NationalityLaws
Bosnia and Herzegovina flag

Bosnia and Herzegovina.ba

Dual Citizenship: Conditional Europe

Do I need a visa?

Full visa checker →

Country Snapshot

Passport Power
#50
124 visa-free
Henley Passport Index 2026
Happiness
#78
of 143 countries
World Happiness Report 2024
Global Peace
#70
of 163 countries
Global Peace Index 2024
Human Development
#77
of 193 countries
UNDP HDI 2024
Economic Freedom
58.6
of 100
Heritage Foundation 2024
Corruption Index
35
of 100 (higher = cleaner)
Transparency International 2024
Business Friendliness
3/10
Nationality Index Assessment

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Last Updated: 2026-03-31

Official Portal: Ministry of Civil Affairs — Citizenship

Embassy Finder: BiH Diplomatic Missions

Quick Facts

CategoryDetails
Residency for naturalization8 years of continuous lawful residence
Language requirementKnowledge of one of the official languages (Bosnian, Croatian, or Serbian)
Civics testNo formal test; general knowledge of society and constitutional order expected
Processing time6—18 months
Naturalization feeBAM 50 (approximately EUR 25)
Dual citizenshipConditional — permitted only with states that have a bilateral agreement with BiH
Citizenship by birth in BiHLimited jus soli for children who would otherwise be stateless
Citizenship by descentAutomatic for children of at least one BiH citizen parent
Governing lawLaw on Citizenship of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Official Gazette 4/97, as amended through 2016)

Dual Citizenship

Bosnia and Herzegovina takes a conditional approach to dual citizenship. The Law on Citizenship permits dual nationality only with countries that have concluded a bilateral agreement on dual citizenship with BiH.

Bilateral agreements exist with: Serbia, Sweden, and a limited number of other states. In practice, BiH also tolerates dual citizenship with Croatia due to the large number of Bosnian Croats holding Croatian passports, though the legal basis is complex and rooted in the Dayton Peace Agreement framework.

Without a bilateral agreement: A person who acquires BiH citizenship is required to renounce their prior nationality within two years of naturalization. Failure to renounce may result in revocation of the BiH citizenship. Conversely, a BiH citizen who voluntarily acquires a nationality of a non-treaty state may lose BiH citizenship unless they obtain prior authorization.

Entity citizenship: BiH has a unique two-tier system. Every citizen holds state-level citizenship (of Bosnia and Herzegovina) and entity-level citizenship (of either the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina or Republika Srpska). Entity citizenship is linked to residence and can be changed by moving between entities.

Acquisition of Nationality

By Birth (Jus Sanguinis with Limited Jus Soli)

A child acquires BiH citizenship at birth if:

  1. Both parents are BiH citizens at the time of birth (regardless of birthplace).
  2. One parent is a BiH citizen and the child is born in BiH.
  3. One parent is a BiH citizen and the child is born abroad, provided the child is registered with a BiH diplomatic mission or the other parent is stateless.

Limited jus soli: A child born in BiH to non-citizen parents acquires BiH citizenship only if the child would otherwise be stateless.

By Descent

Children born abroad to at least one BiH citizen parent generally acquire citizenship, but registration with a BiH consulate or diplomatic mission is required, especially when the other parent is a foreign national. There is no explicit generational limit, but documentation of the parent’s BiH citizenship at the time of the child’s birth is essential.

Persons who were citizens of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina at the time of the Dayton Agreement (December 14, 1995) are automatically citizens of BiH.

By Adoption

A foreign child under 18 adopted by a BiH citizen acquires BiH citizenship upon finalization of the adoption, provided the adoption is recognized under BiH law. If only one adoptive parent is a BiH citizen, the parents may jointly determine the child’s citizenship; in the absence of agreement, the child acquires BiH citizenship if the adoption is finalized in BiH.

By Marriage

Marriage to a BiH citizen does not confer automatic citizenship. A foreign spouse may apply for naturalization with a reduced residency requirement:

  • 5 years of marriage to a BiH citizen (reduced from the standard 8-year residency), AND
  • 3 years of lawful residence in BiH.
  • Must meet all other naturalization conditions.

By Naturalization

RequirementDetails
Lawful residence8 years of continuous lawful residence in BiH
AgeAt least 18 years old
LanguageKnowledge of one of the three official languages (Bosnian, Croatian, or Serbian)
Financial meansProof of a lawful and regular source of income
Criminal recordNo criminal conviction for crimes against humanity, international law violations, or serious crimes; no unexpunged criminal record
RenunciationMust renounce prior citizenship unless a bilateral dual-citizenship agreement exists
HealthMust not pose a threat to public safety or national security
FeeBAM 50 (approximately EUR 25)

Facilitated naturalization: Available for emigrants and their first- and second-generation descendants, persons who renounced BiH citizenship and wish to reacquire it, and spouses of BiH citizens (see above).

Dayton context: The Dayton Peace Agreement (1995) established the current constitutional framework, including the two-entity structure (Federation of BiH and Republika Srpska) and the Brcko District. Citizenship law reflects this complexity. The Constitutional Court of BiH has ruled on several occasions regarding the interplay between state-level and entity-level citizenship, particularly concerning the rights of returnees displaced during the 1992—1995 war. Persons displaced from one entity to the other retain their state-level BiH citizenship and may hold entity citizenship of either entity based on residence.

Diaspora note: The BiH diaspora (estimated at 2 million people, primarily in Germany, Austria, Sweden, the United States, and Australia) maintains strong ties to citizenship. Many diaspora members hold dual citizenship under bilateral agreements or under the practical tolerance of the system.

Loss and Renunciation

Voluntary Renunciation

A BiH citizen may renounce citizenship by submitting an application to the Ministry of Civil Affairs, provided:

  1. The person is at least 18 years old.
  2. The person holds or has been assured another citizenship.
  3. The person has no outstanding tax obligations or pending criminal proceedings in BiH.

Involuntary Loss

BiH citizenship may be lost or revoked if:

  • The person acquired BiH citizenship through fraud, false information, or concealment of material facts.
  • The person voluntarily acquired a foreign citizenship without a bilateral dual-citizenship agreement and failed to renounce BiH citizenship or seek authorization.
  • The person voluntarily served in a foreign military without authorization.

Restoration of Nationality

Former BiH citizens who lost citizenship through renunciation or other grounds may apply for restoration. The process is treated as facilitated naturalization, with the 8-year residency requirement waived or reduced. The applicant must demonstrate a genuine connection to BiH and meet the standard conditions (no criminal record, financial means).

Persons who were citizens of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina before Dayton and lost their citizenship may have simplified pathways through the entity-level authorities.

Stateless Persons and Foundlings

  • A child found on BiH territory whose parents are unknown is presumed to be a BiH citizen.
  • A child born in BiH who would otherwise be stateless acquires BiH citizenship at birth.
  • BiH is party to the 1954 Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons and the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness.
  • Roma communities in BiH are disproportionately affected by lack of civil registration and documentation, leading to statelessness risks. UNHCR and the BiH government have implemented registration campaigns to address these gaps, particularly for Roma children born without birth certificates.

Document Checklist

Completed application form (obtained from the Ministry of Civil Affairs or BiH embassy/consulate)

Valid passport or travel document

Birth certificate (apostilled/legalized, with certified translation into Bosnian, Croatian, or Serbian)

Marriage certificate (if applying via spousal pathway)

Proof of 8 years continuous lawful residence (or 3 years for spousal pathway)

Criminal background check from BiH and all countries of residence in the past 10 years

Proof of lawful income or financial means

Evidence of renunciation of prior citizenship (or proof that a bilateral agreement permits retention)

Proof of language knowledge (one of the three official languages)

Two biometric passport photos

Receipt of application fee (BAM 50)

Sources

  1. Law on Citizenship of Bosnia and Herzegovina — Official Gazette of BiH, No. 4/97, 13/99, 41/02, 6/03, 14/03, 82/05, 43/09, 76/16. https://www.mcp.gov.ba/

  2. Ministry of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina — Citizenship services and procedures. https://www.mcp.gov.ba/

  3. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina — Consular services and diplomatic missions. https://www.mvp.gov.ba/

  4. General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Dayton Agreement) — Annex 4 (Constitution), citizenship provisions. https://www.ohr.int/

  5. Global Citizenship Observatory (GLOBALCIT) — Comparative citizenship law database, BiH country profile. https://globalcit.eu/

← All Countries