Mostar: a stone-built river city with two banks and one Old Bridge

Community

Since the 1990s war, Mostar has been split largely by community: Bosniaks mostly on the east side, Croats mostly on the west. Residents cross between the two every day, and as a foreigner you can live on either side. The split shows up in schools, though. Reporting from 2022 found that Gimnazija Mostar, described as the city's one high school that isn't purely sectarian, still teaches separate Bosnian and Croatian curricula in every subject except IT and physical education. Families with kids should look closely before committing.

Register your address within 48 hours of arriving, with the local police or the Service for Foreigners' Affairs. If you rent privately, you and your landlord go in person. The State Department warns that skipping it can bring large fines, deportation, or being stopped at departure.

Healthcare

The main hospital is University Clinical Hospital Mostar, in the Bijeli Brijeg neighborhood, which has trained doctors with the University of Mostar's medical faculty since 1997. Expect to pay in cash in BAM, often before treatment, since cards aren't always accepted. The State Department strongly recommends supplemental insurance that covers medical evacuation, and it notes that mental health services are limited even in larger cities. You can bring only a 7-day supply of any medication that's a controlled substance in the U.S., and you shouldn't have medicine shipped to you. Tap water is generally safe to drink.

Internet and remote work

Home internet runs about $25 a month. Code Hub Mostar, in the center, and Lux Business Bar are listed as coworking spaces, but their listings are old, so confirm they're open before you plan your workweek around them. Bosnia's residence rules have no category for remote workers.

LGBTQ expats

Same-sex relationships are legal, but the State Department notes that violence and harassment against gay and lesbian people and organizations have occurred in Bosnia. We found no Mostar-specific reporting either way. Talk with LGBTQ groups in Bosnia and spend time here before you sign a lease.

Black Americans

We couldn't find a published account, including on the State Department's Bosnia page, of daily life for Black Americans in Mostar. Ask in Black expat communities that cover the Balkans, and plan a scouting stay first.

Limited mobility

The State Department names Mostar as one of three Bosnian cities with accessible infrastructure; outside them, it's generally unavailable. That's still limited. City buses often lack ramps, newer shopping centers are the most likely to have wheelchair access, and the old town's stone lanes are hard going. Look for a newer building with an elevator on level ground, and test your daily routes before you move.

Retiring here

Mostar fits retirees who want a hospital nearby, mild winters, and a slower pace, and who can handle the summer heat. Bosnia has no retirement visa. Its list of temporary residence grounds has no pension category, but it does include owning real estate in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Permits run up to a year at a time, and five uninterrupted years on temporary residence can lead to permanent residence. Our Bosnia and Herzegovina guide and temporary residence page walk through the process, and our retirement visa page compares countries that do have a pension route.