Would you like to visit Bosnia and Herzegovina but have no idea what documents are needed? Are you wondering if you need a Visa or what are Bosnia and Herzegovina Visa requirements? Is Bosnia a Schengen country? Which are the Bosnia and Herzegovina visa free countries? Let's take a look at these and other questions in the Article below. Bosnia-Herzegovina is a crossroads between the Dinaric Alps, Croatia and Serbia, and has been a buffer zone since the first fluctuating agreements between East and West. Dominated by alternating Catholic, Muslim and Orthodox powers, the inhabitants of Bosnia and Herzegovina seemed for a time to have become accustomed to cultural variety; until, in 1992, ultra-nationalist Bosnian Serbs shattered the country's social harmony with the support of the federal army and Serbian officials in Belgrade. The triple civil war that ensued saw Muslim Slavs, Orthodox Serbs, and Catholic Croats, who had coexisted until then and are all part of the same South Slavic stock, clash against each other. The war destroyed the country's infrastructure, forced millions of people to live in refugee status, and the contenders can boast of having introduced the terrible expression 'ethnic cleansing' into the modern world vocabulary. The war is over, and tourists have returned to Bosnia and Herzegovina, but it will take years to heal the new wounds and for the country to once again welcome a good flow of tourists.
Bosnia and Herzegovina visa policy
According to Bosnia and Herzegovina visa policy, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Morocco struck an agreement on the 3rd of August 2016 to waive Bosnia and Herzegovina visa requirements for bearers of diplomatic passports for a duration of 90 days. From 12 February 2017, Bosnian citizens arriving via Minsk International Airport were granted 5 days visa-free entry, which was later extended to 30 days. On May 1, 2017, Lesotho implemented an e-Visa system for Bosnian citizens. On June 23, 2017, Qatar launched an e-Visa system for Bosnian citizens. For a period of 90 days beginning January 1, 2018, Japan removed visa restrictions for bearers of Bosnian diplomatic passports. Colombia removed visa restrictions for Bosnian citizens in March 2018. Taiwanese e-visas will be available beginning November 20, 2019. Since May 29, 2018, China and Bosnia and Herzegovina have had a visa-exemption agreement in place. Ordinary Chinese passport holders are not required to obtain a visa to enter Bosnia and Herzegovina. Within a 180-day term, the stay is limited to 90 days. (More than one entry is possible). Applicants who plan to stay longer than 90 days must apply for a Long-Term Visa.
How to get Bosnia visa?
A foreigner may enter Bosnia and Herzegovina if he has a valid passport or another identification document that he can use to cross the country's state boundary, as long as the validity of the document does not expire on the day of arrival.
There are some Bosnia and Herzegovina visa free countries. For a maximum stay of 30 days, residents of the European Union, Schengen Area member states, and the United States of America can enter Bosnia and Herzegovina without a visa. You can check if your country is part of the Bosnia and Herzegovina visa-free countries at the following link.
But is Bosnia a Schengen country? The Schengen Area is a zone in which 26 European nations have eliminated their internal borders to allow for free and unrestricted movement of people. Unfortunately, Bosnia is not a Schengen country, even though Schengen countries are part of the Bosnia and Herzegovina visa free countries.
Looking back on how to get Bosnia visa, short-term Visas, or Bosnia and Herzegovina tourist visa (Visa C) are provided for business, education, training, and other comparable objectives, as well as for tourist or other private travel, travel to political, scientific, cultural, sports, religious, or other events, and travel for other reasons that need just a short-term stay. It can only last 90 days in a six-month period, starting from the date of the first admission.
Opposed to a Bosnia and Herzegovina tourist visa, a long-term visa (Visa D) allows a foreigner to enter and stay in Bosnia and Herzegovina for up to six months within a year, starting from the date of the first admission. For a single or many entries into Bosnia and Herzegovina, a long-term visa will be given.
Before entering BiH, an immigrant must get a long-stay visa (hereinafter: Visa D). According to their location of residency overseas, an alien must submit a Bosnia and Herzegovina visa application form in person to the appropriate DCM.
If immigrants are not residents of the nation in which they submit the application, they must show that they have been granted permission to remain in that nation or another nation/region that is under the competent DCM's consular jurisdiction.
In the preceding paragraph, the term "region" refers to a specific administrative area that does not have the status of an internationally recognized state.
For humanitarian reasons, or if it is in the interest of BiH or in compliance with its acknowledged international responsibilities, applications for Visa D may be made in person at any DCM, with the exception of paragraph 2 of this Article.
It is required to have Ministry approval before receiving visa applications from other DCMs.
A visa is permission that allows a foreigner to pass the state border and enter and stay in the country for the period specified on the visa, or transit through Bosnia and Herzegovina's territory, provided that the foreigner meets the Bosnia and Herzegovina visa requirements. Before entering a border crossing point in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a foreigner must get a visa.
According to Bosnia and Herzegovina visa policy, entry visas to Bosnia and Herzegovina must be obtained via Bosnia and Herzegovina's diplomatic / consular offices abroad (addresses and information on working hours of all Bosnia and Herzegovina diplomatic / consular offices can be found on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina's website.
An application for the granting of a Visa D must be filed on the relevant Bosnia and Herzegovina visa application formstipulated by the Ministry of Safety's Sub-Act, and it must be filled out completely and precisely.
An application for a Visa D must be submitted three months in advance of the anticipated travel date and one month in advance of the intended travel date. The authorized official of DCM is required to transmit the visa application, along with the necessary papers, to the Service for approval, either immediately or within the next three working days.
An application for a Visa D must provide personal and biometric data (picture, fingerprints, signature) as well as other necessary information about the purpose of their visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
An applicant for a Visa D must submit the following documents:
- A valid travel document;
- a letter of invitation issued on a prescribed form and certified by the Service for Foreigners' Affairs (hereinafter: the Service) identifying the inviter's place of residence or headquarters;
- a letter of invitation written on a defined form and certified by the Foreigners' Affairs Service;
- a 35x45 mm color image correctly depicting the holder of the travel document;
- affirmation of the purpose of their stay in Bosnia and Herzegovina, demonstrating that it is essential to stay in Bosnia and Herzegovina for more than 90 days in a six-month period;
- If the alien is coming from a country where there is a dangerous disease outbreak, a medical certificate demonstrating that the traveller is free of the disease;
- proof of payment of the consular charge;
- other documents pertaining to lodging and cash for living expenses;
- conditions of travel and return to the country of origin on the basis of which a fair conclusion about the purpose and conditions of the anticipated stay in BiH can be reached;
- Apart from the documents and attachments listed in paragraph 2 of this Article, an alien is required to present further evidence in line with Article 22 paragraph 1 of this Rulebook at the request of a DCM authorized officer;
The DCM's receipt seal must be placed on the copy of the visa application after it has been received.
The rectangular receipt seal indicated in Paragraph 1 of this Article is 40x15 mm in size and contains:
a) the symbol "BiH" and the name of the city where the DCM is located;
b) a column with the heading Date.
A visa will allow an alien to enter and stay in Bosnia and Herzegovina for up to 180 days throughout a year, starting from the first day of entrance. Visa D is valid for a single or numerous entries into Bosnia and Herzegovina. Visa D must be issued for a length of time not exceeding one year. Exceptionally, Visa D may be awarded for a duration of more than one year if it is in the best interests of BiH, as determined by the MFA of BiH after the Service's consent.
So, now that you know the process to get a Visa for Bosnia and Herzegovina, you can enjoy the beauties the country has to offer. The historical cities of Sarajevo and Mostar, as well as Bosnia and Herzegovina's rural countryside, stunning mountains, medieval castle ruins, rafting rivers, and roaring waterfalls, provide endless exploration opportunities. Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of Europe's best value destinations, with low hotel and food costs, as well as the option of a low-cost ski vacation. The country's environment is characterized by a peculiar mix of East and West; the horrors of Bosnia and Herzegovina's civil war in the 1990s still loom large in the country's past, but it is now a peaceful and fascinating travel destination.
