The Republic of Srpska

Information for Foreign Citizens

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• Entry into Bosnia and Herzegovina for citizens of countries with a visa-free regime with BiH
• Citizens of countries with a visa regime with BiH
• Entry of minors
• Stay of foreigners
• Registration of residence, domicile, and change of address, as well as deregistration of domicile
• Duration and extension of temporary stay
• Conditions for obtaining approval for temporary stay
• Permanent settlement
• Identity cards for foreigners

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Entry into Bosnia and Herzegovina for citizens of countries with a visa-free regime

Foreigners coming from countries with which Bosnia and Herzegovina has a visa-free regime can cross the border into BiH if they meet the following conditions:

• They possess a valid travel document,
• They have sufficient financial means to support themselves during their planned stay in BiH and for their exit from the country, including funds for healthcare,
• They have documents, evidence, or provide information by which the purpose and conditions of their stay can be reasonably inferred,
• A vaccination certificate if coming from an area affected by an epidemic of a contagious disease.

Citizens of countries with a visa regime

Foreigners coming from countries with which Bosnia and Herzegovina has a visa regime can enter BiH if, in addition to the conditions mentioned for foreigners from countries with a visa-free regime, they also have a valid visa for entry, stay, or transit through the territory of BiH.

Entry of minors

A foreigner under the age of 18 can cross the border into BiH based on a personal travel document when accompanied by one or both parents, legal representatives, or guardians, or when accompanied by a person authorized to accompany them with a signed and notarized authorization from the parents, legal representatives, or guardians.

Without accompaniment, they can cross the border into BiH if they have a notarized consent from parents, legal representatives, or guardians.

A foreigner can also cross the border into BiH without meeting the above conditions if it is provided for by an international agreement of which BiH is a contracting party or by a decision of the Council of Ministers of BiH.

Stay of foreigners

The following types of stays in BiH can be granted to foreigners:

• Visa stay (for the duration specified in the visa),
• Visa-free stay,
• Temporary stay (up to one year),
• Permanent stay (without time limitations).

Registration of Residence, Domicile, Address Changes, and Deregistration of Domicile

• Residence of a foreigner is the place where a foreigner stays based on a visa, visa-free stay, or temporary stay.
• Domicile of a foreigner is the place where a foreigner with approved permanent residence in BiH settles with the intention of permanent living.
• A foreigner with approved temporary stay must register and deregister their residence, as well as report changes in their address. A foreigner with approved permanent residence must register their domicile and report changes in their address in the domicile within eight days from the date of receiving the decision on permanent residence approval or from the arrival in the domicile or from the date of the address change.
• A foreigner with approved temporary stay must report their residence and address change within 48 hours from the date of receiving the stay permit or from the address change.
• Legal and natural persons providing accommodation services are obligated to report the residence of a foreigner to the competent organizational unit of the Foreigners Affairs Service or the police within 12 hours at the latest from the moment of providing accommodation services to a foreigner. The obligation to report the residence of foreigners applies to, in addition to legal and natural persons registered to provide accommodation services (hotels, etc.), healthcare institutions, spa resorts, or other institutions admitting foreigners for treatment, nursing homes, institutions specialized in accommodating persons with special needs, school and student dormitories, if foreigners stay in BiH based on a visa or visa-free stay, etc.
• A foreigner not using accommodation services of legal and natural persons or natural persons they are visiting must report the residence of the foreigner in BiH to the competent organizational unit of the Foreigners Affairs Service or the police within 48 hours from entering BiH if the foreigners will stay in BiH for more than three days.

 

Duration and Extension of Temporary Stay

Approval of temporary stay can be granted for a period of up to one year, depending on the basis for the stay, with the passport's validity period being at least three months longer than the period for which temporary stay is approved.

Extension of temporary stay can be granted upon the foreigner's request only based on the same grounds for which temporary stay was approved.

Conditions for Issuing Approval for Temporary Stay

Temporary stay can be approved for a foreigner under the conditions that:

• The foreigner has evidence justifying the grounds for granting temporary stay,
• The foreigner has means of support,
• The foreigner has a medical certificate issued no later than three months before the application date, indicating that they do not suffer from a disease that poses a threat to public health in BiH, except in cases when the condition occurred after the initial approval of temporary stay in BiH,
• The foreigner has adequate accommodation in BiH,
• The foreigner has health insurance in BiH,
• The foreigner possesses a passport with a validity period of at least three months longer than the period for which temporary stay is requested,
• There is no ongoing criminal proceedings against the foreigner, and the foreigner has not been convicted of criminal offenses.

Temporary stay for humanitarian reasons can be granted to a foreigner who does not meet the above conditions for stay approval in the following cases:

• If the foreigner is a victim of organized crime or human trafficking,
• To a minor child of a foreigner if abandoned or a victim of organized crime or other reasons have led to a lack of parental protection, guardianship, or escort,
• To a stateless person,
• To a foreigner found to be at risk to life or freedom due to their race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, political beliefs, or because they would face torture, punishment, or other forms of inhuman or degrading treatment if returned to their country of origin,
• For other justified humanitarian reasons.

Temporary stay based on family reunification can be granted to a foreigner under the conditions that:

• A citizen of BiH or a foreigner with approved residence in BiH has arranged accommodation for themselves and family members for whom they are seeking stay approval for family reunification and has a stable source of income or sufficient means of support for persons for whom they are submitting a request,
• A citizen of BiH or a foreigner with approved residence in BiH has arranged health insurance for themselves and family members for whom they are seeking stay approval for family reunification,
• There are no reasons to exclude approval, which relate to not possessing a medical certificate, a passport with a validity period of at least three months longer than the requested approval period, being subject to criminal proceedings, being punished for a criminal offense, the presence of a foreigner posing a threat to public order or security in BiH, or posing a threat to public health, except when the illness occurred after the initial approval of temporary stay in BiH.

Permanent Settlement

Permanent residence can be approved for a foreigner under the conditions that:

• Based on approved temporary stay, the foreigner has continuously resided on the territory of BiH for at least five years before submitting the request for permanent residence approval,
• The foreigner has sufficient and regular means of support,
• The foreigner has arranged health insurance,
• The foreigner has arranged adequate accommodation.

Identity Cards for Foreigners

Identity cards for foreigners are issued based on the request for issuance and replacement of identity cards for foreigners. The request is submitted to the competent authority according to the place of a foreigner's permanent residence (MUP RS, Cantonal Ministries of Internal Affairs, Police of Brčko District BiH) on the LK-OI-S1 form.

The request for issuance and replacement of identity cards for foreigners is accompanied by evidence of approved permanent residence, proof of the foreigner's identity with evidence of reaching the age of 18 (travel document), and proof of payment of the prescribed fee for the issuance of identity cards for foreigners.

For the request for issuance of an identity card for foreigners instead of a lost identity card for foreigners, the foreigner must attach a certificate of reporting the loss issued by the competent authority and evidence that the identity card for foreigners has been declared invalid in the "Official Gazette of BiH".