Passport Stamp in a Schengen Airport / Entry to Croatia with a Schengen Visa

I am a Lebanese citizen traveling from Beirut Lebanon to Zagreb Croatia with a 3-hour layover in Warsaw Poland. I hold a multiple-entry Schengen visa issued by France that I have never used before (valid for the period of my trip). The rules of Croatia state that I can enter the country with a valid multiple-entry Schengen visa. I have 2 questions here:

Should my passport be stamped by a Schengen country before I am permitted entry to Croatia?
Will my passport be stamped in Poland (in and out)?

Best Answer

You are not required to have entered a Schengen country before you enter Croatia. As you already mention in the question, a multiple-entry Schengen visa is sufficient. Source: Croatian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Receiving a stamp or not may depend on you having to clear immigration there if you need to claim and recheck bags, but it doesn't matter for your subsequent entry to Croatia.

Pictures about "Passport Stamp in a Schengen Airport / Entry to Croatia with a Schengen Visa"

Passport Stamp in a Schengen Airport / Entry to Croatia with a Schengen Visa - Brown Passport

Passport Stamp in a Schengen Airport / Entry to Croatia with a Schengen Visa - Red and Black Labeled Box

Passport Stamp in a Schengen Airport / Entry to Croatia with a Schengen Visa - Stylish woman with suitcase and bag walking on street near modern airport terminal

Can I enter Croatia with a Schengen visa?

Visa Requirements for Croatia for Holders of Schengen VisasTravellers holding a dual entry Schengen visa must have one unused entry if travelling to Croatia. Holders of a residence permit, or certain other types of visa issued by a Schengen Area country, can also visit Croatia without requiring an additional visa.

Does Croatia Stamp EU passports?

All Schengen countries, Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Moldova, North Macedonia, Romania and Turkey use the same format for their stamps, and stamps are not issued while traveling from one Schengen country to another.

Is Schengen visa stamped on passport?

The system is that your passport is stamped once when you enter the Schengen area and once when you leave it. The stamp does not even have the name of the country, just the name of the airport. The old days of collecting stamps for frequent overseas travel or simply crossing borders through Europe are coming to an end.

Can I enter any Schengen country with Schengen visa?

Yes. According to the Schengen rules, the Schengen visa is generally valid for all the countries in the Schengen area. Please note, however, that you always have to apply at the consulate of the country which is your primary destination (see FAQ no 5).

THE SCHENGEN ZONE TRAVEL EXPLAINED - DIGITAL NOMAD TV

Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Images: Nataliya Vaitkevich, Porapak Apichodilok, Anushka Sharma, Gustavo Fring