Bosnia and Herzegovina work permit (2026): quotas, employer rules & process

Overview

Bosnia and Herzegovina sets an annual work-permit quota by Council of Ministers decision. For 2026 the total is 7,427 permits: 4,500 in the Federation of BiH, 2,000 in Republika Srpska and 927 in Brčko District, split into 2,350 extensions and 5,077 new-employment permits, with sector allocations such as 1,760 construction, 1,060 processing industry and 560 hotel/catering.

Quotas, caps and ratios

Quota / cap: 7,427 permits (2026).
2026 total: 7,427 (FBiH 4,500, RS 2,000, Brčko 927); 2,350 extensions + 5,077 new; sectors include 1,760 construction, 1,060 processing, 560 hotel/catering. Permits may still be issued outside quota under Law on Foreigners art. 65.

Employer eligibility and restrictions

Work permit must be obtained before temporary residence; competence is decentralised across entities/district.
Entity/canton-specific employer no-debt and document rules were not separately reviewed.
Permits may be issued outside quota in cases provided by Law on Foreigners article 65.

Main work-permit routes

Work permit
Temporary residence for work

Recent vacancies — Bosnia and Herzegovina

20+ recent vacancies aggregated from FZZZ (Federalni zavod za zapošljavanje), Zavod za zapošljavanje Republike Srpske, SuperOGLASI. These vacancies are aggregated from public job boards and are time-sensitive — roles may be filled or expired. Always confirm the offer, employer and any fees directly with the source or employer before applying or paying anything.

Application process

Job offer — Employer via Employer (registered legal/physical entity in BiH): A registered employer in BiH offers employment to the third-country national, establishing the basis for a work permit application.
Work permit — Employer via Competent entity employment authority (Employment Institute of the Federation of BiH, the Republic of Srpska, or the Brčko District employment service): Before the foreigner enters BiH, the employer applies for and obtains the work permit from the foreign-employment authority competent for the employer's seat or the place of work. (Work permit issued for up to one year)
Temporary residence application — Worker via Service for Foreigners' Affairs (Služba za poslove sa strancima): On the basis of the issued work permit, the foreigner applies for temporary residence for the purpose of work, generally from abroad via a BiH diplomatic-consular mission or, if entitled, at the competent field office of the Service for Foreigners' Affairs. (First application filed no later than 15 days before expiry of a Visa D or visa-free stay · Administrative fee 150 BAM for issuance of the temporary residence permit)
Residence decision — Authority via Service for Foreigners' Affairs (Služba za poslove sa strancima), Ministry of Security of BiH: The Service for Foreigners' Affairs reviews the application and supporting documents and issues a decision approving temporary residence for the validity period of the work permit plus 30 days, up to a maximum of one year. (Not published — verify with Service for Foreigners' Affairs)
Start of employment — Worker via Service for Foreigners' Affairs (Služba za poslove sa strancima): Only after temporary residence is approved may the foreigner begin working in BiH on the basis of the work permit.
Address registration — Worker via Service for Foreigners' Affairs (Služba za poslove sa strancima): The foreigner registers their address of residence in BiH with the competent field office as required by law.
Extension — Worker via Service for Foreigners' Affairs (Služba za poslove sa strancima): To continue working, the foreigner applies to extend the temporary residence permit, with a renewed work permit, before the current approval expires. (Extension filed not earlier than 60 days and not later than 15 days before expiry of the approved stay)

Processing time and government fees

Overall processing time: Not published as a single statutory end-to-end figure — verify with Service for Foreigners' Affairs; temporary residence and the underlying work permit are each granted for up to one year.
Government fees: Administrative fee of 150 BAM for issuance of a temporary residence permit (per official sources; permanent residence is 200 BAM). Work-permit fees set by the competent entity employment authority — verify with that authority.
Verified against the Service for Foreigners' Affairs (SPS) official pages that the work permit is issued by the competent entity/Brčko employment authority before entry and temporary residence is approved by SPS (Ministry of Security), with a 150 BAM administrative fee and the cited filing deadlines; the exact statutory decision deadline for the residence application still needs official confirmation from SPS.

Core documents

Valid passport
Work permit approval (radna dozvola)
Employment contract
Proof of qualifications
Criminal-record certificate

Certified translators & interpreters — multiple

177 certified Bosnia and Herzegovina translators/interpreters from USTRS - Udruženje stalnih sudskih tumača i prevodilaca Republike Srpske. Click any name to open their on-site Migratalent profile (with the original source listing linked there). Sworn/certified translation is typically required for diplomas, criminal-record certificates and civil documents in the work-permit file. Verify accreditation directly before engaging.

Common questions

What is Bosnia and Herzegovina's 2026 work-permit quota?

7,427 permits in total: 4,500 in the Federation of BiH, 2,000 in Republika Srpska and 927 in Brčko District, divided into 2,350 extensions and 5,077 new-employment permits.

Can a worker start before residence is approved?

No. In Bosnia and Herzegovina the worker cannot work without temporary residence approval, which follows the work permit.

Bosnia and Herzegovina work permit and immigration guide for non-EU workers