Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina visa and residence guide
- 10 visa types
- checked 24 October 2026
How visas for Bosnia and Herzegovina work
Bosnia and Herzegovina runs its own visa system and is not part of the Schengen area. The Council of Ministers decides which nationalities are exempt from visas, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issues visas through BiH embassies and consulates, and the Service for Foreigners' Affairs, an administrative body within the Ministry of Security, decides on temporary and permanent residence through 16 field offices across the country. Under the Law on Aliens, a visa-exempt foreigner may spend up to 90 days in any 180-day period in the country.
The Council of Ministers' Decision on Visas lists the countries whose citizens need no visa; they include the EU and Schengen states, the neighbouring Western Balkan countries and others such as Türkiye, and their citizens may stay up to 90 days within 180 days. Nationals who do need a visa apply in person at a BiH mission for a short-stay Visa C (up to 90 days in 180, also used for business and transit) or, exceptionally, a long-stay Visa D (up to 180 days in a year), which also lets the holder apply for temporary residence inside the country. Border police may ask any visitor to show BAM 150 per day of the planned stay.
Longer stays run on temporary residence, granted for up to one year at a time and renewable on the same ground: family reunification, education, humanitarian reasons, employment with a work permit, work without a work permit, other justified reasons and, exceptionally, ownership of real estate. Under the Service's fee table published in April 2026, approval or extension of temporary residence costs BAM 150 and permanent residence, available after five years, costs BAM 200. The first application is normally filed abroad at a mission; inside BiH it is possible only after entering on a Visa D or as a national of a visa-free country.
Bosnia and Herzegovina also has a national asylum procedure. A person who needs protection tells the Border Police or the Service for Foreigners' Affairs, receives an attestation of the intention to seek asylum and then registers the claim with the Sector for Asylum of the Ministry of Security. The procedure is free of charge.
Which visa do I need?
Holiday, family visit or short business trip of up to 90 days: visa-exempt citizens simply travel with a passport (or an ID card where allowed); others apply for a Visa C at a BiH mission, often with an invitation letter certified by the Service for Foreigners' Affairs.
Paid job with a BiH employer: the employer obtains a work permit from the employment authority of the Federation of BiH, Republika Srpska or Brčko District, then you apply for temporary residence on the basis of the work permit.
Founding and running your own company: founders can work without a work permit if the company employs at least five BiH citizens per foreigner and pays them at least the average gross wage.
University studies: temporary residence for education, with proof of at least BAM 400 per month, a scholarship or a guarantor.
Joining a spouse or parent: family reunification with a BiH citizen or with a foreigner who holds permanent residence, a Blue Card or long-term temporary residence.
Owning a home in BiH: temporary residence on the grounds of real-estate ownership, if you also show an effective connection with the country. After five years of continuous temporary residence, apply for permanent residence.
Visa types for Bosnia and Herzegovina
Visits and short stays
- Tourist visa Visa-free stay and short-stay visa (Visa C)
Citizens of visa-exempt countries, including the EU and Schengen states, can visit Bosnia and Herzegovina for up to 90 days within 180 days with a valid passport.
Maximum stay: 90 days in any 180-day period, visa-free or on a Visa C.
Business and self-employment
- Business visa Short-stay visa for business and certificate of work registration
Meetings, negotiations and fairs in Bosnia and Herzegovina are covered by the visa-free stay or a Visa C, both limited to 90 days in 180.
Maximum stay: 90 days in 180 days; work under a work-registration certificate up to 90 days per calendar year. - Entrepreneur and start-up visa Temporary residence for work without a work permit: founders of a company
Bosnia and Herzegovina has no separate start-up visa, but the Law on Aliens lets founders of a company with its seat in BiH work there without a work permit.
Maximum stay: Up to one year per permit, renewable on the same conditions.
Study and training
- Student visa Temporary residence on the grounds of education (higher education)
Foreign students enrolled at a university in Bosnia and Herzegovina, or arriving on an exchange or youth mobility programme, need temporary residence on the grounds of education.
Maximum stay: Up to one year per permit, renewed each year for the length of the programme, plus up to two years for repeated academic years.
Work
- Work visa Work permit and temporary residence on the basis of a work permit
To take paid employment in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a foreigner needs a work permit obtained by the employer from the employment authority of the Federation of BiH, Republika Srpska or Brčko District, and then temporary residence on the basis of that permit.
Maximum stay: Residence covers the work permit's validity plus 30 days, up to one year; renewable with a new permit.
Family
- Family reunification visa Temporary residence for family reunification with a foreign resident
Close family members of a foreigner living in Bosnia and Herzegovina can obtain temporary residence for family reunification if the sponsor holds permanent residence, a BiH Blue Card, recognised refugee status, or at least one year of temporary residence with reasonable prospects of permanent residence.
Maximum stay: Same period as the sponsor's residence, at most one year; renewable. - Spouse and partner visa Temporary residence for marriage or common-law union with a BiH citizen
A foreigner married to, or in a common-law union with, a BiH citizen who lives in Bosnia and Herzegovina can obtain temporary residence for family reunification for up to one year at a time, renewable on the same conditions.
Maximum stay: Up to one year per permit, renewable on the same conditions.
Residence
- Residence permit Temporary residence on the grounds of real-estate ownership
Owning a flat or house in Bosnia and Herzegovina can be a ground for temporary residence, but only exceptionally and only if the owner also proves an effective connection with the country, such as BiH origin, children at school in BiH, a BiH pension, investment in BiH or close family living there.
Maximum stay: Up to one year per permit, renewable on the same conditions. - Permanent residence Permanent residence (stalni boravak)
A foreigner who has lived in Bosnia and Herzegovina on temporary residence without interruption for at least five years can apply for permanent residence, a right to stay for an indefinite period.
Maximum stay: Indefinite.
Asylum and international protection
- Asylum and international protection Asylum: refugee status and subsidiary protection
People who need international protection in Bosnia and Herzegovina first express the intention to seek asylum to the Border Police or the Service for Foreigners' Affairs, then formally register the claim with the Sector for Asylum of the Ministry of Security.
Maximum stay: You may stay in BiH until the final decision on your claim.
Frequently asked questions
Who needs a visa for Bosnia and Herzegovina?
Nationals of countries not on the visa-exempt list in the Council of Ministers' Decision on Visas, which the foreign ministry's visa page sets out country by country. Exempt citizens, including those of EU and Schengen states, may stay up to 90 days in 180 days. Work and stays beyond 90 days still need the matching permit.
Is Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Schengen area?
No. Bosnia and Herzegovina decides its own list of visa-exempt countries, applies its own 90-day rule under the Law on Aliens and issues its own Visa A, C and D through BiH missions.
How much money must I show at the border?
The minimum set for foreigners is BAM 150, or the equivalent in a convertible currency, for each day of the intended stay. A certified invitation letter or a paid tourist arrangement can also prove means of subsistence.
Who decides on residence permits in Bosnia and Herzegovina?
The Service for Foreigners' Affairs, through its field offices, decides on temporary and permanent residence. Appeals go to the Ministry of Security within 15 days of receiving the decision.
Can I apply for a residence permit inside Bosnia and Herzegovina?
Only if you entered on a long-stay Visa D or you are a national of a visa-free country. In both cases the first application must be filed at least 15 days before the visa or the visa-free period ends. Everyone else applies through a BiH mission.
What happens if I overstay?
Staying beyond the visa, the visa-free period or the residence permit is punished with a fine of BAM 300 to 1,500, and a foreigner without a regulated stay faces removal with an entry ban of one to five years.
Embassies and consulates
Last checked 24 October 2026. Each visa page lists the official sources it is based on.