Bosnia and Herzegovina's temporary residence permit, for Americans staying past day 90
It's issued a year at a time for family, study, work or a reason you have to argue. Retirees and remote workers get no category of their own, so pick your ground before you pick an apartment.
You can file inside the country before your visa-free days run out, renew every year on the same ground, and apply to stay for good after five years.
Temporary Residence Permit
For stays longer than 90 days, U.S. citizens must apply for a temporary residence permit. The process is complex and requires advance preparation of documents, including a certified criminal background check. Applications must be submitted in-country, and processing can take months. Applicants may remain in Bosnia and Herzegovina while awaiting a decision. The permit is valid for up to 12 months and can be renewed.
- Processing time
- ~60 days
- Timeline
- Maximum 12 months (renewable)
- Difficulty
- Moderate
Key requirements
- Application submitted at least 15 days before the initial 90-day visa-free period expires
- Original FBI background check or local police report (no criminal record), issued within six months, with apostille certification
- Passport valid for at least three months after the requested permit period ends
- Application submitted in-country at the local field office of the Department for Foreigners of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Ministry of Security
Who qualifies
Living on a pension or remote income? There's no box for you
Temporary residence is granted for family reunification, education, humanitarian reasons, employment, or "other justified reasons." The law was last amended in September 2023, and it still has no retirement or digital nomad category.
If your money comes from a pension or savings
You're left with two options. One is the open-ended "other justified reasons" ground, which has no published income test. The other is property, and it works only in exceptional cases: you also need proof of a real connection to the country, such as Bosnian roots, children in school there, a Bosnian pension, an investment, or close family living there. A deed by itself won't do it.
If you have a job offer, a Bosnian spouse or a school place
These are the routes the system was built for. A local job needs a work permit first, and your employer applies for it.
The numbers that set your calendar
150 KM
Fee for each approval or extension
about $87 (September 2026)
12 months
Longest single permit
renewed on the same ground
Day 75
Last day to file after a visa-free entry
15 days before day 90
60 to 15 days
Renewal window
before the permit expires
5 years
Until permanent residence
200 KM fee, about $117
10 months
Total time abroad in those 5 years
no more than 6 months at once
The process
From arrival to approval, step by step
- Before you fly: order an FBI background check or a report from your local U.S. police department. It must be an original, signed, sealed and apostilled, and no more than six months old when you file. Line up health insurance too; travel health insurance from a licensed insurer is accepted.
- Within 48 hours of landing: you or your landlord registers your address with the police or the Service for Foreigners' Affairs.
- In the country: get a medical certificate (no older than three months) and have foreign documents translated into one of the country's official languages.
- By day 75: file at the Service for Foreigners' Affairs field office with the 150 KM fee, proof of funds such as a bank letter or pension statement, and a lease or deed.
- While you wait: a complete application lets you stay. The State Department warns the permit itself can take months.
- Once approved: register your address again within 48 hours of the decision.
Permanent residence, yes. A second passport, no.
Five years of temporary residence can lead to permanent residence. Citizenship takes longer, and you'd have to give up your U.S. citizenship: Bosnia and Herzegovina lets naturalized citizens keep their old nationality only under a bilateral agreement, and it has those only with Croatia, Serbia and Sweden.
Money, health and taxes
Budgeting for the years on a temporary permit
Most applicants face no fixed income floor, but you do have to show you can support yourself. Our 2026 estimate for a comfortable life is about $1,250 a month for one person and $2,050 for a couple. The only fixed figure in the rules is for students: 400 KM a month, about $233.
Foreigners pay their own medical bills unless they're insured, and Medicare doesn't cover you there. The State Department says adequate facilities may not be available outside Sarajevo.
Spend 183 days in a calendar year in the Federation and you're tax resident there, at a flat 10% income tax. You'll still file a U.S. return, plus an FBAR once your foreign accounts reach $10,000.
Miss the filing deadline and you're out of status. The University of Sarajevo's international office lists fines of 300 to 1,500 KM ($175 to $875) for breaking stay rules.
People who can handle the hard parts
Plan-B Outbound Migration
Multi-Country Visa Support
Helps people plan residence permits and citizenship across many countries, including cases that don't fit a standard category.
Legalize That Doc
Document Preparation
Prepares U.S. documents for use abroad, including FBI background checks and apostilles, timed to your filing date.
Hunter Schultz
Healthcare Coach
A healthcare coach who helps you work out the care you'll need abroad and where to get it.
ExpatInsure
Global Health Insurance
Finds international health insurance that satisfies residence rules and covers ongoing care.
MyExpatTaxes
U.S. Expat Tax Service
Files U.S. tax returns for Americans living abroad, including foreign tax credit cases.
Bosnia and Herzegovina temporary residence: quick answers
Can I become a Bosnian citizen and keep my U.S. passport?
No. People who naturalize must give up their previous citizenship unless Bosnia and Herzegovina has a dual-citizenship agreement with their country, and it has those only with Croatia, Serbia and Sweden.
Can Americans apply for temporary residence after arriving visa-free?
Yes. U.S. citizens can file at a Service for Foreigners' Affairs field office inside the country. File no later than 15 days before your 90 visa-free days end. If your application is complete, you can stay while it's decided.
How much does a Bosnia and Herzegovina temporary residence permit cost?
The administrative fee is 150 KM, about $87 as of September 2026, for each approval or extension. Budget separately for an apostilled FBI background check, translations, a medical certificate and health insurance.
Will I pay income tax in Bosnia and Herzegovina?
If you spend 183 days or more in a calendar year in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, you become tax resident there, and its income tax rate is a flat 10%. Republika Srpska counts 183 days in any 12-month period. Americans also keep filing U.S. returns.
When can I get permanent residence in Bosnia and Herzegovina?
After at least five years of uninterrupted residence. Trips abroad totaling up to 10 months, or up to six months at a time, don't break that period. The permanent residence fee is 200 KM, about $117 as of September 2026.
Does buying a house in Bosnia and Herzegovina give me residency?
Not by itself. Property owners can get temporary residence only in exceptional cases, when they also show an effective connection to Bosnia and Herzegovina, such as Bosnian origin, children in school there, a Bosnian pension, an investment, or close family living there.
Can I retire in Bosnia and Herzegovina on Social Security?
There's no retirement visa. Retirees can apply for temporary residence under the open-ended "other justified reasons" ground or, in exceptional cases, as property owners with a real connection to the country. Neither route has a published income figure, so talk to a local lawyer before you commit to a move.
How long is a temporary residence permit valid in Bosnia and Herzegovina?
Up to 12 months. To renew, apply between 60 and 15 days before it expires, on the same ground you used for your first permit.
Not sure Bosnia and Herzegovina fits your plans?
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