Croatia Schengen Visa Delays Shatter IIM Alumni Reunion Dreams

Croatian Embassy's Visa Black Hole Derails Decades-Old Friendship Reunion

What should have been a joyous celebration of lifelong friendships turned into a logistical nightmare for a group of IIM Calcutta alumni when Croatian visa delays forced them to cancel their long-planned reunion trip. Eight former classmates, now in their 70s, had meticulously organized an 18-person journey to Croatia's Adriatic coast to commemorate their 70th birthdays and decades of friendship.

The Schengen Visa Quagmire

Eleven Indian nationals in the group applied for Schengen visas through Croatia's embassy between February 14 and March 12, well within the recommended two-month processing window. Only nine members - including four US citizens, two French nationals, and one Australian - ultimately made the trip as planned.

The remaining travelers faced heartbreaking decisions:

• Rs 4-6 lakh in non-refundable losses per person
• Last-minute itinerary changes to other destinations
• Complete trip cancellations for some members

Embassy Silence Compounds Frustration

"We bombarded the Croatian embassy with emails and calls, but received zero response," lamented 75-year-old Ramakrishnan Rajaram, who ultimately had to reroute his trip to the UK and US. Fellow alumnus Nandu Kulkarni described the group's shock: "We've traveled globally for decades and never experienced such bureaucratic indifference."

Travel Agents Reveal Croatia's Visa Challenges

Industry insiders confirmed Croatia's reputation as one of the most difficult Schengen countries for Indian travelers to obtain visas from:

• Extremely limited appointment availability
• Frequent recommendation to apply through other Schengen states
• No transparency in processing timelines

A Cautionary Tale for Schengen Travelers

This incident highlights critical lessons for Indian travelers planning European trips:

1. Apply through more reliable Schengen countries when visiting Croatia
2. Build in extra processing time beyond stated requirements
3. Consider travel insurance covering visa delays

As Croatia's popularity surges thanks to Game of Thrones filming locations, its visa processing system appears ill-prepared for the tourism demand. For now, these septuagenarian friends must content themselves with memories of past reunions, their Adriatic dreams sunk by bureaucratic inertia.