Bosnia and Herzegovina welcomes thousands of tourists every year. If you want to visit Bosnia you must check if you need a visa to enter the country or not.
If you come from a country that requires a visa, you can apply for either a short-term or long-term visa. A short-stay visa allows you to stay in Bosnia for 90 days, whereas a long-stay visa allows you to stay for one year.
If you come from a country that does not require a visa, you can enter Bosnia with just a valid passport.
Do I Need a Visa to Visit Bosnia?
You do not need a visa to visit Bosnia for 90 days within 180 days if you are a citizen, refugee, or stateless person from one of the following countries.
- All EU citizens
- Iceland
- Russia (30 days)
- Albania
- Israel
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Andorra
- Japan
- Saint Lucia
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Kiribati
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Argentina
- Kuwait
- Samoa
- Azerbaijan
- Lichenstein
- San Marino
- Australia
- Macau
- Serbia
- Bahamas
- Malaysia
- Seychelles
- Bahrain
- Marshall Islands
- Singapore
- Barbados
- Mauritius
- Solomon Islands
- Brazil
- Mexico
- South Korea
- Brunei
- Micronesia
- Switzerland
- Canda
- Moldova
- Taiwan
- Chile
- Monaco
- Timor-Leste
- China
- Montenegro
- Tonga
- Colombia
- New Zeland
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Costa Rica
- Nicaragua
- Turkey
- Dominica
- North Macedonia
- Tuvalu
- El Salvador
- Norway
- Ukraine (30 days)
- Georgia
- Oman
- The United Arab Emirates
- Grenada
- Palau
- The Unites Kingdom
- Guatemala
- Panama
- The United States
- Hol See
- Paraguay
- Uruguay
- Honduras
- Peru
- Vanuata
- Hong Kong
- Qatar
- Venezuela
* Citizens of the countries listed above can enter in Bosnia with just a valid passport.
Note: Refugees and stateless persons residing in Central and South America and the Caribbean countries need a visa to visit Bosnia.
Other Visa Exemptions
You are exempted from a Bosnian visa if you fit into one of the following categories:
- If you are a holder of a national ID card of:
- EU countries
- Albania
- Lichenstein
- Monaco
- Montenegro
- North Macedonia
- San Marino
- Serbia
- Switzerland
- If you are a holder of a passport or residence permit of the European Union, Schengen Area member states, and the United States of America. You can enter without a visa in Bosnia and stay there for 30 days. This rule does not apply if you are a holder of a Kosovan passport.
- If you are a holder of a diplomatic or official/service passport of:
- Belarus
- China
- Cuba
- Egypt
- Indonesia
- Iran
- Jordan
- Kazakistan
- Moldova
- Pakistan
- Saudi Arabia
- Tunisia
Types of Bosnian Visas
The Bosnian visa types are grouped into these main categories:
- Transit (A) visa.
- Short-stay (C) visa.
- Long-stay (D) visa.
Bosnia Transit Visa
A transit visa is issued to foreign citizens who need a visa to transit through a Bosnian airport when travelling to another country. The transit visa does not allow you to leave the airport of Bosnia, it only allows you to change flights from Bosnia to another country. It is issued with one, two, or multiple entries and it is valid for three months
Bosnia Short Stay Visas
A short-stay visa is issued to a foreign citizen who wants to visit Bosnia for 90 days within any 180 days period. This visa is issued for one, two, or multiple entries.
You can get a Bosnian short-stay visa for the following purposes:
- Tourism.
- Business meetings.
- Medical treatment.
- Family visits.
- Political events.
- Sports events.
- Educational training, etc.
*With a short-stay visa you cannot apply for a temporary residence permit.
Bosnia Long Stay Visas
A long-stay visa is issued to a foreign citizen who wants to stay in Bosnia for six to twelve months. This visa is issued with one, two, or multiple entries. A long-stay visa is issued for the following purposes:
- Work.
- Study.
- Medical treatment.
- Business.
- Family reunion.
- Research work, etc.
*If you want to stay longer than one year in Bosnia, with a long-stay visa you can apply for a temporary residence permit.
Is Bosnia in Schengen?
Bosnia is not a part of the Schengen Agreement, but it aspires to become a part of the EU. However, holders of a Schengen visa or passport may enter without a visa in Bosnia and stay for 30 days.
Bosnia Visa Requirements
Here are all the required documents you need to submit when applying for a Bosnian visa:
- Valid passport. Your passport must be in good condition, and with at least two blank pages.
- Copies of previous visas (if any).
- ID document. Your ID document must be valid.
- Application form. Download the Bosnian application form online, print a hard copy, and sign it at the end.
- Fee payment. Finish the fee payment when submitting the documents at the embassy/consulate of Bosnia, and finish the payment by cash there.
- One photo. Your photo must be passport-size, with colors, and taken within the last six months.
- Travel health insurance. Your health insurance must be valid for the whole time you plan on staying in Bosnia.
- Proof of accommodation in Bosnia. This document proves that you have a place to stay in Bosnia. It can be a rental agreement, hotel reservation, letter of invitation, etc.
- Letter of invitation. A letter of invitation is written by your family members or friends staying in Bosnia. This document proves that you have a place to stay while in Bosnia.
- Bank statement. This is a document issued from your bank, and it must prove that you are financially stable and can finance yourself while in Bosnia.
- Flight itinerary. This is a document that includes the flight date, flight time, and a return ticket. The return ticket proves that you plan to return to your home country when your visa expires.
How to Apply for a Bosnian Visa?
To apply for a Bosnian visa, you must submit the documents to the nearest embassy/consulate of Bosnia in your home country.
- Contact the nearest embassy/consulate of Bosnia in your home country. After contacting the embassy/consulate, make sure you book an appointment for your visa application.
- Fill out the application form. You can download the application form online, print a hard copy, fill it out in writing, and sign it at the end.
- Finish the fee payment. You can make the payment in cash at the embassy/consulate when submitting the requested documents. Attach the receipt of the payment to the file of required documents
- Gather and submit the visa documents at the embassy/consulate of Bosnia in your home country. Make sure you gather all the required documents.
- Wait for a response. After fulfilling all the necessary steps wait for an answer from the embassy/consulate of Bosnia to which you have submitted the documents.
How Long Does It Take to Process a Bosnian Visa?
The processing time for a Bosnian visa is from 5 working days to one month. It starts from the date that the embassy/consulate receives your visa application form.
When Should I Submit my Bosnia Visa Application?
You must submit your application at least one month before your traveling date for a short-stay C visa.
If you are applying for a long-stay D visa, you must submit your application three months before your traveling date.
Validity of a Bosnia Visa
The validity of a Bosnian visa depends on your visa type. So, if you apply for a short-stay visa, you can stay in Bosnia for 30 days. If you apply for a long-stay visa, you may stay in Bosnia for one year.
However, if you plan on staying for longer than one year, you should apply for a temporary residence permit.
Bosnia Visa Fees
Here are the Bosnian visa fees:
- €35 for a short-stay C visa single entry.
- €65 for a short-stay C visa multiple entries.
- €81 for a long-stay D visa.
*If your visa is rejected, the embassy will not refund your money.
Note: Fees can slightly change depending on the embassy/consulate, currency, age, etc.
Reasons for Bosnia Visa Denial
Bosnian authorities can reject your visa for different purposes, such as:
- Providing false information.
- Submitting uncompleted documents.
- Submitting documents that are not in good condition.
- Not attending your visa appointment on time.
- Not having a valid passport, etc.
What to Do If Your Bosnia Visa Application Is Rejected?
If your Bosnian visa is rejected, you can reapply for the same visa or appeal the rejection by writing an appeal letter to the embassy/consulate that has rejected your visa.
Obtaining a Residence Permit for Bosnia
A residence permit allows you to stay in Bosnia longer than one year. However, depending on how long you plan to stay, you can apply for a:
- Temporary residence permit.
- It allows you to stay in Bosnia for five years.
- It is issued for the same reasons as a long-stay D visa.
- Permanent residence permit.
- It allows you to stay in Bosnia permanently.
- It Is issued for the same reasons as a temporary residence permit.
You can apply for a permanent residence permit after you have stayed in Bosnia for five years with a temporary residence permit.
How Can I Apply for Bosnian Citizenship?
To obtain Bosnian citizenship, you must stay in Bosnia for five years with a temporary residence permit and another five years with a permanent residence permit.
You can obtain Citizenship of Bosnia by:
- Origin.
- Birth (if you are born in Bosnia).
- Adoption (if a Bosnian citizen adopts you).
- Naturalization.
- International agreement.