Bosnia and Herzegovina · Work
Bosnia and Herzegovina Seasonal work permit
First stay: 6 mo
Temporary residence for seasonal workers (Law on Foreigners Art. 69)
Checked against official sources on Change log
Key facts
Seasonal work permit is a work route for Bosnia and Herzegovina. Checked 2026-10-12 against the official source.
- Processing
- Up to 90 days
- First stay
- 6 mo
Time and long term
RenewalRenewable, 6 months max
Residence of 90 to 180 days in 12 months, extendable to six months in total.
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.
Why this route may not fit
Check this before you apply.
- Time on this route is capped at 6 months in total
- Needs a job offer from an employer in Bosnia and Herzegovina
What you'll need
Who can apply2
- Applicant has a work permit and a fixed-term contract or binding offer with a BiH employer for seasonal work.
- The employer's seasonal job notice has been open to BiH citizens for eight days with no BiH citizen applying.
Documents6
- Contract or offer stating place, kind and length of work, pay, hours, leave and start date.
- Proof that the employer bears maintenance, accommodation, food, health insurance and return costs, with accommodation costs not automatically deducted from pay.
- Passport valid at least three months beyond the requested stay.
- 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.
After you arrive1
- Residence is granted for 90 to 180 days in 12 months and can be extended to a total of six months in 12 months.
What happens at day 183
How Bosnia and Herzegovina decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.
- This route
Up to 6 months in total, shorter than the 183-day test below.
- 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 that the employer bears maintenance, accommodation, food, health insurance and return costs, with accommodation costs not automatically deducted from pay
- Accommodation
Proof that the employer bears maintenance, accommodation, food, health insurance and return costs, with accommodation costs not automatically deducted from pay
Taken from this route's requirements above. The authority's own list is the one that counts.
Full official text
Residence of 90 to 180 days in 12 months for a foreigner with a seasonal work permit and a fixed-term contract, within the seasonal quota. 1 2 3
Requirements
- Applicant has a work permit and a fixed-term contract or binding offer with a BiH employer for seasonal work. 1
- The employer's seasonal job notice has been open to BiH citizens for eight days with no BiH citizen applying. 1
- Contract or offer stating place, kind and length of work, pay, hours, leave and start date. 1
- Proof that the employer bears maintenance, accommodation, food, health insurance and return costs, with accommodation costs not automatically deducted from pay. 1
- Passport valid at least three months beyond the requested stay. 1 2
- Medical certificate issued not more than three months before the application. 1 2
- Certificate from the country of origin, not older than six months, that no criminal case is pending and there is no conviction. 1 2
- Proof of payment of the administrative tax. 1 2
- Residence is granted for 90 to 180 days in 12 months and can be extended to a total of six months in 12 months. 1
Stay
- Residence of 90 to 180 days in 12 months, extendable to six months in total.
- First stay: up to 6 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
Seasonal work for the employer named in the work permit.
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
- 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
Seasonal work permit and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seasonal work permit | – | 6 mo, renewable | – |
| Blue Card | – | 2 yr, renewable | With a permit |
| Researcher permit | – | 1 yr, renewable | Yes |
| Intra-company transfer | – | 1 yr, renewable | Limited |
| Work permit | – | 1 yr, renewable | Limited |
Questions people ask
How long can I stay on the Seasonal work permit?
Residence of 90 to 180 days in 12 months, extendable to six months in total.
How long does the Seasonal work 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 Seasonal work permit?
Seasonal work for the employer named in the work permit.
How are Seasonal work permit holders taxed in Bosnia and Herzegovina?
No special regime in our records is tied to the Seasonal work 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
Work 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 2026-10-12 against 3 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
- 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.