University of Zagreb

Q: Do you want the Interior Ministry to kick you out of the country for two weeks because you don't have the right student papers? A: No! Q: Do you want to have to wait for two to three weeks in Slovenia while the Croatian embassy issues you new papers? (P.S. the Slovenes will drag you off the train to search you just for the hell of it! Every time you pass through their country!) A: NO! Ok then. Make sure to apply for a student visa 5 weeks before making it out to Croatia - if you want to do things the legal way. You can't come in on a regular tourist stamp (issued to Americans, Germans, Australians, Canadians, etc.) and then expect to apply for visa extensions once in the country. It just doesn't work that way. If you apply beforehand your passport will be issued with a general 3-month visa that can subsequently be turned into a student visa once you get the proper papers confirming your student status from the University. Also, when applying for a student visa, they will ask you to support your claims by providing materials proving your intention to study in Croatia. These are often impossible to obtain while abroad. It's a Catch-22. 10 years after the fall of communism in Croatia the old bureaucratic dinosaur is still alive and kicking. The mighty rubber stamp, the seal of authority still legitimates everything, and without it you're out of luck. What you need is patience, and lots of it. Explain to the Croatian Embassies in the States that the University has a spot for you in its program for foreigners, and that you will give the confirmation (potvrda) of your student status to the appropriate Ministry once the school year starts. They should then issue you the general visa. The process is now complete. One more thing: no one at the University knows when the school year starts. It is usually in mid-October. You must simply travel to Zagreb and keep checking with the office for Croatian Studies at the Univeristy (Odsjek za Kroatistiku) until one day someone somewhere down the line decides the program should start. Remember. Patience!

Despite the Administrative hassles associated with living in Croatia and becoming a student, the actual student experience is soooo worth it! The Professors are undoubtedly among the best in the world. They are very approachable and always willing to help, whether it be with academics or with administration. I was very much impressed with their concern for the well-being of their students, with the nurturing environment they created. Studying in Croatia was one of the most rewarding experiences I have had in my student career. I learned the language very quickly, made lifelong friends, and had an all-around great time.