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Bosnia and Herzegovina

Visa Bosnia and Herzegovina

Europe · Europe du Sud

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, visas are issued by the diplomatic and consular missions under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; the entry and stay of foreign nationals fall to the Service for Foreigners' Affairs (SPS). The pages read on 2026-09-18 describe three visa categories (A, C, D), a visa issued exceptionally at the border, the means requirement of 150.00 KM per day, the forms published by the SPS, registration of the place of stay and the deadlines for extensions.

The information on this page helps prepare a case. Only the competent authority decides; always check the official source before filing an application.

Machine-assisted draft, reviewed by a person on 23 September 2026. Only the authority cited is authoritative.

Published on 23 September 2026 · Reviewed by vg_admin on 23 September 2026 · Sources consulted on 18 September 2026

At a glance

Authority
Ministarstvo vanjskih poslova Bosne i Hercegovine — Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Služba za poslove sa strancima (SPS), Service for Foreigners' Affairs, for entry and stay
Submission channel
Diplomatic and consular missions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, according to the "Ulazak stranaca u BiH" page; exceptionally, a visa issued at the border crossing
Electronic visa
Not stated on the portal consulted: the SPS publishes electronic forms for download, with no online filing described on the page read
Length of a short stay (visa C)
90 days at most in any six-month period counted from the first entry, according to the SPS page
Means required on entry
150.00 KM per day of intended stay, or the equivalent in freely convertible currency, according to the pages read
Portal language
Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian and English for the ministry; Bosnian for the Service for Foreigners' Affairs

Do you need a visa?

Choose a nationality to see the recorded entry rule. No answer is shown until reviewed data exists.

Documented visa types

Visa A — airport transit visa
Allows transit through the international zone of an airport without entering the territory. Maximum validity of three months, for one or more transits. Official page (new tab)
Visa C — short-stay visa
Transit or multiple entries, for a stay not exceeding 90 days in any six-month period counted from the first entry. Validity that may run up to one year. Official page (new tab)
Visa D — long-stay visa
Issued for a stay of more than 90 days in any six-month period; allows a stay of up to six months over one year counted from the first entry. Validity that may run up to one year. Official page (new tab)
Visa issued at the border crossing (exceptional cases)
Issued exceptionally at the airports of Sarajevo, Banja Luka, Tuzla and Mostar and at land crossing points including Izačić and Bosanska Gradiška. Stated fee: 100.00 KM. Official page (new tab)

Where and how to apply

The "Ulazak stranaca u BiH" page of the Service for Foreigners' Affairs states that visas are obtained from the diplomatic and consular representations of Bosnia and Herzegovina and refers for the detail to the site of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs publishes a "Vize" section and a consular information section. The consular pages read on 2026-09-18 detail neither the documents for a visa application, nor the consular fees, nor the processing times; they refer to the ministry (Musala 2, Sarajevo 71000, telephone +387 33 281 100, email info_mvpbih@mvp.gov.ba).

The Service for Foreigners' Affairs publishes electronic forms for download, among them an application for the issue of a visa, an application for the extension of a visa, applications for verification of a letter of invitation for a legal person, a natural person or a group, registration of the place of stay and applications for temporary and permanent residence. The page describes a download and then a filing under the corresponding procedure, with no online filing.

Exceptionally, a visa may be issued at the border crossing: the airports of Sarajevo, Banja Luka, Tuzla and Mostar, land crossing points including Izačić and Bosanska Gradiška. The visa rule applicable to a given nationality is shown with the nationality selector on this page; only the Bosnian authority is authoritative.

Steps in the procedure

  1. Determine the category matching the journey and the length of the stay: visa A for airport transit, visa C for a short stay, visa D for a long stay.
  2. Gather a recognized passport or travel document, in force.
  3. Prepare the proof of means of subsistence: 150.00 KM per day of intended stay, in the form of cash, a bank transfer or a verified letter of invitation, according to the pages read.
  4. Download the application form for the issue of a visa published by the Service for Foreigners' Affairs and complete it.
  5. File the application with the competent diplomatic or consular representation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
  6. After entry, have the place of stay registered: the Service's page states a deadline of 48 hours after arrival and an exemption for stays of less than three days.
  7. To extend a visa, file the application at least 15 days before it expires, with the competent embassy or consulate or with the local office of the Service.
  8. For a longer stay, file an application for temporary residence at the latest 15 days before the expiry of the visa D or of the visa-free period of stay.

Documents mentioned by the authority

The exact list depends on the visa type and on the situation; only the official page is authoritative. Some of the items above are presented by the pages as conditions of entry or stay, not as the list of documents for a visa application.

Stated fees and processing times

According to the portal consulted on 2026-09-18: the "Ulazak stranaca u BiH" page states a fee of 100.00 KM for a visa issued exceptionally at the border crossing. No amount is published on the pages read for a visa applied for at a diplomatic or consular representation.

According to the portal consulted on 2026-09-18: the "Administrativne takse" page of the Service for Foreigners' Affairs describes the payment arrangements and cites charges for approval of permanent residence, approval and extension of temporary residence, issue of attestations and verification of letters of invitation. The amounts appear in a PDF annex that was not read.

According to the portal consulted on 2026-09-18: no processing time for a visa application is stated on the pages read. The pages do, however, set filing deadlines: 48 hours to register the place of stay after arrival, 8 days to report a change of address in permanent residence, at least 15 days before expiry for a visa extension or an application for temporary residence, and 8 days after approval of permanent residence to apply for the foreigner's identity card.

After the decision

After entry, the "Boravak stranaca u BiH" page requires the place of stay to be registered within 48 hours of arrival, with an exemption for stays of less than three days. It states that the registration certificate ("bijeli karton") is only a declaration of address and is not proof of a legal status.

The length of stay depends on the type of visa issued. An extension is applied for at least 15 days before expiry, with the competent embassy or consulate or with the local office of the Service for Foreigners' Affairs.

Temporary residence is granted for one year at most, on one of the grounds listed by the authority. Permanent residence presupposes five continuous years of approved temporary residence; after approval, a unique identification number is assigned and the foreigner's identity card must be applied for within 8 days.

Avenues of appeal in the event of a refusal are not stated on the portal consulted. The Bosnian authority decides whether to grant or refuse.

Published procedures

No reviewed and published procedure for Bosnia and Herzegovina to date. We prefer an empty page to an invented requirement.

Explore procedures

Frequently asked questions

Is a visa required for Bosnia and Herzegovina?

It depends on nationality and on the purpose of travel; the rule reviewed by VisaGuideline is shown with the nationality selector on this page. The official pages read state that a foreign national must hold a valid travel document and a visa, unless exempt. Always check with the authority.

Where is the application filed?

According to the "Ulazak stranaca u BiH" page read on 2026-09-18, visas are obtained from the diplomatic and consular representations of Bosnia and Herzegovina. A visa may be issued exceptionally at the border crossing, at the airports of Sarajevo, Banja Luka, Tuzla and Mostar and at land crossing points.

Is there an electronic visa?

Not stated on the portal consulted. The Service for Foreigners' Affairs publishes electronic forms for download, including an application for the issue of a visa, but the pages read do not describe a fully online filing.

What means must be shown?

The pages read state 150.00 KM per day of intended stay, or the equivalent in freely convertible currency, to be shown through cash, a bank transfer or a verified letter of invitation, for subsistence and health care.

How long can one stay on a short-stay visa?

The visa C allows a stay of 90 days at most in any six-month period counted from the first entry, for a validity that may run up to one year, according to the page of the Service for Foreigners' Affairs. Beyond that, the page refers to the visa D.

Must one report after arrival?

The "Boravak stranaca u BiH" page requires the place of stay to be registered within 48 hours of arrival and states an exemption for stays of less than three days. It states that this certificate is only a declaration of address and does not prove a legal status.

Consulted sources

Official pages read to write this guide, with the date they were read. A page may have changed since: check it before taking any step.

What this guide does not know yet

Points the official source does not specify and which this guide therefore left blank. Ask the competent authority about them before filing an application.

Prepare my case

This method is the same for every destination. It does not list any document as an official requirement: only the authority’s source is authoritative.

  1. Describe your situation

    Nationality, residence, purpose and dates. The checker tells covered routes apart from situations that are still unknown.

  2. Check at the source

    Open the destination’s official source and compare it with your situation before starting a procedure.

  3. Track what is left to do

    Your space keeps your answers and your declared checklist. A complete checklist does not announce a favorable decision.

Check my route Open my case

The information on this page helps prepare a case. Only the competent authority decides; always check the official source before filing an application.