Croatia Pressed to Offer Student Visas to Attract Foreign Learners

The Association has asked the authorities to introduce student visas that would make the country more attractive for international students to study in Croatia. The introduction of study visas would help Croatian higher education institutions to attract more international students, and at the same time, help turn the country into a more competitive destination.

Many supporter, including rectors, are promoting student visas as a crucial step for higher institutions in Croatia. According to Ana Tecilazić, who spoke on behalf of the Rector of Algebra Bernays University, the absence of student visas and the related problem of health insurance are the two biggest obstacles to the international attractiveness of Croatian higher education institutions.

She emphasizes the fact that Croatia without long-term visas pushes international students away. This also confirmed that the number of foreign students coming to the country is on a decline.The data given by Tecilazić read that the number of students in Croatia is lower, at by seven per cent, than seven years ago. Only 147 of the 1,848 study programmes altogether are accredited for running in foreign languages; this makes it additionally difficult.

Lakušić argued that highly educated foreign nationals would not pose any security risks and that the absence of student visas is not only a drawback for foreign students but also a setback for Croatian society, which needs workers in many sectors throughout the country. In contrast, the rector of the University of Defence and Security, Ivica Lučić, did not quite support the thought. Instead, he said Croatia should focus on attracting students from EU member states.