Frequently asked questions
Can EU citizens enter, stay and transit through BiH, only with a valid ID card?
Article 20 of the Decision on Visas („Official Gazette of BiH“, No. 3/15) states that the citizens of European Union member states, signatories of the Schengen Agreement: Andorra, Montenegro, Lichtenstein, Monaco, San Marino, Serbia, the Holy See and Switzerland, can enter, exit, transit and stay on the BiH territory up to 90 days, in the period of six months, starting from the day of the first entry, not only with a passport, but also with a valid ID card proving their identity and citizenship.
Can citizens of the countries that require visa to enter and stay in BiH, enter BiH with no visa, provided they have the US Green Card?
Citizens of the countries that require visa to enter and stay in BiH must have visa, regardless of the US Green Card they possess.
The Decision on Visas („Official Gazette of BiH“, No. 3/15) determines the countries whose citizens can enter Bosnia and Herzegovina with no visa required, using passport and other identification document to enter, exit, transit and stay on the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Can citizens of the countries that require visa to enter and stay in BiH, enter BiH with no visa, provided they have Schengen visa or European Union MS visa?
In accordance with the Decision on Visas of Bosnia and Herzegovina („Official Gazette of BiH“, No. 3/15), citizens of the countries with which Bosnia and Herzegovina has visa regime in force, can enter Bosnia and Herzegovina without obtaining visa for entry and stay in Bosnia and Herzegovina, only if they have a valid multiple Schengen visa or European Union MS visa, or appropriate residence permit for Schengen states or European Union member states, and after conducted checks, i.e. control by Border Police of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The aforementioned is valid only if opersons possessing Schengen visa or European Union visa, or required residence permits in Schengen or EU states, are coming to Bosnia and Herzegovina from a Schengen state or an European Union member state, or a third country with which Bosnia and Herzegovina has signed Readmission Agreement.
The period of stay in the mentioned case is in total up to 90 days, in the period of six months starting from the day of the first entry, whereby one continual stay in Bosnia and Herzegovina cannot be longer than 30 days, and shall be within the validity period of visa or residence permit issued by a Schengen state or an EU member state.
The aforementioned does not apply to persons with forbidden entry and stay in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Is it possible to get some information about transferring animals across the border? How is their transfer regulated by the law, and what is the procedure, i.e. what documents are required for them to cross the (land) border, or to travel by plane?
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If you are travelling over a border crossing point to BiH, you should be familiar with the following rights and obligations you have as physical entities crossing the borderline.
In passenger traffic it is not allowed for passengers to bring in and take out certain goods. However, valid regulations for this area allow these goods to be transferred across the border, provided there are required permissions, or the goods are in allowed quantities, which primarily refers to:
- Goods of commercial nature,
- Weapons, ammunition and explosives (sports, hunting, military),,
- cultural goods, antiquities and works of art, of historical and other importance,
- narcotic drugs, precursors, poisons and other dangerous matters,
- foreign currency notes, loan stocks and bonds,
- endangered plant and animal species,
- medicines,
- live animals, including pets,
- plants,
- materials whose content is bad influence to the country’s well-being and interests.
Requirements reference health of animals for non-commercial import of pets in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and transit through its territory, as well as the rules applying to monitoring such movement, are regulated by the Rulebook on Health Requirements for Non-Commercial Import and Transit of Pets („Official Gazette of BiH“, No. 34/12).
This Rulebook applies to:
- Pets: dogs, cats, domestic ferrets, invertebrates (except for bees and crabs), ornamental tropical fish, reptiles, all birds (except poultry) and
- Mammals: rodents and domestic rabbits bred or held for company, recreation, protection or help to humans.
Non-commercial movement is movement of pets, numbering not more than five during import or transit through the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina, accompanied by their owner or a person authorized by the owner, and whose import or transit is not of commercial nature.
For crossing of the state border of pets, it is required to have a passport, i.e. any document enabling clear identification of the pet, which includes paragraphs enabling checks of its status.
When importing or transiting, dogs, cats and domestic ferrets are considered identified if they have:
- a) A clearly visible tattoo, or
- b) Electronic identification system (transponder).
Regardless of identification system, it is necessary to indicate details about the name and the address of the animal owner.
Pets must have passports issued by a veterinarian authorized by competent authority of the exporting country, thus confirming that the animal was properly vaccinated against rabies.
In order to ensure that the pets imported to, or in transit through the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina, are identified, the following measures are taken:
- a) If there are five or less animals, the accompanying documentation is checked and pets are identified by the officers of the Indirect Taxation Authority of BiH, at permitted border crossing points in Bosnia and Herzegovina;
- b) ) If there are more than five animals, import is possible only based on Certificate of Nonexistence of Medical-Veterinary Obstacles for Import, issued by the Veterinary Office.
When importing or transiting, the owner or the person responsible for the pet shall present, to the officers of the Indirect Taxation Authority of BiH, a passport or a veterinary-medical certificate confirming that the animal fulfills import or transit requirements.
From the aforementioned, it can be concluded that BP BiH is not competent for control, check of pets’ documentation, when crossing the border.
Moreover, we recommend that the passengers get informed about the requirements for entering and importing goods for respective country, since the mentioned regulations are not identical within the EU.