Bosnia and Herzegovina (BA)

Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) is a Balkan gem combining Ottoman heritage, Habsburg architecture, Adriatic mountain scenery, and one of the lowest costs of living in Europe.

Capital: Sarajevo

Region: Europe

Language: Bosnian

Currency: BAM (KM)

Cost of living: Very affordable (index 27)

Emergency: 112

Citizenship & Permanent Residency

Long-term settlement options in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Permanent Residency

Name

Permanent Residence Permit (Stalni boravak)

Eligibility

Foreigners who have held legal temporary residence in BiH continuously for 5 years (3 years for spouses of BiH citizens). Continuous residence means no single absence exceeding 6 months or combined absences exceeding 10 months during the qualifying period.

Duration

Processing: 30–60 working days after submission of complete application. The permit itself does not expire (document renewed every 10 years).

Requirements

✓5 years (3 years for spouse of BiH citizen) of continuous legal temporary residence
✓Valid passport with at least 6 months remaining validity
✓Proof of accommodation (owned property or valid rental contract)
✓Proof of regular income sufficient for self-support (approximately KM 1,000/month)
✓Valid private or public health insurance
✓Clean criminal record from BiH and home country (certificates within 6 months)
✓No outstanding tax liabilities in BiH
✓Application to MUP Foreigners Affairs Unit (Ured za strance)

Permanent residence is the recommended goal for most expats planning long-term life in BiH. It removes annual work permit dependency and residence renewal stress. Grants the right to live and work in BiH indefinitely without employer restriction. Does NOT grant voting rights or EU freedom of movement (BiH is not yet an EU member). Fee: approximately KM 150–250.

Citizenship

Name

Naturalisation — Standard (Naturalizacija)

Eligibility

Adult foreigners with 8 continuous years of legal residence in BiH (no single absence exceeding 6 months). Spouses of BiH citizens qualify after 5 years of continuous legal residence during the marriage, in addition to at least 3 years of permanent residence.

Duration

Processing: 6–18 months after submission of complete application to the entity Ministry of Interior.

Requirements

✓8 continuous years of legal residence (or 5 years during marriage for spouses of BiH citizens, combined with at least 3 years of permanent residence)
✓Renunciation of prior citizenship required in most cases — exceptions apply for nationals of countries with bilateral dual-citizenship treaties with BiH (see dual citizenship notes)
✓Clean criminal record from BiH and home country
✓Basic knowledge of Bosnian, Croatian or Serbian language (assessed by Ministry of Interior)
✓Proof of financial self-sufficiency
✓No outstanding tax obligations in BiH
✓Application submitted to entity Ministry of Interior (Ministarstvo unutarnjih poslova)

The 8-year naturalisation requirement is among the longest in the Balkans. BiH citizenship does not currently confer EU citizenship or free movement — that will only change upon EU accession. Nationals of countries with bilateral dual-citizenship treaties with BiH (including Croatia, Serbia, Sweden and Turkey) may retain their original nationality when naturalising. Verify whether your home country is covered before planning around the renunciation requirement.

Other Routes to Residency & Citizenship

Citizenship by Descent (Pravo na državljanstvo po porijeklu)

Eligibility

Persons with at least one BiH citizen parent, or persons who previously held BiH citizenship and wish to recover it. Children born abroad to BiH citizen parents are entitled to citizenship.

Duration / Outcome

Processing: 3–6 months

Requirements

✓Birth certificate proving parent is/was a BiH citizen (apostilled and translated)
✓Documents establishing the parental citizenship link
✓No renunciation requirement for descent-based claims
✓Application to entity Ministry of Interior or BiH diplomatic mission abroad

Descent is the main pathway where dual citizenship is practically tolerated. The large Bosnian diaspora in Austria, Germany, USA, Sweden and Australia frequently reclaims BiH citizenship by descent. This does not require giving up the other citizenship.

Exceptional Naturalisation (Posebni slučajevi naturalizacije)

Eligibility

Persons who have made exceptional contributions to BiH in science, arts, sport, economics or public life.

Duration / Outcome

Discretionary — no standard timeline. Council of Ministers approval required.

Requirements

✓Ministerial or governmental proposal
✓Documentation of exceptional contribution to BiH
✓No minimum residence duration requirement
✓Council of Ministers approval at the state level

Rarely granted. Used for prominent athletes, academics, investors and cultural figures. Applications are processed at state (not entity) level. No public application procedure — initiated through government channels.

Dual Citizenship

Dual citizenship is not allowed — BiH law generally requires renunciation of prior citizenship upon naturalisation by ordinary residence. However, significant exceptions apply: (1) Citizenship acquired by descent from a BiH-citizen parent does not require renunciation of the other nationality. (2) BiH has bilateral dual-citizenship treaties with multiple countries including Croatia, Serbia, Sweden and Turkey — nationals of those countries may retain their original citizenship when naturalising in BiH. (3) Enforcement of the renunciation requirement has been inconsistent in practice for diaspora members. Many BiH citizens living abroad hold dual nationality of their country of residence in practice. Check with the entity Ministry of Interior and your home-country embassy before planning around renunciation — the bilateral treaty list and political dynamics around EU accession negotiations continue to evolve.

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