Bosnia and Herzegovina With Schengen Visa
This post explains how to travel to Bosnia and Herzegovina with Schengen visa or residence permit. I am an Indian passport holder with a residence permit from Germany; at the time of traveling to Bosnia and Herzegovina I had an EU Blue Card/Aufenthaltstitel from Germany and my friend with whom I had traveled had a student visa from Germany. I traveled to Bosnia and Herzegovina without the need of any extra visa and entered via the land border between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. We were part of a tour but I barely remember anyone getting checked carefully. We just gave our passports and they were returned stamped. So, if you are a national of any country with a valid visa or residence permit from any of the Schengen countries, you do not need an extra visa to travel to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina states the following:
(1) Citizens of the countries with whom Bosnia and Herzegovina has a visa regime may enter Bosnia and Herzegovina with passport and without the obligation to obtain a visa for entry, exit, transit and stay on the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina only if they have a valid multiple entry Schengen visa or a visa issued by the EU member state or the proper residence permit in the Schengen Area or the European Union member states and after inspection done by the Border Police of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
(2) Provisions from the paragraph (1) of this Article are valid only if holders of the Schengen visa or a visa issued by the European Union member state or the proper residence permits in the Schengen Area or the European Union member states are coming to Bosnia and Herzegovina from: a) Country which is signatory to the Schengen Agreement b) European Union member state c) Country which signed the Readmission Agreement with Bosnia and Herzegovina that have entered into force.
(3) A period of stay in Bosnia and Herzegovina in cases of this Article is possible up to 90 days within a period of six months from the date of first entry while the one continuous stay in Bosnia and Herzegovina cannot be longer than 15 days and within validity period of a visa or a residence permit issued by the country of the Schengen Area or the European Union member state.
(4) Provisions from paragraph (1) of this Article do not apply to persons who are forbidden to enter, exit, transit through or stay in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Head over to this link for the latest information under Article 17: http://www.mvp.gov.ba/konzularne_informacije/sta_konzul_moze_uciniti_za_vas/DECISION%20ON%20VISAS%20%20-%2018.12.2014.pdf
This page was last updated on: November 18, 2019