Citizenship / Naturalization in Bosnia and Herzegovina
One documented route of this kind in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with its conditions, documents, official government fees and process.
Citizenship by Naturalisation
Ordinary naturalisation (Art. 9) requires age 18+, lawful registered permanent residence (practitioner sources cite about 8 years before application), knowledge of an official language, no security threat, no sentence over 3 years for an intentional crime in the qualifying period, and in-principle release from prior citizenship. Spouses of BiH citizens (Art. 10) qualify after 5 years of marriage plus 3 years of permanent residence. Dual citizenship is allowed only where a bilateral agreement exists (currently Croatia, Serbia, Sweden).
- Processing time
- Not published as a fixed figure by the competent authority
- Validity
- Lifelong (citizenship)
- Language requirement
- Knowledge of an official BiH language (certificate from a recognised institution or official exam)
- Permanent residence
- Permanent residence is a prerequisite (5 years of temporary residence)
- Citizenship
- Ordinary: about 8 years of permanent residence. Spouses: 5 years of marriage plus 3 years of permanent residence
Requirements
- Age 18 or over
- Lawful registered permanent residence (about 8 years for ordinary naturalisation; 3 years for spouses with 5 years of marriage)
- Knowledge of an official language
- No security threat to BiH
- No sentence over 3 years for an intentional crime in the qualifying period
- In-principle release from prior citizenship unless a bilateral dual-nationality agreement applies (Croatia, Serbia, Sweden)
Required Documents
- Birth and marriage certificates required
- Police / criminal-record certificates required
- Proof of language competency (recognised-institution certificate or official exam) required
- Proof of permanent residence required
- Renunciation document or proof of a bilateral dual-nationality agreement
Process Steps
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1
Meet residence threshold
Hold permanent residence for the required period (about 8 years ordinary, or 3 years plus 5 years of marriage for spouses).
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2
Assemble documents
Gather birth and marriage certificates, police/criminal records, language certificate, proof of residence, and renunciation document or proof of a bilateral dual-nationality agreement.
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3
Submit application
Submit the naturalisation application to the competent authority (Ministry of Civil Affairs / entity authority).
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4
Decision
Await decision; on approval, BiH citizenship is granted.