RequiredThe application for temporary stay on form 1a, handed in at the police administration for the area where you will live.
Source: Ministry of the Interior of Croatia (MUP), Third-country nationals: temporary stay for study
Colour photo (3 × 3.5 cm)
RequiredOne colour photo sized 3 × 3.5 cm.
Source: Ministry of the Interior of Croatia (MUP), Third-country nationals: temporary stay for study
Valid passport
RequiredA valid travel document that stays valid for at least 3 months longer than the stay you are asking for.
Source: Ministry of the Interior of Croatia (MUP), Temporary stay of third-country nationals
Financial
Proof of money to live on and to return home
RequiredProof that you have at least €362.25 a month to live on (25% of Croatia's average monthly net salary for the previous year) plus at least €869.40 for your return trip (60% of that salary). These amounts use the 2025 salary figure and change every year.
Source: Ministry of the Interior of Croatia (MUP), How means of subsistence are calculated
Purpose of travel
Proof you are enrolled at a Croatian higher education institution
RequiredProof of the purpose of your stay: that you are enrolled at a Croatian university or college for undergraduate, master's or doctoral study. If your stay is granted for more than one year, you must send proof of enrolment for each new academic year to the police administration by 31 October.
Source: Ministry of the Interior of Croatia (MUP), Third-country nationals: temporary stay for study
Insurance
Proof of health insurance
RequiredProof that you have health insurance. Students in recognised EU programmes don't need to send this proof unless the programme's rules say otherwise.
Source: Ministry of the Interior of Croatia (MUP), Third-country nationals: temporary stay for study
Other
Criminal record certificate
RequiredFor your first temporary stay: a certificate showing you have no criminal convictions in your home country and in countries where you lived before. Students from EEA countries coming through mobility programmes don't need to send it.
Source: Ministry of the Interior of Croatia (MUP), Temporary stay of third-country nationals
Health and vaccination certificate (Form 18a), if you need a visa for Croatia
RequiredIf your passport is from a country whose citizens need a visa to enter Croatia, you must also send Form 18a. A doctor in your home country fills it in and certifies your health and vaccination status. It must not be older than 90 days when you apply.
Source: Ministry of the Interior of Croatia (MUP), Third-country nationals: temporary stay for study
Legalised foreign documents with a translation
RequiredDocuments from other countries must be legalised under international rules and come with a certified translation into Croatian. If there is no court interpreter for Croatian in your country, an English translation can be used.
Source: Ministry of the Interior of Croatia (MUP), Third-country nationals: temporary stay for study
Proof of fee payment
RequiredPayment of the fees MUP lists: €46.45 for the temporary stay decision, €31.85 (or €59.73 for faster processing) to make the biometric residence card, and €9.29 to issue it. You can pay by internet banking or at the police administration.
Source: Ministry of the Interior of Croatia (MUP), Third-country nationals: temporary stay for study
Why applications on this route get refused
Not enough money shown
Having money to support yourself is one of the conditions for temporary stay. For study, MUP sets both a monthly amount and an amount for your return trip.
How to avoid it: Check MUP's current figures before you apply and show both the monthly amount and the return-trip amount.
Passport expires too soon
Your travel document must stay valid for at least 3 months longer than the stay you ask for.
How to avoid it: Renew your passport first if it would expire less than 3 months after your planned stay ends.
Entry ban or a risk to public order, security or health
MUP says temporary stay isn't granted to someone banned from entering and staying in Croatia, or who is a threat to public order, national security or public health.
How to avoid it: Give a complete criminal record certificate and, if you need a visa for Croatia, a recent Form 18a health certificate.
No proof of enrolment
You must prove the purpose of your stay, which for this route means enrolment at a Croatian higher education institution.
How to avoid it: Get your enrolment confirmation from the university before applying, and renew it each academic year if needed.
Foreign documents not legalised or translated
MUP asks for foreign documents to be legalised and to come with a certified translation.
How to avoid it: Legalise documents in the issuing country and get a certified Croatian translation (or English, if no Croatian interpreter is available there).
Sources
- Ministry of the Interior of Croatia (MUP), Third-country nationals: temporary stay for study · checked 14 Sept 2026
- Ministry of the Interior of Croatia (MUP), Temporary stay of third-country nationals · checked 14 Sept 2026
- Ministry of the Interior of Croatia (MUP), How means of subsistence are calculated · checked 14 Sept 2026
- Ministry of the Interior of Croatia (MUP), Stay and work of EEA nationals and their family members · checked 14 Sept 2026
Check your documents against this list before you pay the Croatia application fee.
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