FAQ Citizenship and Travel Documents Sector
Do the Federal Republic of Germany and Bosnia and Herzegovina have a bilateral agreement on dual citizenship?
Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Federal Republic of Germany do not have a bilateral agreement on dual citizenship.
I renounced the citizenship of Bosnia and Herzegovina and acquired German citizenship. Since Germany allows the acquisition of citizenship without renouncing the previous one, how can I regain the citizenship of Bosnia and Herzegovina and hold dual citizenship?
Reacquisition of the citizenship of Bosnia and Herzegovina is possible in accordance with the provisions of the Law on Citizenship of Bosnia and Herzegovina, subject to the mandatory condition of renouncing the citizenship of the Federal Republic of Germany.
Does acquiring the citizenship of another state result in the automatic loss of the citizenship of Bosnia and Herzegovina by operation of law?
In accordance with the decision of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the citizenship of Bosnia and Herzegovina is not automatically lost by operation of law upon acquiring the citizenship of another state.
What documents are attached to the application for citizenship as a person of special benefit to Bosnia and Herzegovina?
The originals of the following documents are attached to the application for citizenship as a person of special benefit to Bosnia and Herzegovina:
Birth certificate,
Proof of citizenship of the country of origin,
Marriage certificate, i.e. proof of unmarried status,
Proof of registered residence in Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Recommendation that the admission of a certain person is of special benefit to Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Certificate of no criminal record in the country of origin,
Certificate of no criminal proceedings in the country of origin,
Proof of knowledge of one of the languages and scripts in official use in Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Proof of settled tax obligations in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the country of origin,
Declaration of acceptance of the legal system and constitutional order of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Who can issue a recommendation for admission to citizenship?
Competent Ministry of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Foreign Trade Chamber of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Government of the Republika Srpska
Government of the Brčko District of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Chamber of Commerce of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Chamber of Commerce of the Republika Srpska
Olympic Committee of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Registered sports associations at the level of Bosnia and Herzegovina
What is required to regain citizenship of Bosnia and Herzegovina?
Former citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina may regain citizenship in accordance with Article 14 of the Law on Citizenship of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is necessary that they have resided in the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina for at least one year before submitting the application.
What documents are required for the procedure for revising citizenship of Bosnia and Herzegovina?
The following documents must be submitted:
birth certificate from the place of birth, certificate of citizenship of the state, birth certificate from the municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina, certificate of movement, valid identification document, extract/certificate of data from criminal records and evidence of a real connection to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
How much does a citizenship certificate cost?
The cost of a citizenship certificate for Bosnia and Herzegovina depends on the citizenship being acquired. For persons acquiring citizenship of the former SFRY countries, the fee is 200 KM. For persons acquiring citizenship of other countries, the fee is 800 KM per case.
How is the subsequent entry of the fact of birth and the fact of citizenship in the civil registry books by origin made?
The provisions of the Law on Citizenship of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Consolidated Text) (''Official Gazette of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina'' No. 30/96) apply to all persons born before 01.01.1998. year, and for persons born after this date, the provisions of the Law on Citizenship of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Official Gazette of Bosnia and Herzegovina No. 4/97, 13/99, 41/02, 6/03, 14/03, 82/05, 43/09, 76/09 and 87/13), i.e. the revised text of this law published in the Official Gazette of BiH No. 22/16 and registration is done in accordance with entity regulations.
Persons born before 01.01.1998. have the right to subsequently enter the fact of birth and the fact of citizenship in accordance with the Instructions on the subsequent entry of the fact of birth and the fact of citizenship in the registers of persons who acquired the citizenship of Bosnia and Herzegovina according to the regulations of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina ("Official Gazette of BiH" number: 30/16).
It is indisputable that citizenship of Bosnia and Herzegovina is acquired by descent by applying Article 4, paragraph 1, item 4) of the Law on Citizenship of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Consolidated text) (''Official Gazette of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina'' No. 30/96), which reads:
“ Article 4.
A child acquires citizenship of Bosnia and Herzegovina by descent:
1) whose both parents are citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina at the time of the child's birth,
2) whose one parent is a citizen of Bosnia and Herzegovina at the time of the child's birth, and the child was born in Bosnia and Herzegovina,
3) whose one parent is a citizen of Bosnia and Herzegovina at the time of the child's birth, the other is a stateless person, and the child was born abroad,
4) whose one parent is a citizen of Bosnia and Herzegovina at the time of the child's birth, the other was a citizen of the former SFRY, and the child was born abroad.
A child of foreign citizenship or statelessness acquires citizenship of Bosnia and Herzegovina by descent if he or she has been adopted by citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina in accordance with the provisions of international law with the effect of full adoption. “
In all cases that can be classified under the aforementioned provisions, it is indisputable that on citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina. If they are not registered, this fact does not affect the possession of citizenship of Bosnia and Herzegovina, they have it from the moment of their birth and can register it at any time. The competent authority for conducting the procedure is the registry office of the municipality/city in which either the applicant or the parent had their last residence in Bosnia and Herzegovina. If they did not have one, the application is submitted to the competent registry office according to the place of registration of the facts of birth or citizenship of the parents in the registry books.