How to get citizenship of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Author: Azur Prnjavorac, Attorney-at-law | Updated: 4 July 2026

If you want to find out how to get citizenship of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the most important first step is to determine on which legal basis you can submit your application. B&H citizenship is most often acquired by descent, on the basis of marriage to a B&H citizen, by naturalization, and in certain cases on special statutory grounds. In practice, the most common questions concern whether persons born abroad, children whose parents are B&H citizens, spouses of foreign citizenship, and members of the diaspora who wish to regulate their status in Bosnia and Herzegovina have this right. For a successful procedure it is not enough merely to submit an application; it is necessary to correctly establish the legal basis, gather the appropriate documentation, and avoid mistakes that often lead to rejection or delay of the procedure.

Citizenship is defined as a permanent legal relationship between an individual and a state, from which certain rights and obligations arise for the citizen. Each country determines by its laws the conditions under which it will consider certain persons its citizens. Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) has a complex citizenship system: there is citizenship of B&H at the state level, and entity citizenships (the Federation of B&H and Republika Srpska), whereby all entity citizens are automatically citizens of B&H as well. The Constitution of B&H stipulates that no one may be arbitrarily deprived of citizenship or left stateless. The following is an overview of the ways of acquiring B&H citizenship under the applicable regulations, with special emphasis on acquiring citizenship by descent (on the basis of the parents), which is significant for persons born abroad who originate from Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Ways to acquire B&H citizenship

According to the B&H Law on Citizenship, citizenship can be acquired in five basic ways:

• By descent – on the basis of the citizenship of the parents (ius sanguinis).
• By birth on the territory of B&H – in special cases (ius soli, prevention of statelessness).
• By adoption – if a child is adopted by a B&H citizen.
• By naturalization – admission to citizenship upon request, subject to meeting the prescribed conditions.
• By international agreement – according to bilateral treaties on dual citizenship.

These ways of acquiring citizenship of Bosnia and Herzegovina are explained in detail below.

Acquisition of B&H citizenship by descent (through parents)

The most common basis for acquiring B&H citizenship is descent, that is, the citizenship of the child's parents. B&H applies the principle of ius sanguinis, which means that the citizenship of the child primarily depends on the citizenship of the parents. A child born after the entry into force of the Constitution of B&H (in 1994) acquires B&H citizenship by descent in the following situations:

• Both parents are B&H citizens: If both parents were B&H citizens at the time of the child's birth, the child automatically acquires B&H citizenship regardless of the place of birth. It does not matter whether the child was born in Bosnia and Herzegovina or abroad – in both cases, with two citizen parents, the child is a B&H citizen from birth.
• One parent a B&H citizen, child born in B&H: If one parent was a B&H citizen at the time of birth, and the child was born on the territory of B&H, the child also acquires B&H citizenship by descent.
• One parent a B&H citizen, child born abroad: In this case there are additional conditions. If only one parent is a B&H citizen, and the child was born outside Bosnia and Herzegovina, the child has the right to citizenship of Bosnia and Herzegovina, but in order to retain it he or she must be registered as a citizen of Bosnia and Herzegovina before reaching the age of 23 with the competent authority (a diplomatic and consular mission of Bosnia and Herzegovina abroad or a municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina). Therefore, persons born in the diaspora to one parent who is a B&H citizen should register their B&H citizenship by their 23^rd birthday. Otherwise, after the age of 23 they lose the automatic right to B&H citizenship by descent. An exception is the case in which the child would otherwise remain stateless – then he or she acquires B&H citizenship without fulfilling this deadline. A very important note for those persons older than 23 who have not exercised this right: if there is evidence that a person was treated or registered as a B&H citizen before reaching the age of 23 – e.g. entered in a parent's passport as a B&H citizen (example: entry in the mother's passport), an application was submitted or an entry was made at a diplomatic and consular mission, a certificate of registration or deregistration of residence in B&H, an extract from the civil registries with registered B&H citizenship, and similar – then the age limit of 23 is not considered an obstacle to acquiring or establishing citizenship. In such cases an application is submitted for subsequent registration or reconstruction of the entry in the records.
• Special situations: If one parent is a B&H citizen, and the other is a stateless person or was a citizen of the former SFRY at the time of the child's birth, a child born abroad also acquires B&H citizenship by descent under the earlier regulations. Also, adoption by B&H citizens has the effect of acquiring citizenship by descent – a child of foreign citizenship or without citizenship who is fully adopted by B&H citizens (full adoption) acquires B&H citizenship by descent.

It is important to emphasize that persons who acquire B&H citizenship by descent are considered citizens from the moment of birth. In practice, this means that many descendants of emigrants from B&H who were born abroad are already B&H citizens by descent, although they may not have B&H documents – it is necessary to carry out subsequent registration in the civil registries (through the diplomatic and consular network of B&H or at the municipality) in order to be issued a certificate of citizenship and other documents. Many B&H citizens in the diaspora hold foreign citizenship acquired by birth or naturalization in other countries, but at the same time they are entitled to citizenship of Bosnia and Herzegovina by descent from their parents. Age is not an obstacle here – even if a person is older than 23, if both parents were B&H citizens at the time of their birth, he or she can still be registered as a B&H citizen (because in that case citizenship is acquired automatically). In the case where only one parent is a B&H citizen and the application deadline of 23 has been missed, there are options for later acquisition of citizenship through facilitated naturalization or special procedures – legal advice is recommended in such situations.

Acquisition of B&H citizenship by birth on the territory (ius soli)

Bosnia and Herzegovina does not primarily grant citizenship by place of birth, except for the purpose of preventing statelessness. A child born or found on the territory of B&H after the entry into force of the Constitution acquires B&H citizenship on the basis of birth on the territory (ius soli) if he or she would otherwise remain stateless – that is, if both parents are unknown, of unknown nationality or stateless. This provision ensures that no child born in B&H is stateless. In all other cases, the citizenship of a child born in B&H is determined by the citizenship of the parents (descent), and only if the child cannot acquire the citizenship of the parents does B&H grant citizenship on the basis of birth on its soil.

Acquisition of B&H citizenship by adoption

When a B&H citizen fully adopts a child under the age of 18, that child acquires citizenship of Bosnia and Herzegovina on the basis of adoption. The condition is that the adoption is full and legally binding. In this way the status of adopted children is equalized with biological children in terms of citizenship.

Acquiring B&H citizenship through naturalization (admission)

Naturalization is a way of acquiring B&H citizenship on the basis of a voluntary request by a foreigner who meets the conditions prescribed by law. For foreigners who wish to become B&H citizens, the law provides quite detailed criteria, which are set out in the B&H Law on Citizenship.

In addition to the above, an important condition for naturalization is the applicant's willingness to renounce his or her previous citizenship before acquiring B&H citizenship. The law requires a person to renounce or otherwise lose the previous citizenship, unless there is a bilateral agreement between B&H and that country regulating the issue of dual citizenship otherwise. Renunciation of the previous citizenship will not be required if it is not permitted or cannot reasonably be required (e.g. if the other country does not allow release from citizenship or sets unworkable conditions). In practice, this means that candidates for naturalization in B&H must provide evidence of release from or renunciation of their previous citizenship, unless they are citizens of countries with which B&H has special dual citizenship agreements (more on this below).

Note: Bosnia and Herzegovina currently has signed bilateral dual citizenship agreements with the Republic of Serbia, the Republic of Croatia and the Kingdom of Sweden. Citizens of those countries can acquire citizenship of Bosnia and Herzegovina without renouncing their original citizenship, and B&H citizens may also retain B&H citizenship when acquiring citizenship of those countries. For citizens of other countries, it is usual to renounce their previous citizenship upon naturalization in B&H. Nevertheless, the fact is that B&H has no effective mechanism for monitoring dual citizenship, which means that individuals from countries without agreements sometimes manage to retain foreign citizenship, if the foreign country does not require release upon naturalization. There are also plans to expand the number of dual citizenship agreements (e.g. an initiative for an agreement with Germany) in order to make it easier for former B&H citizens to regain B&H citizenship without losing their newly acquired foreign citizenship.

Facilitated naturalization: The law provides for special, more favourable conditions for certain categories of foreigners applying for B&H citizenship. The most significant example is the acquisition of citizenship on the basis of marriage to a B&H citizen. The spouse of a B&H citizen may acquire citizenship through facilitated naturalization if he or she meets the following conditions:

• that the marriage to a B&H citizen has lasted at least 5 years before submitting the application and is still ongoing at the time of submission;
• that he or she has approved permanent residence in B&H;
• to renounce the previous citizenship before acquiring B&H citizenship (unless the foreigner is a citizen of Serbia, Croatia or Sweden, where a dual citizenship agreement is in force).
• that he or she does not pose a threat to the security of B&H.

Other conditions (such as knowledge of the language, finances, criminal record) are, in these cases, not explicitly required by the Law, or are already met through the condition of permanent residence. Facilitated naturalization speeds up and simplifies the acquisition of citizenship for spouses of B&H citizens.

Special cases: The law also enables easier acquisition of citizenship for some further categories:

• Former B&H citizens who renounced B&H citizenship in order to acquire or retain the citizenship of another state have the right to reacquire B&H citizenship under a simplified procedure, subject to certain conditions.
• Emigrants returning to B&H, as well as the first and second generation of their descendants who settle in B&H, may apply for admission to B&H citizenship with a waiver of certain conditions (two of the general conditions may be exempted). In practice this means that, for example, returnees from the diaspora and their children or grandchildren may obtain citizenship without meeting the full residence period or similar requirements.
• A minor child whose one parent has acquired B&H citizenship may also obtain B&H citizenship by naturalization (subsequent registration), provided that the child has temporary or permanent residence in B&H and that the parent submits an application on the child's behalf (with the consent of the child if over 14 years of age).
• Stateless persons (apatridi) and refugees may acquire B&H citizenship under mitigated conditions – they are required only to have continuously resided in B&H for 5 years in that status before submitting the application (other conditions are partially not applied).
• Naturalization in the interest of B&H: Exceptionally, the Council of Ministers of B&H may grant citizenship to a foreigner even if he or she does not meet all the legal conditions, if it assesses that admitting that person to B&H citizenship would represent a special interest for the state (e.g. recognized experts, athletes, investors, etc.).

Acquiring B&H citizenship on the basis of an international agreement

B&H bilateral dual citizenship agreements

Country	Year of agreement	Renunciation of citizenship
Republic of Serbia	2002	Not required
Republic of Croatia	2007	Not required
Kingdom of Sweden	2003	Not required
Other countries	–	Required

Bosnia and Herzegovina may conclude international dual citizenship agreements with other states, on the basis of which it is easier for citizens of those states to acquire citizenship while retaining their previous citizenship. An example of such an agreement is the Agreement on Dual Citizenship between B&H and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (now the Republic of Serbia), concluded in 2002. On the basis of that agreement, citizens of Serbia can acquire B&H citizenship under simplified conditions without losing their Serbian citizenship, and vice versa. The agreement stipulates, for example, that a Serbian citizen who wants B&H citizenship must be 18 years old, have registered residence in B&H for at least 3 years (or 1 year if married to a B&H citizen), not have been convicted of serious criminal offences, not be subject to an expulsion order, and respect the legal order of B&H. It is also expressly stated that acquiring a second citizenship will not be conditioned on renunciation of the previous one in these cases.

In addition to Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina has concluded bilateral dual citizenship agreements with Croatia (in 2007) and Sweden (in 2003). Accordingly, citizens of Croatia and Sweden can also acquire B&H citizenship without renouncing their citizenship (and B&H citizens may retain B&H citizenship if they acquire the citizenship of those countries). These agreements have made it possible for the largest number of naturalizations in B&H in recent years to be on this basis – for example, many citizens of Croatia and Serbia become B&H citizens each year on the basis of the agreements. For citizens of countries with which B&H does not have such agreements (e.g. citizens of Western European countries, the USA, etc.), the general conditions for naturalization still apply, including the requirement to renounce the previous citizenship. However, persons of B&H origin who have acquired other citizenships (such as citizens of Germany, Austria, the USA, Canada, etc.) often use the basis of descent to obtain B&H citizenship in order to avoid losing foreign citizenship – because through descent they acquire B&H citizenship as an additional one, from birth, which is legally different from naturalization.

 

 

How to get citizenship of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Frequently asked questions

Q: What are the ways to acquire citizenship of Bosnia and Herzegovina?
A: Under the B&H Law on Citizenship, citizenship can be acquired in five ways: by descent (on the basis of the parents' citizenship, the ius sanguinis principle), by birth on the territory of B&H (only exceptionally, to prevent statelessness), by adoption (when a child is fully adopted by a B&H citizen), by naturalization (ordinary admission upon request with the statutory conditions met), and on the basis of an international agreement (facilitated acquisition under bilateral dual citizenship treaties). For most people in the diaspora, descent is the most important basis, because citizenship on that basis is acquired from birth, without renouncing foreign citizenship.

Q: How is B&H citizenship acquired by descent (through parents)?
A: By descent, B&H citizenship is acquired by a child both of whose parents were B&H citizens at the time of the child's birth, regardless of where the child was born. If only one parent was a B&H citizen, the child acquires citizenship automatically if born on the territory of B&H. Persons who acquire citizenship by descent are considered B&H citizens from the moment of birth, so many descendants of emigrants already are B&H citizens even though they have no B&H documents. In that case it is sufficient to carry out subsequent registration in the birth register and the register of citizens, through the competent municipality or a diplomatic and consular mission of B&H, in order to be issued a certificate of citizenship and other documents.

Q: My child was born abroad and only one parent is a B&H citizen; by what deadline must the child be registered for citizenship?
A: If a child was born abroad and only one parent was a B&H citizen at the time of birth, the child is entitled to B&H citizenship, but retains it only if registered as a B&H citizen with the competent authority (a diplomatic and consular mission of B&H abroad or a municipality in B&H) before reaching the age of 23. The exception is a situation in which the child would otherwise be left stateless, because citizenship is then acquired even without that deadline. We therefore advise parents in the diaspora not to postpone registering the child in the B&H civil registries.

Q: I am over 23 and not registered in the civil registries; is it too late for B&H citizenship by descent?
A: Not necessarily. If both parents were B&H citizens at the time of your birth, citizenship was acquired automatically from birth and age is not an obstacle to registration. If only one parent was a B&H citizen and the deadline of 23 was missed, citizenship can still be established if there is evidence that, before that age, you were treated or registered as a B&H citizen (e.g. an entry in a parent's passport, an earlier application or registration at a diplomatic and consular mission, a certificate of residence, an extract with registered citizenship). Otherwise, there remains the possibility of subsequent acquisition through facilitated naturalization, particularly for emigrants and their descendants. Since every case depends on the evidence, a legal review before submitting the application is advisable.

Q: Can I acquire B&H citizenship on the basis of marriage, and what are the conditions?
A: Yes. The spouse of a B&H citizen may acquire citizenship through facilitated naturalization under Article 10 of the B&H Law on Citizenship. The basic conditions are: that the marriage has lasted at least five years and is still ongoing at the time of application, that you have approved permanent residence in B&H, and that you do not pose a threat to the security of B&H. The advantage of this basis is that not all the conditions required for ordinary naturalization are demanded (e.g. long-term residence or a language test). Here too, renunciation of previous citizenship is generally required, unless you are a citizen of a state with which B&H has a dual citizenship agreement (Serbia, Croatia, Sweden). The application is submitted to the competent authority together with an extract from the marriage register and evidence that the conditions are met.

Q: What are the conditions for naturalization (ordinary admission) into B&H citizenship?
A: Naturalization is the admission of a foreigner into B&H citizenship upon application, governed by Article 9 of the B&H Law on Citizenship. Among other things, the foreigner must: be 18 years of age and have legal capacity; have release from previous citizenship or evidence that it will be granted (unless a bilateral agreement exists); have approved permanent residence and the prescribed period of continuous residence in B&H; have sufficient knowledge of the script and language of one of the constituent peoples; have secured means of support; not pose a threat to the security of B&H; and not have been convicted of serious crimes. For certain categories (former citizens, emigrants and their descendants, stateless persons, refugees, spouses), the law provides for facilitated conditions. The exact period of residence and the required evidence are best checked for the specific case.

Q: Does B&H allow dual citizenship, and must I renounce my existing citizenship?
A: Dual citizenship in B&H is allowed only if there is a bilateral agreement between B&H and the other state governing that matter. B&H currently has such agreements with Serbia, Croatia and Sweden, so citizens of those countries can acquire B&H citizenship without renunciation, and vice versa. For all other countries, naturalization generally requires renunciation of previous citizenship, unless that is not permitted or cannot reasonably be required. An important exception is acquisition of citizenship by descent: renunciation is then not required, because the person is considered a B&H citizen from birth. That is why many members of the diaspora lawfully hold two citizenships precisely on the basis of descent.

Q: Can I hold dual citizenship of B&H and Germany?
A: It is possible, but it depends on the basis. B&H and Germany do not yet have a signed bilateral dual citizenship agreement, so for acquiring B&H citizenship by naturalization the renunciation rule formally still applies. However, a person born in Germany who holds German citizenship and meets the conditions for B&H citizenship by descent (through a parent) can also obtain B&H citizenship and thus lawfully hold both, because citizenship by descent is acquired from birth and requires no renunciation. It should also be noted that, as of 27 June 2024, a new German law generally permits dual citizenship, and that B&H has no mechanism for monitoring the acquisition of foreign citizenship, so we advise citizens who have retained B&H citizenship not to release it unnecessarily.

Q: I renounced my B&H citizenship in order to obtain German or Austrian citizenship; can I get it back?
A: The B&H Law on Citizenship provides for reacquisition for a person whose citizenship ceased through renunciation or release in order to acquire the citizenship of another state. The condition is that, immediately before submitting the application, you have approved temporary residence in B&H of at least one year, or approved permanent residence. In practice this means that reacquisition of citizenship, unconnected to residence in B&H, is currently not possible solely from abroad, unless a bilateral agreement were concluded. An initiative for a dual citizenship agreement between B&H and Germany was launched in the Parliamentary Assembly of B&H in August 2024, but the B&H Council of Ministers has not yet reached agreement on it, so such an agreement currently does not exist. For that reason, it is always better to seek legal advice before renouncing.

Q: How long does the procedure for acquiring B&H citizenship take?
A: The duration depends on the legal basis. Subsequent registration of citizenship by descent, when the documentation is in order, can be relatively quick and is often completed within a few weeks. Ordinary naturalization takes longer, because it involves security checks and obtaining the consent of several authorities, so it can take from several months to a year or more. For facilitated naturalization (spouses, emigrants, reacquisition), the procedure is generally shorter. When an application has been duly submitted, the competent authority strives to decide it as soon as possible; for certain procedures, such as reacquisition at the entity level, a deadline of 60 days is even prescribed.

Q: Which authority is responsible for B&H citizenship, and to whom is the application submitted?
A: Decisions on the acquisition of B&H citizenship are made by the Ministry of Civil Affairs of B&H, which also keeps the citizenship records, while subsequent registration by descent is often within the competence of the municipality, that is, the registry office. For naturalization, the application is submitted to the entity authority: in the Federation of B&H, the Federal Ministry of the Interior (through the competent cantonal Ministry of the Interior); in Republika Srpska, the competent ministry of the RS; and in the Brcko District, the Public Register Department. Persons in the diaspora may also submit the application through a diplomatic and consular mission of B&H (an embassy or consulate).

Q: What documentation is required to acquire or register B&H citizenship?
A: The documentation depends on the basis, but as a rule the following are required: an extract from the birth register, a certificate of B&H citizenship for the parent (for acquisition by descent), proof of identity and residence, and evidence specific to the chosen basis (e.g. an extract from the marriage register for acquisition through marriage, or proof of release from previous citizenship for naturalization). Foreign documents must be translated by an authorized court interpreter and, for states with which B&H has no agreement on the recognition of documents, certified with an Apostille stamp. The security check is obtained by the competent authority ex officio. Since incomplete or inconsistent documentation is the most frequent cause of rejection, it is advisable to prepare the documents with legal assistance.

Q: How and where can I obtain a certificate of B&H citizenship?
A: A certificate of B&H citizenship is issued by the registry office in the municipality or town where the person is entered in the register of citizens, usually according to place of birth or residence. Persons in the diaspora may submit the application through the nearest embassy or consulate of B&H, which forwards it to the competent registry office in B&H. The certificate is usually valid for six months and is required for the issuance of a passport and identity card, the settlement of inheritance, marriage, and other procedures. If the person is not registered in the B&H civil registries at all, the procedure of subsequent registration, that is, establishment of citizenship, must first be carried out before the certificate can be issued.

Q: Can I submit the application from abroad, through an embassy or consulate of B&H?
A: Yes. A large part of the procedures can be handled through a diplomatic and consular mission of B&H (DCM) in the country where you live, without coming to B&H. Through the DCM you can, among other things, register the birth of a child born abroad, apply for a unique personal identification number (JMB), carry out subsequent registration in the civil registries, apply for a certificate of citizenship, and file a declaration of renunciation of citizenship. Foreign documents are usually attached translated by an authorized interpreter and, where necessary, certified with an Apostille stamp. Procedures through the DCM take somewhat longer due to international mail and coordination with the authorities in B&H, so it is useful to prepare the documentation carefully and in advance.

Q: Must I perform military service if I acquire B&H citizenship?
A: No. In Bosnia and Herzegovina there is no compulsory military service, so by acquiring B&H citizenship you do not assume any military service obligation; professional military service is voluntary. For dual citizens who have a military obligation in another state, bilateral agreements (e.g. with Serbia) provide that this obligation is performed in the state in which the person has registered residence, and that an obligation already performed is recognized in both states.