Bosnia and Herzegovina · Investing
Bosnia and Herzegovina Property owner permit
First stay: 1 yr
Temporary residence on the basis of real-estate ownership (Law on Foreigners Art. 61)
First checked against official sources on Change log
Key facts
Property owner permit is an investing route for Bosnia and Herzegovina. Local work: limited. 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.
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.
- Work rights are limited
What you'll need
Who can apply2
- Applicant owns real estate in BiH and has an effective link with BiH.
- An effective link exists through origin in BiH, children schooled in BiH, a pension received in BiH, investment in BiH or close family living in BiH.
What you must show1
- 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.
Documents7
- Land-register extract or an extract from the register of deposited contracts for the property.
- Proof of the effective link and a certified statement that the applicant has housing in the property.
- 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 arrive1
- The permit is granted for up to one year and can be extended under the same conditions.
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 the effective link and a certified statement that the applicant has housing in the property
- 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
Exceptional temporary residence for foreigners who own real estate in BiH and have an effective link with BiH; no minimum property value is set. 1 2 3 4
Requirements
- Applicant owns real estate in BiH and has an effective link with BiH. 1 2
- An effective link exists through origin in BiH, children schooled in BiH, a pension received in BiH, investment in BiH or close family living in BiH. 2
- 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 2
- Land-register extract or an extract from the register of deposited contracts for the property. 2
- Proof of the effective link and a certified statement that the applicant has housing in the property. 2
- Passport valid at least three months beyond the requested stay. 1 4
- Proof of accommodation and of health insurance in BiH. 1 2
- 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 under the same conditions. 1
Stay
- Permit granted for up to one year and extendable.
- 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
Residence only; work needs a work permit or another work basis.
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
- 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
Property owner permit and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property owner permit | – | 1 yr, renewable | Limited |
| Golden Visa · €250k arts Portugal | Needs an investment of €250k+ ≈ $279k | 2 yr, renewable | – |
| D5 · Property over $150k Georgia | Needs assets of $150k+ | 1 yr, renewable | No |
| Investor Visa · €1M donation Italy | Needs an investment of €1M+ ≈ $1.1M | 2 yr, renewable | – |
| Golden Visa · €350k mutual fund Greece | Needs an investment of €350k+ ≈ $391k | 5 yr, renewable | – |
Questions people ask
How long can I stay on the Property owner permit?
Permit granted for up to one year and extendable.
How long does the Property owner 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 Property owner permit?
Limited. Residence only; work needs a work permit or another work basis.
Does the Property owner permit lead to permanent residence in Bosnia and Herzegovina?
Time on the Property owner permit counts toward permanent residence in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which the rules allow after 5 years of residence.
How are Property owner permit holders taxed in Bosnia and Herzegovina?
No special regime in our records is tied to the Property owner 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
Investment visas elsewhere
≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.
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How this was checked
Checked on 2026-10-11 against 4 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
- 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.