Bosnian and Herzegovinian visa resources
Working in Bosnia and Herzegovina: the Two-Step Permit System
Employment requires two linked authorisations - an entity-level work permit and a state-level temporary residence permit issued by the Service for Foreigners' Affairs.
Important
A distinctive feature of Bosnia and Herzegovina is that a foreign national who wants to work needs two separate authorisations. First, a work permit is obtained at entity level (the labour/employment authorities of the Federation of BiH, Republika Srpska or Brcko District), typically arranged by the employer for a specific job.
Second, on the basis of that work permit, the Service for Foreigners' Affairs issues a temporary residence permit for employment. Both must be in place to work lawfully, and the residence permit is tied to the specific job and employer.
Work permits are managed within an annual quota framework set by the Council of Ministers and are generally granted for limited periods, so timing the two applications together is important.
Key points
- Two authorisations required: entity-level work permit plus state-level temporary residence permit.
- The residence permit for employment is issued by the Service for Foreigners' Affairs.
- Work is job- and employer-specific; changing employer generally means new permits.
- An annual quota set by the Council of Ministers can limit availability by sector.
Next steps
Official sources
For the most accurate and up-to-date information, always refer to the official government sources.
Verified against official sources · last reviewed 2026-08-21. Information only — not legal advice.