Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) is a stunning Balkan destination known for its medieval old towns, Ottoman heritage, and stunning mountains. Whether you need a visa to visit depends entirely on your nationality and the type of passport you hold.

As a candidate country for EU membership, Bosnia and Herzegovina closely mirrors the visa policy of the Schengen Area. It grants visa-free entry to all Schengen Annex II nationalities (with the exception of Kosovo), and additionally extends the same privilege to citizens of Azerbaijan, China, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Russia, and Turkey.

Visitors who do require a visa must obtain one in advance from a Bosnia and Herzegovina diplomatic mission before traveling, as there is generally no visa on arrival facility for those who require one.

1. Visa-Free Entry — Up to 90 Days

Citizens of the following two countries may enter Bosnia and Herzegovina without a visa and stay for up to 90 days. Brazil is subject to a maximum cumulative stay of 180 days per calendar year.

• Brazil (up to 90 days; maximum 180 days per year)
• Malaysia (up to 90 days)

2. Visa-Free Entry — 90 Days Within Any 180-Day Period

Citizens of the following countries may enter Bosnia and Herzegovina without a visa and stay for up to 90 days within any 180-day rolling period. This is the standard short-stay rule applied to most of the world’s major travel nations:

• Albania (may also enter using a national ID card)
• China (People’s Republic of China passports, Hong Kong SAR passports, and Macao SAR passports only)
• Dominica
• Georgia
• Grenada
• Kiribati
• Marshall Islands
• Micronesia
• Moldova
• North Macedonia (may also enter using a national ID card)
• Palau
• Peru
• Saint Lucia
• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
• Solomon Islands
• Timor-Leste
• Tonga
• Trinidad and Tobago
• Tuvalu
• United Arab Emirates
• Vanuatu
• Vatican City

3. Visa-Free Entry — 90 Days Within Any 6-Month Period

This is the largest visa-free category and covers the majority of Western nations, all EU member states, and a wide range of countries from the Americas, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East. Citizens of these countries may stay up to 90 days within any 6-month period without a visa.

Note: Countries marked with (ID) may enter using a national ID card instead of a passport. Citizens of China, Hong Kong, and Macao (marked A) may enter using PRC, Hong Kong SAR, or Macao SAR passports only.

All European Union Member States (ID card entry permitted)

All 27 EU member states are included in this category. EU citizens may present a national identity card in lieu of a passport when entering Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Other Visa-Free Countries — 90 Days Within 6 Months

• Andorra
• Antigua and Barbuda
• Argentina
• Australia
• Azerbaijan
• Bahamas
• Barbados
• Brunei
• Canada
• Chile
• Colombia
• Costa Rica
• El Salvador
• Guatemala
• Honduras
• Hong Kong (PRC, HK SAR, or Macao SAR passport holders)
• Iceland (ID card entry permitted)
• Israel
• Japan
• Kuwait
• Liechtenstein (ID card entry permitted)
• Macao (PRC, HK SAR, or Macao SAR passport holders)
• Mauritius
• Mexico
• Monaco (ID card entry permitted)
• Montenegro (ID card entry permitted)
• New Zealand
• Nicaragua
• Norway (ID card entry permitted)
• Panama
• Paraguay
• Qatar
• Saint Kitts and Nevis
• San Marino (ID card entry permitted)
• Serbia (ID card entry permitted)
• Seychelles
• Singapore
• South Korea
• Switzerland (ID card entry permitted)
• Taiwan
• Turkey
• United Kingdom
• United States
• Uruguay
• Venezuela

4. Visa-Free Entry — 30 Days Within Any 60-Day Period

Citizens of the following two countries may enter Bosnia and Herzegovina without a visa, but are subject to a shorter stay limit of 30 days within any 60-day rolling period:

• Russia
• Ukraine

5. Seasonal Visa-Free Entry — 30 Days (Summer Only)

Citizens of the following three Gulf states are granted seasonal visa-free access to Bosnia and Herzegovina. They may enter without a visa for up to 30 days within any one-year period, but only during the summer tourist season — specifically between 1 June and 30 September:

• Bahrain
• Oman
• Saudi Arabia

Outside of this seasonal window (i.e., from 1 October through 31 May), citizens of these three countries are required to obtain a visa in advance. Travelers should plan accordingly if visiting outside the summer months.

6. Non-Ordinary Passports — Diplomatic & Official/Service Passport Holders

In addition to the visa exemptions available to ordinary passport holders, certain countries whose citizens would otherwise require a visa are granted visa-free entry for holders of diplomatic or official/service passports:

Visa-Free for Diplomatic AND Official/Service Passport Holders

• Belarus
• China
• Cuba
• Egypt
• Indonesia
• Iran
• Jordan
• Kazakhstan
• Moldova
• Pakistan
• Saudi Arabia
• Tunisia

Visa-Free for Diplomatic Passport Holders Only

• Algeria
• Armenia

Citizens of these countries traveling on regular (ordinary) passports still require a visa. The exemption applies exclusively to the specified passport type.

7. Stateless Persons and Refugees

Bosnia and Herzegovina also extends its visa-free policy to stateless persons and refugees who reside in countries whose citizens do not require a visa for Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, this benefit does not apply to stateless persons or refugees residing in countries in Central America, South America, or the Caribbean.

8. Substitute Visa — Entry With a Valid Third-Country Document

Even if a traveler would normally require a Bosnian visa, they may be exempt for stays of up to 30 days if they hold one of the following valid travel authorizations:

• A valid multiple-entry visa issued by a European Union member state
• A valid multiple-entry visa issued by a Schengen Area member state
• A valid multiple-entry visa issued by the United States of America
• Valid residence in any of the above countries/areas

This provision allows travelers from visa-required countries to visit Bosnia and Herzegovina short-term on the strength of their EU, Schengen, or US travel authorization — provided the stay does not exceed 30 days.

Important exception: This substitute visa arrangement does NOT apply to holders of a Kosovan passport. Kosovo passport holders require a visa regardless of any other valid travel documents they hold.

9. Quick Reference Summary

The table below provides a concise overview of all entry categories for Bosnia and Herzegovina:

Category / Countries	Visa Required?	Conditions
All EU member states	No	Up to 90 days in any 6 months; ID card accepted
Most Western nations (US, UK, Canada, Australia, Japan etc.)	No	Up to 90 days in any 6 months
Brazil	No	Up to 90 days; max 180 days per year
Malaysia	No	Up to 90 days
Albania, North Macedonia, Georgia, UAE, Peru etc.	No	Up to 90 days in any 180 days
Russia, Ukraine	No	Up to 30 days in any 60 days
Bahrain, Oman, Saudi Arabia	No (summer only)	Up to 30 days; 1 June – 30 September only
Diplomatic/official passport holders (Belarus, Iran, Pakistan, etc.)	No	Diplomatic/official passport required
Diplomatic passport holders only (Algeria, Armenia)	No	Diplomatic passport required
EU/Schengen/US multi-entry visa or residence holders	No (substitute)	Up to 30 days; not valid for Kosovo passports
Kosovo passport holders	Yes	Visa required; substitute visa does not apply
All other nationalities	Yes	Must obtain visa from BiH diplomatic mission

Important Notice

Visa policies are subject to change without notice. Always verify current requirements with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina (mvp.gov.ba) or your nearest Bosnian embassy or consulate before traveling. Note that a reciprocity gap exists: Bosnian citizens do not have the same visa-free access to many countries that grant visa-free entry to Bosnia and Herzegovina, and should check requirements separately when traveling abroad.