Every way into Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The short-stay visa (Visa C) is the main tourist and visit visa for Bosnia and Herzegovina, issued for single or multiple entries. The holder may stay up to 90 days within any 180-day period beginning from the date of first entry. The visa itself may be valid for up to one year, exceptionally longer. It is issued for tourism, private visits, business meetings, education and training, science, sport, religion and similar purposes. Nationals of the EU, the United States, the United Kingdom and many other countries are visa-exempt for stays up to 90 days and do not need this visa. The visa does not authorise employment or local study enrolment and does not lead to residence.

Government fee

€60

Processing time

15 days

Max stay

90 days

Validity

365 days

The long-stay visa (Visa D) is the national long-stay entry visa required for stays exceeding 90 days and is the standard gateway for foreigners who intend to regulate temporary residence in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is the entry document required before a foreign national who needs a visa can lodge a first temporary-residence application from inside the country (visa-exempt nationals may apply without it). The visa must be requested in person at a B&H diplomatic or consular mission, generally one to three months before travel, and the same supporting documents as for Visa C apply, with additional evidence justifying the longer stay (employment, study, family, property or business). The Visa D itself does not grant work rights or residence; residence is granted separately by the Service for Foreigners' Affairs.

• Residency: Standard route to lodge a first temporary-residence application after entry.

Government fee

€90

Processing time

30 days

Max stay

180 days

Validity

365 days

The airport transit visa (Visa A) permits a foreign national to pass through the international transit zone of a Bosnia and Herzegovina airport while changing flights to a third country, without entering the territory of the state. It does not authorise leaving the airport. It is required only for nationals of certain countries listed in the Decision on Visas; most travellers connecting through Sarajevo do not need it. Applications are lodged at a B&H diplomatic or consular mission abroad. The visa does not lead to residence and confers no stay rights inside the country.

Government fee

€20

Processing time

15 days

Max stay

1 day

Validity

180 days

The transit visa (Visa B) allows a foreign national to travel through the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina en route to a third country. It may be issued for one, two or exceptionally more transits, and the total duration of any single transit may not exceed five days. The visa itself may be valid for up to six months. Applicants must show onward visas or entry rights for the next and final destination countries, means of transport, and sufficient funds. The visa does not authorise employment and does not lead to residence.

Government fee

€35

Processing time

15 days

Max stay

5 days

Validity

180 days

The short-stay Visa C issued for business purposes covers meetings, negotiations, conferences, trade fairs and similar commercial activity in Bosnia and Herzegovina for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. The visa can be single or multiple entry and valid up to one year. Applicants supply a certified invitation from a B&H company together with proof of the business relationship. Visa-exempt nationals (EU, US, UK and many others) conduct short business visits without a visa. The visa permits business activity but not local employment, and it does not lead to residence.

Government fee

€60

Processing time

15 days

Max stay

90 days

Validity

365 days

Temporary residence on the basis of education is granted by the Service for Foreigners' Affairs to foreign nationals enrolled at a recognised school, university or other educational or scientific institution in Bosnia and Herzegovina, or undertaking research, specialisation or pupil/student exchange. The permit is normally granted for up to one year and renewed for the duration of studies. Applicants must show enrolment, secured accommodation, health insurance and means of subsistence. Only half of the time spent on an education-based permit counts toward the five years of continuous residence required for permanent residence. The administrative fee for issuing a temporary residence permit is 150 BAM.

• Study: Full enrolment at the admitting institution.
• Residency after 5 years

Government fee

BAM 150

Processing time

60 days

Validity

365 days

Foreign nationals who establish and run a company in Bosnia and Herzegovina can obtain temporary residence as a founder, owner or director, and such persons may also work for their own company without a separate work permit. Company formation is comparatively inexpensive, with a minimum share capital around BAM 1,000 (roughly EUR 500) for a limited-liability company. The residence permit is granted for up to one year, tied to the active business, and is renewable. Applicants must show company registration, secured accommodation, health insurance and means of subsistence. Bosnia and Herzegovina has no passive investor or golden-visa scheme, so investor migration runs through this active-business route. Time on this permit counts toward the five years required for permanent residence.

• Work: May work for the own company without a separate work permit.
• Study: Lawful residence permits study alongside the business.
• Residency after 5 years

Government fee

BAM 150

Processing time

60 days

Validity

365 days

Employment of foreigners follows a two-step model: an employer first obtains a work permit from the competent Employment Service (in the Federation of B&H, Republika Srpska or Brcko District), after which the foreigner applies to the Service for Foreigners' Affairs for temporary residence based on employment. Work permits are issued within an annual quota set by the Council of Ministers by sector and entity, and the employer must normally pass a labour-market test showing no suitable domestic worker is available. The residence permit is granted for up to one year, tied to the work permit, and is renewable. The administrative fee for the temporary residence permit is 150 BAM (the work-permit fee is charged separately by the Employment Service). Time spent on employment-based residence counts in full toward the five years required for permanent residence.

• Work: Work for the specific employer and role named in the work permit.
• Study: Lawful residence permits study alongside work.
• Residency after 5 years

Government fee

BAM 150

Processing time

60 days

Validity

365 days

Foreigners engaged in seasonal work in sectors such as agriculture, construction, tourism and hospitality obtain a work permit from the competent Employment Service and then regulate temporary residence with the Service for Foreigners' Affairs for the duration of the seasonal engagement, up to one year. The work permit is issued within the annual foreign-worker quota set by the Council of Ministers. The 2026 Federation reform removes the labour-market test for designated shortage occupations, which include several seasonal sectors, speeding up hiring. The residence administrative fee is 150 BAM. Short, single-season engagements generally do not build toward permanent residence unless residence is continuously maintained.

• Work: Limited to the seasonal sector and employer named in the permit.

Government fee

BAM 150

Processing time

30 days

Validity

365 days

The Law on Foreigners lists categories of foreigners who may work in Bosnia and Herzegovina without an Employment-Service work permit, including company founders and directors, key personnel and specialists seconded within an enterprise, university professors and visiting scientists, religious officials, accredited correspondents, and participants in certain projects. These foreigners still regulate temporary residence with the Service for Foreigners' Affairs, supplying evidence of the qualifying category instead of a work permit. The permit is granted for up to one year and is renewable while the basis continues. The administrative fee is 150 BAM. Time on this residence counts toward the five years required for permanent residence.

• Work: Work permitted in the qualifying capacity without an Employment-Service work permit.
• Study: Lawful residence permits study alongside the activity.
• Residency after 5 years

Government fee

BAM 150

Processing time

60 days

Validity

365 days

Foreign nationals who own residential or commercial real estate in Bosnia and Herzegovina may apply for temporary residence based on property ownership. There is no minimum property value or investment threshold. The application is filed at the Field Office of the Service for Foreigners' Affairs covering the area where the property is located. In practice the authorities require evidence of a genuine and lasting connection to the country in addition to ownership (for example B&H origin, children schooled in B&H, a B&H pension, investment activity, or close family resident in B&H). The permit is granted for up to one year and renewed annually with similar documentation. This is not a golden-visa programme: residence is discretionary and grants no automatic work rights. Time on the permit counts toward the five years required for permanent residence.

• Study: Lawful residence permits study.
• Residency after 5 years

Government fee

BAM 150

Processing time

60 days

Validity

365 days

Bosnia and Herzegovina has no dedicated retirement visa, but financially independent foreigners, including pensioners, can regulate temporary residence on the basis of other justified reasons, often combined with property ownership or a genuine connection to the country. Receipt of a pension and proof of stable income and secured housing support the application, which is assessed by the Service for Foreigners' Affairs. The permit is granted for up to one year and renewed annually. There is no fixed statutory income threshold, but applicants must convincingly show sufficient regular means and health insurance. The administrative fee is 150 BAM, and time on the permit counts toward the five years required for permanent residence.

• Study: Lawful residence permits study.
• Residency after 5 years

Government fee

BAM 150

Processing time

60 days

Validity

365 days

Family reunification allows close family members of a foreigner who already holds temporary or permanent residence in Bosnia and Herzegovina (the sponsor) to obtain residence to live together. Eligible members are typically the spouse or cohabiting partner, minor children, and dependent parents or other dependants. The sponsor must show adequate accommodation, sufficient income and health insurance for the family. The permit is granted to match the sponsor's residence, up to one year, and is renewable. The administrative fee is 150 BAM. Time on the permit counts toward the five years of continuous residence required for permanent residence.

• Study: Education permitted under lawful residence.
• Residency after 5 years
• Family: Covers the sponsor's spouse/partner, minor children and dependants.

Government fee

BAM 150

Processing time

60 days

Validity

365 days

A foreign national married to, or in a recognised extramarital (cohabiting) community with, a citizen of Bosnia and Herzegovina may obtain temporary residence on that basis. The application is filed with the Service for Foreigners' Affairs and supported by proof of the marriage or partnership and the spouse's B&H citizenship. The permit is granted for up to one year and renewed; spouses of citizens reach permanent residence and naturalisation faster than other categories. The administrative fee is 150 BAM. Holders may take up employment, though local rules on work authorisation for spouses of citizens should be confirmed at the competent office.

• Work: Spouses of B&H citizens generally enjoy access to employment; confirm work-authorisation rules locally.
• Study: Lawful residence permits study.
• Residency after 5 years
• Family: The applicant is the spouse; their minor children may join via family-reunification residence.

Government fee

BAM 150

Processing time

60 days

Validity

365 days

Temporary residence on humanitarian grounds is granted by the Service for Foreigners' Affairs to foreigners who do not meet ordinary conditions but whose situation warrants protection, including victims of trafficking in human beings, unaccompanied minors, persons who cannot leave the country for serious humanitarian reasons, and those cooperating with authorities in criminal proceedings. It is distinct from international protection (asylum), which is handled under a separate procedure. The permit is granted for up to one year and renewable while the grounds persist. Standard income and accommodation conditions may be relaxed for these categories. Time spent on certain humanitarian bases is excluded from, or only partly counts toward, the five years required for permanent residence.

• Study: Education permitted under lawful residence.

Processing time

60 days

Validity

365 days

Permanent residence grants the right to stay in Bosnia and Herzegovina indefinitely. The general route requires at least five years of continuous, lawful temporary residence in the country immediately before the application. Applicants must show sufficient and regular means of subsistence, adequate accommodation, valid health insurance, basic knowledge of an official language and alphabet, and no criminal proceedings or convictions. Time spent on education-based residence counts only at half rate, and stays on temporary protection, diplomatic status or certain humanitarian and work-without-permit bases generally do not count. The administrative fee is 200 BAM. Permanent residents enjoy broad equal treatment, including access to the labour market.

• Work: Permanent residents have access to the labour market without a separate work permit.
• Study: Education on broadly equal terms with citizens.
• Residency: This is permanent residence; naturalisation may follow under the Citizenship Law after further lawful residence.

Government fee

BAM 200

Processing time

90 days