Obtaining Citizenship of Bosnia and Herzegovina

In 2026, citizens of non-European countries can obtain citizenship of Bosnia and Herzegovina through standard naturalization after 8 years of residence, marriage to a local citizen, recognized origin, or by a decision of the Council of Ministers for special economic merit. The country currently has EU candidate status and attracts immigrants with its mild climate, low prices, the possibility of legalization through business, and citizens’ right to visa-free entry into the Schengen Area.

However, the legislative framework of Bosnia and Herzegovina imposes strict restrictions on citizens: with rare exceptions, they are all required to renounce their first passport. Another significant disadvantage is the absence of investment programs in the form of “buying a passport.” In this article, we will examine in detail the actual time frames and cost of obtaining citizenship, language proficiency requirements, and the current ways to acquire Bosnian citizenship.

Advantages of Citizenship of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia and Herzegovina is a country located at the intersection of European geopolitical interests, has EU candidate status, and is therefore reforming its legislation in line with Brussels standards. This gives the country’s citizenship a number of significant advantages in terms of quality of life and doing business.

The main advantage offered by a passport of Bosnia and Herzegovina is the right to visa-free entry into all Schengen Agreement countries and most European Union states. The standard rule applies to citizens: they may stay within the area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period exclusively for tourism, medical treatment, or short-term business negotiations. This status does not grant an automatic right to permanent residence, study, or work in the EU.

Holders of a Bosnian passport need a visa to travel to the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Simplified programs such as ESTA are not available to them for these destinations. However, a passport of Bosnia and Herzegovina allows visa-free travel to countries such as China, Turkey, Brazil, the UAE, as well as neighboring Balkan states (Serbia, Montenegro, Albania, and North Macedonia) using an internal ID card.

Bosnia and Herzegovina is of interest to foreigners not so much because of freedom of movement as because of its conditions for living and doing business. The country has one of the lowest personal income tax rates in Europe, set at a flat 10%. For this reason, it attracts freelancers, remote workers, and entrepreneurs. Corporate income tax is also fixed at 10%. The standard VAT rate is 17%, and the country has no complex differentiated system of charges and applies a single rate, which simplifies accounting.

The healthcare system of Bosnia and Herzegovina is based on a solidarity-based social insurance model. After obtaining citizenship or a residence permit based on employment, a foreigner registers with the Health Insurance Fund (Zavod zdravstvenog osiguranja), while the employer pays a fixed percentage of the gross salary into the fund. Having an insurance policy (a health booklet or smart card) gives the right to free or subsidized primary, secondary, and inpatient medical care in public clinics, with only minimal co-payments.

Bosnia and Herzegovina has recently officially joined the large-scale European EU4Health program, which allows local institutions to actively introduce digital technologies and e-health solutions and adopt treatment protocols from leading European clinics.

Citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina have access to both public and private education systems. The country’s leading universities (the University of Sarajevo, the University of Banja Luka, and the University of Mostar) are integrated into the Bologna Process. This means that the bachelor’s and master’s degrees they issue are recognized throughout Europe. Education for local citizens in state-funded places at public universities is free or costs a nominal amount.

Main Ways to Obtain Citizenship of Bosnia and Herzegovina

The Citizenship Law (Zakon o državljanstvu BiH) states that citizenship of Bosnia and Herzegovina may be acquired through residence by standard or simplified naturalization, by descent, through an official marriage, and for special merit. Regardless of the method used to obtain a Bosnian passport, most foreigners will have to renounce their original citizenship.

Naturalization and Marriage

Naturalization based on long-term residence in the country is an option for foreigners who have moved to Bosnia and Herzegovina through business, official employment, or other long-term residence permits. Under Article 9 of the Citizenship Law, the applicant must be over 18 years of age and, immediately before submitting the application, must have had approved and registered permanent residence in the country for at least 3 years. This means that the actual residence period before applying for a passport is 8 years: 5 years with a temporary residence permit plus 3 years with permanent residence.

The applicant is required to have command of one of the country’s official languages and its alphabet/writing system (Bosnian, Serbian, or Croatian). Applicants take a language examination at authorized educational institutions.

It is important to be law-abiding and have no active deportation orders. During the 8 years preceding the application, the applicant must not have been sentenced to more than 3 years of imprisonment for intentional crimes. Additional requirements include a legal and permanent source of income sufficient for living expenses, as well as full settlement of all tax and financial obligations to the state.

Foreign spouses of citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina may use the simplified naturalization procedure (Olakšana naturalizacija). The state reduces the residence-time requirements but applies strict criteria when assessing the marriage itself. Under Article 10 of the law, a foreign spouse may apply for a passport of Bosnia and Herzegovina if the official marriage has lasted for at least 5 years before the application is submitted. The relationship must still be valid when the immigration authority makes its decision.

To obtain citizenship through marriage, the candidate must have held permanent resident status in Bosnia and Herzegovina for at least 3 years. A sham marriage or an attempt to live separately is quickly detected by the Service for Foreigners’ Affairs. On-site inspections and interviews are conducted, so it is not possible to “buy” a local wife or husband for the sake of a passport; this is a guaranteed path to deportation.

Both standard and simplified naturalization require renunciation of previous citizenship before a Bosnian passport is issued. An exception applies only to countries with which Bosnia has signed official bilateral international agreements recognizing dual citizenship. At present, such agreements have been ratified only with Croatia, Serbia, and Sweden. For nationals of other countries, obtaining a Bosnian passport involves giving up their original document.

Investment

Bosnia and Herzegovina has no official program that allows citizenship to be obtained through investment. Any offer to buy a Bosnian passport in exchange for investment in real estate or securities is fraudulent. However, local legislation contains a provision that may be viewed as an investment route: obtaining a passport under the “special merit” article, also known as citizenship in the national interest.

Under Article 15 of the Citizenship Law, a foreigner may obtain a passport of Bosnia and Herzegovina without meeting the 8-year residence requirement or taking a language examination. To initiate this process, the relevant authority must submit a petition on the person’s behalf, for example, the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations when the matter concerns business. The final decision is made by the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina. No fixed criteria for obtaining the status are specified.

Repatriation of Emigrants

Under Bosnian legislation, an “emigrant” is a person who previously lived permanently in Bosnia and Herzegovina, or in Yugoslavia, but left for permanent residence abroad. The following persons are entitled to simplified acquisition of a passport:

1. persons who were citizens in the past but lost or renounced that status;
2. first- and second-generation descendants of emigrants, meaning children and grandchildren, even if they were born outside Bosnia and Herzegovina and never held local documents;
3. official spouses of the principal applicants under the program.

If you prove that you have Bosnian roots, you will not need to take an examination in the state language and alphabet, demonstrate a permanent financial income in the country, provide employment certificates, or hold permanent residence status for 3 years before applying. The main condition for obtaining citizenship is physically returning to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In practice, this means that the applicant must enter the country, register a residential address, and obtain at least an initial residence permit on the basis of reunification with roots/return. An application for citizenship may be submitted one year after obtaining the initial residence status.

If the applicant already lives in Bosnia, the documents are submitted to the regional Ministry of Internal Affairs (MUP) of the relevant canton or Republika Srpska at the place of temporary registration. From abroad, the initial file for verification of roots is submitted through the diplomatic mission in the country of residence.

Unlike similar programs in Romania, Slovenia, or Poland, Bosnia and Herzegovina requires repatriates to renounce their existing citizenship. If your goal is to obtain a second passport, you should seek assistance from migration specialists who will assess your eligibility for repatriation programs in European Union countries.

Applicant Requirements and the Procedure for Obtaining Bosnian Citizenship

To obtain citizenship of Bosnia and Herzegovina, you will need to prepare an immigration file. All foreign documents must be legalized and translated into one of the three official languages (Bosnian, Serbian, or Croatian) exclusively by a state-certified court translator. The basic list includes:

1. an application completed on the official form in one of the languages;
2. the original birth certificate;
3. civil status records;
4. a valid international passport;
5. a certificate of current citizenship, an extract from the register, or a document from the embassy of your country.
6. a decision granting permanent residence status;
7. certificates of no criminal record and no criminal prosecution from the country of origin and from the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina;
8. a certificate from the local tax authority confirming the absence of debts, a bank statement, or an employment contract confirming receipt of a stable legal income;
9. a certificate of ownership of real estate in Bosnia or an officially certified long-term lease agreement;
10. a certificate from a licensed educational institution confirming proficiency in the language and writing system;
11. a receipt confirming payment of the fee.

The path from an ordinary tourist to the holder of a biometric Bosnian passport is divided into 5 mandatory and consecutive stages:

1. Entry and Obtaining Temporary Residence (Privremeni boravak). The foreigner enters the country on a type D visa and registers the residential address within 48 hours (the “white card”). Documents for a temporary residence permit are then submitted to the Service for Foreigners’ Affairs (Služba za poslove sa strancima). The basis for the application may be registration of a DOO company, official employment, marriage to a citizen of the country, or study. The status obtained must be renewed annually for 5 years. Long absences from the country are not permitted: absence is allowed for no more than 10 months in total over the entire 5-year period or 6 months at one time.
2. Obtaining Permanent Residence (Stalni boravak). After 5 years of continuous residence with a temporary residence permit, the foreigner becomes eligible to apply for permanent residence. This status is indefinite, but it requires you to live in the country and imposes strict restrictions on lengthy absences abroad.
3. Preparing to Apply for Citizenship. After obtaining permanent residence status, it is necessary to live legally in the country for another 3 years. In the case of marriage, this period may be reduced, but permanent resident status remains mandatory. At this stage, the foreigner takes the language examination and prepares the documents for the citizenship application.
4. Submitting the Citizenship Application and Regional Review. The applicant personally submits the prepared file to the Administrative Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MUP) at the place of permanent registration. The cantonal MUP verifies the authenticity of the documents, summons the applicant for an interview, and, if approved, forwards the case to the Ministry of Civil Affairs in Sarajevo. The application review takes at least 4 months. It is not possible to check the status of the application online; a personal visit to the authority is required.
5. Renouncing the First Citizenship and Obtaining Citizenship. When the Ministry of Civil Affairs approves the application, it issues the applicant a guarantee. This is an official promise that Bosnia will grant a passport once the applicant fulfills the final legal requirement. With this letter, the foreigner goes to the embassy of their country and initiates the procedure for formally renouncing their original citizenship.

After the candidate submits a certificate confirming renunciation of the previous citizenship, the Council of Ministers issues the final decision. The applicant signs a declaration of entry into the new status, receives a citizenship certificate, and applies for a biometric passport of Bosnia and Herzegovina. To obtain the passport, it is necessary to visit the municipal MUP office at the place of registration. An internal plastic ID card must first be issued, followed by the document for international travel.

How Much Time and Money Are Required to Obtain Citizenship of Bosnia and Herzegovina

The processing times for a passport of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the level of expenses depend exclusively on the immigration basis. The longest and most financially demanding route, requiring full integration, is naturalization. The total period of residence in the country is at least 8 years. Five years are spent on annual renewal of temporary residence, and another 3 years on residence with permanent resident status. Review of the citizenship application itself takes at least 4 months.

The cost of a national type D visa to Bosnia and Herzegovina is approximately EUR 60-100, depending on the visa category and the country of application. Obtaining and annually renewing a temporary residence permit costs about EUR 77, permanent residence costs EUR 102, and review of a citizenship application costs EUR 256. Document translations and the language examination will cost approximately EUR 154.

When obtaining citizenship through an official marriage, the residence requirement is approximately 5-6 years. An application may be submitted only after 5 years of continuous official marriage to a citizen of the country, while the foreigner must have held permanent resident status for at least 3 years.

The fastest way to obtain the status is repatriation. The required period of stay in Bosnia is at least 12 months. The fee for citizenship through repatriation is also EUR 256. The main expenses will be archival searches, obtaining the ancestors’ birth certificates in Bosnia, apostilling them in the country of origin, and certified court translation, averaging EUR 300-600. Legal assistance should be budgeted separately.

Citizenship for special merit is granted on an individual basis, so no specific residence requirement is established. The application review fee is standard. Overall, obtaining Bosnian citizenship through standard naturalization, the option most suitable for foreigners, costs approximately EUR 1,000 and takes at least 8 years.

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What Does Not Work: How a Bosnian Passport Cannot Be Obtained

Giving birth in the country does not entitle either the newborn or the child’s father and mother to a passport. The country applies jus sanguinis rather than jus soli, so for a child to obtain the status, at least one parent must be a citizen of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The country also has no commercial citizenship-by-investment program (CBI). Any “ready-made” passport issued without compliance with the residence requirement or a genuine verification of roots is either a forgery or the result of official misconduct. The biometric passport database is strictly controlled by the Agency for Identification Documents (IDDEEA). Violators are certain to face criminal prosecution. Forging documents or knowingly using a false passport leads directly to arrest, trial, imprisonment, and subsequent deportation with a lifetime entry ban to the Balkan countries and the Schengen Area.

A sham marriage also directly leads to deportation. The Service for Foreigners’ Affairs and the Ministry of Internal Affairs are actively combating the practice known as “brak iz koristi” (marriage of convenience). According to reviews from people who obtained passports, inspectors regularly conduct unannounced checks on couples: they come to the home early in the morning or late in the evening, question neighbors, and check for shared photographs and the belongings of both spouses in the wardrobe. Separate cross-interviews are also conducted. Purchasing residential real estate in Bosnia gives a foreigner only the right to obtain a residence permit, which must be renewed every year.

Dual Citizenship in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Is It Permitted to Hold Multiple Passports?

It is important to distinguish between the terms and understand that dual citizenship is possible only when the countries have concluded a bilateral international agreement. In such a case, both states officially recognize the person’s rights and obligations in relation to each other, for example, where taxes must be paid or military service completed. Second citizenship means acquiring the status of another state without recognition by the country of origin. From the perspective of each jurisdiction, the person is regarded exclusively as its own citizen, while the second passport is treated merely as a travel document or is ignored.

The position of Bosnia and Herzegovina is unequivocal: the country prohibits its citizens from holding a second passport. The only legal exception is citizenship retained under bilateral agreements signed and ratified by the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina. As of 2026, Bosnia and Herzegovina has such agreements with only three countries in the world: Serbia, Croatia, and Sweden.

If you are not a citizen of Serbia, Croatia, or Sweden, Bosnian legislation will force you to make a difficult choice: either you cancel your original passport or remain a long-term resident of Bosnia without the right to vote. Therefore, those seeking to obtain multiple statuses should consider other options.

Immigration specialists are well versed in the current legal requirements and the conditions of programs that allow applicants to become dual nationals. Leave a request for a consultation, and a lawyer will assess your situation, identify the most suitable basis for obtaining a second citizenship, and help you complete the process in accordance with applicable law.

Where It Is Faster and Easier to Obtain a Second Passport: An Overview of Alternatives

Repatriation programs available in certain EU countries do not involve purchasing a passport or making investments. From a legal perspective, they are intended to restore historical justice. The state recognizes that ancestors lost their citizenship against their will due to wars, deportations, or changes in political borders and restores the status to their descendants. The main advantage of such programs is the speed of obtaining a passport. Within 12 months, you can become a citizen of the European Union without living abroad.

At the same time, you will not need to renounce your original passport. For example, Romania, Bulgaria, or Slovenia allow dual citizenship for participants in repatriation programs. All that is required is to find evidence of the relevant ethnic or territorial ties. However, this condition is also a significant disadvantage because locating the necessary archival documents is not easy.

Participation in a simplified immigration program in Romania, Bulgaria, and Slovenia is the fastest and fully legal way to obtain EU citizenship without renouncing the first passport. However, it is important to understand that substantiating genuine family ties requires the relevant legal knowledge and skills. Support from a migration specialist will allow you to prepare the document package correctly and submit the application. Qualified assistance at every stage of obtaining an EU passport ensures compliance with all legal requirements and successful acquisition of citizenship.