POSTERN

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Temporary residence for business establishment or property ownership. Bosnia has no digital-nomad visa; the two realistic doors are founding a local business or buying any property, either of which supports a renewable one-year temporary residence permit.

Free · The law behind every answer · Checked Sep 27, 2026

Temporary residence for business establishment or property ownership

A temporary residence permit for up to 12 months, renewable annually while the business or property basis continues.

Who qualifies

You keep your U.S. citizenship.

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It could fit.

Bosnia has no digital-nomad visa; the two realistic doors are founding a local business or buying any property, either of which supports a renewable one-year temporary residence permit.

Every door that fits your family

Not legal advice.

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What it takes.

Time
1–3 months once the business or property purchase is in place.
Cost
About $500–2,000 depending on whether the route is company formation or a property purchase, beyond the property price or the roughly €500 company capital.
The hard part
The paperwork bar (medical certificate, criminal record certificate, proof of funds) is procedural rather than financial, but must be timed carefully since it must be filed at least 15 days before a prior visa or visa-free stay expires, and applicants must show a genuine, lasting connection to Bosnia, not just a nominal registration.
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Citizens by 2036.

If your first permit is issued in 2027 and you keep living there, this is the road.

  1. 2027
    First residence permit

    1 year, renewable for 1 year at a time.

  2. 2028
    Renew the permit

    Filed before the old one lapses; renews for 1 year.

  3. 2029
    Renew the permit

    Filed before the old one lapses; renews for 1 year.

  4. 2030
    Renew the permit

    Filed before the old one lapses; renews for 1 year.

  5. 2031
    Renew the permit

    Filed before the old one lapses; renews for 1 year.

  6. 2032
    Permanent residence

    Five years in a row on temporary residence, with at most 10 months abroad in total or one trip of up to 6 months. You also need regular income, housing, health insurance, a clean record, and knowledge of one of the official languages and its alphabet.

  7. 2035
    Apply for citizenship

    With a language test.

  8. 2036
    Citizenship
Language
Enough of the language and alphabet of one of the three constituent peoples (Bosnian, Croatian or Serbian).
Time away
At least 3 years holding approved permanent residence before applying, so about 8 years in the country in all. No separate count of days abroad was found for this step.
Two passports
It depends on the rules at the time and on your home country.
  • Permits last up to 1 year, so a family needs five unbroken renewals before permanent residence, then 3 more years before citizenship.
  • The citizenship law was read from a legal database (paragraf.ba), not the official gazette.
  • Spouses of citizens have a shorter route after 5 years of marriage (Art. 10), but its residence terms were not confirmed, so it is left out.
  • How the language is tested for citizenship, and how long decisions take, were not found.
  • How long the decision takes isn’t published; we allow a year.
  • Whether you can keep your current citizenship depends on the rules at the time and your home country.
The law behind these dates
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Living there.

Time you must spend there
No fixed day-count is set for holding the permit, but authorities expect a genuine, lasting connection to Bosnia, not just a registration on paper.
Tax
Tax residence follows presence of 183 days or more in a 12-month period.

We never file a tax return. We tell you what applies and brief the professional who does.

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Start today.

  1. Read the Service for Foreigners' Affairs page on temporary residence.Open sps.gov.ba ↗
  2. Round up the papers.
    • The business plan, and the endorsement or approval it needs
    • Request your FBI Identity History Summary
    • Health insurance that meets the program’s rules
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Or let us run it.

$900for your first year as a founding member. Then $399 a year, automatically.Standard first year: $1,200. Everyone renews at $399.One membership, the whole family. Accounts and activation included.

22 steps, from the first paper to the passport. You do 4 of them: send what we ask for, sign, and show up. We run the rest, and keep every permit renewed on time. Accounts and activation are included, whether you move now or keep the plan ready. Accounts depend on provider availability. Government, record and approved third-party charges are extra.

Run it for my family →
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ISSUED TO

YOUR FAMILY

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