About Schengen
The name "Schengen" originates from a small town in Luxembourg. In June 1985, seven European Union countries signed a treaty to end internal border checkpoints and controls. More countries have joined the treaty over the past years. At present, there are 25 Schengen countries, all in Europe.
The 25 Schengen countries are: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Malta, Polen, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland . All these countries except Norway, Iceland and Switzerland are European Union members.
For more information on Schengen, click here
Visa
Foreign nationals from a number of countries cannot enter Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland without a visa. A visa is not required, among others, for:
• Nordic citizens
• Foreign nationals with a valid passport from countries with which Norway has entered into a agreement waiving the visa requirement. This includes Croatia. (for more info go to UDI)
• Persons with a valid Norwegian immigrant's passport
• Persons with a valid Norwegian travel document for refugees
• Persons with a residence permit in Norway
Main regulations
A visitor's visa may be granted for a tourist visit, family visit, official business, business trip, study visit or other purpose. A visitor's visa has a maximum duration of three months.
Information on the application procedure is to be found in the article "Visa and residence permit"
These are the required documents when applying for visa:
• Visa Application Form – filled in and signed
• 2 recent photographs
• Valid passport - valid for at least 3 months after the visa expiry date
• Medical and travel insurance covering € 30.000 and valid in all Shengen countries; to be presented upon the issuance of visa
• Confirmed return ticket reservation; the ticket itself to be presented upon the issuance of visa
• Signed invitation letter from the Norwegian reference person/organization with full name and address in Norway, stating the purpose of visit/invitation and time of visit.
• Guarantee Form issued by the reference person and stamped by Norwegian Police authorities, OR
documentation proving financial capability (such as bank statements, list of recent transactions showing salary payments, or similar) and confirming accommodation
• Documentation of relationship/kinship
• Confirmation of status in Croatia
for the employed: confirmation of employment/vacation
for pensioners: pension slips for last 3 months
for students/pupils: confirmation of education
• Minors travelling alone should present written approval from parents, certified by a notary public
• Minors of divorced parents, travelling with one parent, should present written consent from another parent for travelling abroad, certified by a notary public
Short-term visas
A visa for tourist or business purposes can be issued for one or more entries. The total duration of the stay, however, may not exceed 90 days within the following six months.
Tourist visit
• Itinerary (travelling plan)
Business visit
• Invitation letter from the company in Norway
• Confirmation from the domestic company (in Croatia) about regular employment
Education
• An admittance letter from the Norwegian education institution
Documents written or issued in Croatian or a language other than English/Norwegian, should be translated into English or Norwegian by a certified court interpreter.
Visas for long-term stays
For this kind of stay in one of the Schengen countries the applicant has to fill in an application for a residence permit (or a working permit). The visas issued can be national visas limited to one member country or residence permits allowing the applicant to travel to other Schengen countries.
Visas for transits
For travellers making a transit through the Schengen countries to a non-Schengen country a special transit visa can be issued for a maximum of five days' transit. For this type of visa the applicant should present the same kind of documents as mentioned above.
A visa for transit, providing admission to the international transit area of an airport (but not a stay in the country's actual territory) can be issued to citizens of certain countries or holders of travel documents issued in these countries. These visas can be obtained from the Embassy of the transit country, a valid passport and a plane ticket being sufficient documents to present at the application.
Please note:
• all applications will be considered upon their own merits and on the information given in each individual case
• the Embassy has full authority to evaluate and request more documents than those submitted by the applicant
• it is formally forbidden to change travel destination or aim of travel after the visa has been issued
• holders of Schengen visas are still subject to immigration control upon first entry into a Schengen country and are therefore not guaranteed automatic entry when they hold a valid Schengen visa.
The embassy encourage applicants to handle in their visa applications in due time before their departure for Norway.
For further information
See the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) web page on visa.
or contact
The Royal Norwegian Embassy in Zagreb
Address: Hektoroviceva 273rd floor,
P.O. Box 570, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia.
Tel: +385 1 6273 800. Fax: +385 1 6273 899.
E-mail:emb.zagreb@mfa.no
Opening hours: Monday-Friday 0900-1530
Visa hours: Monday-Friday 1000-1200