Legal information, not legal advice. Every jurisdiction page carries its verification status and sources.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Civil lawFederal parliamentary republicReviewed· 2026-08-02
Capital
Sarajevo
Population
3,200,000
Languages
Bosnian, Croatian
Currency
BAM

Bosnia and Herzegovina · Immigration

Immigration in Bosnia and Herzegovina

What the atlas records on immigration in Bosnia and Herzegovina, checked against the primary sources cited below.

Immigration

State-level immigration law with entity-level employment rules

Reviewed· 2026-08-02

Immigration is one of the clear state competences, governed by the Aliens Act and administered by the Service for Foreigners' Affairs. Work permits, however, are issued under entity employment legislation.

Key rules

  • Temporary residence is granted by the state Service for Foreigners' Affairs.
  • Work permits are issued by entity employment services, not by the state.
  • Permanent residence generally requires five years of continuous temporary residence.

Governing law

  • Aliens Act (Zakon o strancima)
  • Entity acts on the employment of foreigners

In practice

Because residence is a state matter and work an entity matter, applications must be sequenced carefully to avoid a gap in status.

Sources

Found something out of date on Bosnia and Herzegovina · Immigration?

Corrections are reviewed against the primary source before anything changes.

Report a correction