Bosnia and Herzegovina Work Permit and Employment Residence in 2026

For ordinary paid employment, Bosnia and Herzegovina uses a work permit + temporary residence sequence. A foreign worker generally cannot treat the work permit alone as permission to begin working.

The SFA FAQ states that the employer first obtains the work permit from the authority responsible for employment of foreigners. The foreigner then applies for temporary residence on that basis and cannot start working until the residence approval is in place.

Who issues the work permit?

The competent authority depends on the employer's location: the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republika Srpska, or Brčko District. The state-level Labour and Employment Agency coordinates national quota information but does not replace the competent authority that issues the permit.

2026 work-permit quota

| Allocation | 2026 permits | | --- | ---: | | Total Bosnia and Herzegovina quota | 7,427 | | Federation of BiH | 4,500 | | Republika Srpska | 2,000 | | Brčko District | 927 | | New employment nationwide | 5,077 | | Extensions nationwide | 2,350 |

The law also provides categories for permits outside the quota, so “quota” does not mean every foreign hire competes in one identical bucket.

Employer evidence

The Law on Aliens lists employer-side information and evidence such as the foreigner's identifying data, job description and conditions, employer registration, bank solvency, tax/contribution compliance and justification for employing the foreign national. Entity/district checklists can add procedural detail.

Temporary residence after the work permit

After the work permit is issued, the foreigner applies for temporary residence. Residence based on a work permit is granted for the permit's validity plus 30 days, but not longer than one year.

The permit is job/type-of-work specific. A change of employer or post can require a new work permit and immigration follow-up.

Can I enter first and get the work permit later?

The ordinary route is built around obtaining the work permit before the employment-residence process is completed.

A first temporary-residence application is normally filed outside BiH. Filing directly in Bosnia and Herzegovina is limited to a person who entered with Visa D or is a citizen of a visa-exempt country.

Visa-free entry changes where the application may be filed; it is not a work authorization.

Visa D

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs states that Visa D can allow entry/stay for up to 180 days within one year and enables a temporary-residence application. Visa D is not the final employment residence permit.

When can work start?

SFA states that the foreigner cannot start working on the basis of the work permit before temporary residence is granted, unless a specific statutory exception applies.

Administrative fee

The SFA temporary-residence work-permit checklist lists 150 BAM for approval/extension of temporary residence. That is separate from any employment-authority fee.

Remote work and settlement

A locally hired employee belongs on this route. A person employed abroad and working online from BiH presents a different legal question; see the remote-work guide.

Ordinary qualifying temporary residence can contribute to the general five-year permanent-residence period, subject to the Law on Aliens and its exclusions. See permanent residence.

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Official and supporting sources

Related routes in Bosnia and Herzegovina