Bosnia and Herzegovina · Work
Bosnia and Herzegovina Blue Card
First stay: 2 yrs
Temporary residence for highly qualified employment, Blue Card (Law on Foreigners Arts. 72-74)
First checked against official sources on Change log
Key facts
Blue Card is a work route for Bosnia and Herzegovina. Local work: with a permit. Checked 2026-10-11 against the official source.
- Processing
- Up to 90 days
- First stay
- 2 yrs
Time and long term
RenewalRenewable
Valid 24 months, or the contract term plus three months if shorter, and extendable on the same conditions.
Permanent residenceAfter 5 years of residence
A permanent residence permit can be granted after 5 years of uninterrupted approved temporary residence, with income, housing, health insurance and a test of one of the official languages.
ProcessingUp to 90 days
A decision is due within 90 days if filed through a BiH diplomatic mission, and within 60 days if filed directly with the Service for Foreigners' Affairs.
Where to applyAbroad or in-country
Applications can be filed through a BiH diplomatic or consular mission or directly with the Service for Foreigners' Affairs in BiH.
Presence rulesAbsence limits
Absences of up to 6 months at a time and 10 months in total over the five years do not break continuity (18 and 12 months for Blue Card holders).
Why this route may not fit
Check this before you apply.
- Needs a job offer from an employer in Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Working needs a separate permit
What you'll need
Who can apply3
- Applicant holds a higher-education qualification of at least three years after secondary school.
- Applicant has at least five years of professional experience gained after the degree.
- The employer advertised the post in at least three daily newspapers for 30 days and no BiH citizen who met the conditions applied.
What you must show1
- The employment contract states a gross annual salary of at least 1.5 times the average gross annual salary paid in BiH, per the statistics body.
Documents6
- Employment contract of at least six months for highly qualified work, and proof of the qualification and experience.
- Passport valid at least three months beyond the requested stay.
- Proof of accommodation and of health insurance in BiH.
- Medical certificate issued not more than three months before the application.
- Certificate from the country of origin, not older than six months, that no criminal case is pending and there is no conviction.
- Proof of payment of the administrative tax.
Steps2
- The employer files the application with the Service; abroad it is filed through a BiH mission, in BiH at the Service unit of the employer's seat.
- The Service checks through the Employment Agency that the post was advertised and that a Blue Card place is available.
After you arrive2
- The Blue Card is valid 24 months, or the contract length plus three months if the contract is shorter.
- After 12 months the holder can change employer by notifying the Service within eight days and filing a new contract.
What happens at day 183
How Bosnia and Herzegovina decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.
- Stay on this route
Up to 2 years at first, renewable
- Tax residence
- At least 183 days in a tax period (Federation of BiH)Staying 183 or more days in the Federation, continuously or with breaks, in any tax period makes a person resident.
- At least 183 days in 12 months starting or ending in the tax year (Republika Srpska)Staying 183 or more days in Republika Srpska in a 12-month period starting or ending in the tax year makes a person resident.
- Foreign-source income
Residents are taxed on worldwide income.
All tax rules for Bosnia and Herzegovina Tax records checked
What you need to arrange
- Health insurance
Proof of accommodation and of health insurance in BiH
- Accommodation
Proof of accommodation and of health insurance in BiH
Taken from this route's requirements above. The authority's own list is the one that counts.
Full official text
Two-year permit for degree-qualified workers with five years of experience and a job paying at least 1.5 times the average gross annual salary in BiH, without a separate work permit. 1 2 3 4
Requirements
- Applicant holds a higher-education qualification of at least three years after secondary school. 1
- Applicant has at least five years of professional experience gained after the degree. 1 3
- The employer advertised the post in at least three daily newspapers for 30 days and no BiH citizen who met the conditions applied. 1 3
- The employment contract states a gross annual salary of at least 1.5 times the average gross annual salary paid in BiH, per the statistics body. 1 3
- Employment contract of at least six months for highly qualified work, and proof of the qualification and experience. 1 3
- Passport valid at least three months beyond the requested stay. 1 5
- Proof of accommodation and of health insurance in BiH. 1 3
- Medical certificate issued not more than three months before the application. 1 5
- Certificate from the country of origin, not older than six months, that no criminal case is pending and there is no conviction. 1 5
- Proof of payment of the administrative tax. 1 5
- The employer files the application with the Service; abroad it is filed through a BiH mission, in BiH at the Service unit of the employer's seat. 1
- The Service checks through the Employment Agency that the post was advertised and that a Blue Card place is available. 1
- The Blue Card is valid 24 months, or the contract length plus three months if the contract is shorter. 1
- After 12 months the holder can change employer by notifying the Service within eight days and filing a new contract. 1
Stay
- Blue Card valid 24 months, or the contract term plus three months if shorter; extendable on the same conditions.
- First stay: up to 24 months, decided case by case.
- Renewable, subject to the conditions in force at renewal.
Nationality
Open to foreigners generally; nationals who need a visa apply for a long-stay visa (D) with or before the first application.
Work
Work only in the highly qualified post for the employer in the contract; no separate work permit.
Family
Close family members can apply for family reunification, valid for the Blue Card period, and have the right to work in BiH.
Official sources
- Law on Foreigners, unofficial consolidated text (Official Gazette of BiH 88/15, 34/21, 63/23) · Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina · checked 2026-10-11
- Law amending the Law on Foreigners (Official Gazette of BiH 63/23) · Official Gazette of Bosnia and Herzegovina No. 63/2023 · checked 2026-10-11 · published 2023
- Rulebook on entry and stay of foreigners (Official Gazette of BiH 25/16) · Service for Foreigners' Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina · checked 2026-10-11 · published 2016-04-08
- Administrative tax amounts (Annex 1) · Service for Foreigners' Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina · checked 2026-10-11 · published 2026-04
- Stay of foreigners in BiH · Service for Foreigners' Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina · checked 2026-10-11
Blue Card and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Card | – | 2 yr, renewable | With a permit |
| Researcher permit | – | 1 yr, renewable | Yes |
| Seasonal work permit | – | 6 mo, renewable | – |
| Intra-company transfer | – | 1 yr, renewable | Limited |
| Work permit | – | 1 yr, renewable | Limited |
Questions people ask
How long can I stay on the Blue Card?
Blue Card valid 24 months, or the contract term plus three months if shorter; extendable on the same conditions.
How long does the Blue Card take to process?
A decision is due within 90 days if filed through a BiH diplomatic mission, and within 60 days if filed directly with the Service for Foreigners' Affairs.
Can I work on the Blue Card?
With a permit. Work only in the highly qualified post for the employer in the contract; no separate work permit.
Can I bring my family on the Blue Card?
Close family members can apply for family reunification, valid for the Blue Card period, and have the right to work in BiH.
Does the Blue Card lead to permanent residence in Bosnia and Herzegovina?
Time on the Blue Card counts toward permanent residence in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which the rules allow after 5 years of residence.
How are Blue Card holders taxed in Bosnia and Herzegovina?
No special regime in our records is tied to the Blue Card. The standard rules apply: Income tax in Bosnia and Herzegovina is set by the entities: the Federation taxes income at 10% after a KM 3,600 a year basic deduction, and Republika Srpska taxes employment pay at 8% after a KM 1,000 a month deduction; employee contributions are 31% of gross pay in both entities, deductible from taxable pay in the Federation but not in Republika Srpska. Residents are taxed on worldwide income.
More in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Work visas elsewhere
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How this was checked
Checked on 2026-10-11 against 5 official sources. Status: verified against the official sources.
Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out.
- Law on Foreigners, unofficial consolidated text (Official Gazette of BiH 88/15, 34/21, 63/23) · Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina · checked 2026-10-11
- Law amending the Law on Foreigners (Official Gazette of BiH 63/23) · Official Gazette of Bosnia and Herzegovina No. 63/2023 · checked 2026-10-11
- Rulebook on entry and stay of foreigners (Official Gazette of BiH 25/16) · Service for Foreigners' Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina · checked 2026-10-11
- Administrative tax amounts (Annex 1) · Service for Foreigners' Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina · checked 2026-10-11
- Stay of foreigners in BiH · Service for Foreigners' Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina · checked 2026-10-11
Tracked since 2026-10-10. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the changes page, and the methodology page explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email contact@stayglobe.app with a link to the official source.