Bosnia and Herzegovina · Business / Startup
Bosnia and Herzegovina Company founder permit
First stay: 1 yr
Temporary residence for founders of a company, work without a work permit (Law on Foreigners Art. 77(2)(a))
First checked against official sources on Change log
Key facts
Company founder permit is a business / startup route for Bosnia and Herzegovina. You can work locally. Checked 2026-10-11 against the official source.
- Processing
- Up to 90 days
- First stay
- 1 yr
Time and long term
RenewalRenewable
Granted for up to one year and extendable while the company conditions continue.
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).
What you'll need
Who can apply2
- Applicant is a founder of a company registered in BiH.
- The company employs at least five BiH citizens for each foreigner, including the founders.
What you must show2
- The company pays each of those employees a gross salary at least equal to the average gross salary in BiH and settles its tax obligations.
- Proof of means of support so that the applicant does not rely on social assistance, such as a bank statement, pension proof, income proof or a sponsor's undertaking.
Documents8
- Proof of the kind of work the founder will do and the court registration decision of the company.
- Bank proof of the company's solvency.
- Tax administration proof of settled taxes and Indirect Taxation Authority proof of settled indirect taxes, not older than 90 days.
- 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 first application is filed in person through a BiH mission abroad, or in BiH with the Service if the applicant holds a long-stay visa (D) or is visa-exempt.
- The Service decides within 90 days if filed through a mission, or 60 days if filed directly with the Service.
After you arrive2
- The permit is granted for up to one year and can be extended on the same basis.
- Time on this permit counts toward the five years for permanent residence.
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 1 year 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
- Bank account / funds
Proof of means of support so that the applicant does not rely on social assistance, such as a bank statement, pension proof, income proof or a sponsor's undertaking
Taken from this route's requirements above. The authority's own list is the one that counts.
Full official text
Temporary residence for a foreigner who founds a company in BiH that employs at least five BiH citizens per foreign person, with the founder allowed to work without a work permit. 1 2 3 4 5
Requirements
- Applicant is a founder of a company registered in BiH. 1 3
- The company employs at least five BiH citizens for each foreigner, including the founders. 1 3
- The company pays each of those employees a gross salary at least equal to the average gross salary in BiH and settles its tax obligations. 1 3
- Proof of means of support so that the applicant does not rely on social assistance, such as a bank statement, pension proof, income proof or a sponsor's undertaking. 1 3
- Proof of the kind of work the founder will do and the court registration decision of the company. 3
- Bank proof of the company's solvency. 3
- Tax administration proof of settled taxes and Indirect Taxation Authority proof of settled indirect taxes, not older than 90 days. 3
- Passport valid at least three months beyond the requested stay. 1 4
- Proof of accommodation and of health insurance in BiH. 1 3
- Medical certificate issued not more than three months before the application. 1 4
- Certificate from the country of origin, not older than six months, that no criminal case is pending and there is no conviction. 1 4
- Proof of payment of the administrative tax. 1 4
- The first application is filed in person through a BiH mission abroad, or in BiH with the Service if the applicant holds a long-stay visa (D) or is visa-exempt. 1 4
- The Service decides within 90 days if filed through a mission, or 60 days if filed directly with the Service. 1
- The permit is granted for up to one year and can be extended on the same basis. 1
- Time on this permit counts toward the five years for permanent residence. 1
Stay
- Permit granted for up to one year and extendable while the company conditions continue.
- First stay: up to 12 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
May work in the founded company without a work permit.
Family
Close family can apply for family reunification with a foreigner holding temporary residence of one year or longer with prospects of permanent residence.
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 on Foreigners (Official Gazette of BiH 88/15) · Service for Foreigners' Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina · checked 2026-10-11 · published 2015-11-10
- 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
- Stay of foreigners in BiH · 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 · published 2026-04
Company founder permit and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Company founder permit | – | 1 yr, renewable | Yes |
| Startup Visa Portugal | Needs savings of €6,446+ ≈ $7,200 | 2 yr, renewable | – |
| Entrepreneur visa Spain | – | 3 yr, renewable | – |
| Startup Visa Italy | Needs savings of €50k+ ≈ $56k | 1 yr, renewable | – |
| Business investor permit Greece | Needs an investment of €500k+ ≈ $559k | 5 yr, renewable | – |
Questions people ask
How long can I stay on the Company founder permit?
Permit granted for up to one year and extendable while the company conditions continue.
How long does the Company founder permit 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 Company founder permit?
Yes. May work in the founded company without a work permit.
Can I bring my family on the Company founder permit?
Close family can apply for family reunification with a foreigner holding temporary residence of one year or longer with prospects of permanent residence.
Does the Company founder permit lead to permanent residence in Bosnia and Herzegovina?
Time on the Company founder permit counts toward permanent residence in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which the rules allow after 5 years of residence.
How are Company founder permit holders taxed in Bosnia and Herzegovina?
No special regime in our records is tied to the Company founder permit. 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
Business / startup 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 on Foreigners (Official Gazette of BiH 88/15) · Service for Foreigners' Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina · 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
- Stay of foreigners in BiH · 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
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.