Bosnia & Herzegovina Citizenship by Descent — Restrictive Rules and No Dual Citizenship
Bosnia & Herzegovina (BiH) has some of the most restrictive citizenship rules in Europe. Unlike most European countries, BiH only automatically grants citizenship to a child born abroad to one BiH citizen parent if the child would otherwise be stateless. If the child acquires another citizenship at birth (the typical case for diaspora families), they do NOT automatically receive BiH citizenship. BiH also does not permit dual citizenship — naturalization requires renouncing foreign nationality. With approximately 40% of the BiH-born population living abroad, these restrictions have significant consequences for the diaspora.
Current passport design
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Eligibility Overview
BiH citizenship law provides: (1) a child born to two BiH citizen parents acquires BiH citizenship regardless of birth location; (2) a child born abroad to one BiH citizen parent and one foreign-national parent acquires BiH citizenship only IF they would otherwise be stateless. Cases where the child holds another citizenship by birth do not automatically confer BiH citizenship through the one-parent rule. Naturalization requires 8 years of continuous BiH residency and renunciation of all foreign citizenships.
Key Requirements
- ✓Both parents must be BiH citizens for automatic transmission to a child born abroad (without the statelessness condition), OR
- ✓One BiH citizen parent for a child born abroad who would otherwise be stateless
- ✓For naturalization: 8 years of continuous legal residency in BiH
- ✓Renunciation of all foreign citizenships is required for naturalization
- ✓Application at the Ministry of Civil Affairs of BiH or BiH consulate
Documents You Will Need
- 1Applicant's birth certificate
- 2Both (or the relevant) parent's proof of BiH citizenship (CIPS-issued identity documents)
- 3For statelessness-based claim: documentation proving no other citizenship was acquired at birth
- 4Marriage certificates as applicable
- 5Apostilles on all foreign documents
- 6Certified translations into Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian
- 7Applicant's current valid national passport
- 8For naturalization: proof of 8 years continuous BiH residency
Expected Timeline
Citizenship registration under the statelessness exception: 6–18 months. For cases where both parents are BiH citizens: 3–12 months. Naturalization (8 years residency): 12–24 months processing after eligibility is met. Renunciation of existing citizenship(s) adds additional time.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
- ⚠️One-parent rule does not apply in most diaspora cases: because children born abroad to a BiH and a foreign parent nearly always acquire the foreign parent's citizenship at birth (and are therefore not stateless), the one-parent rule does not help most diaspora families
- ⚠️No dual citizenship: the biggest limitation — BiH does not permit dual citizenship, meaning accepting formal BiH citizenship requires giving up your existing passport; this is prohibitive for most diaspora members
- ⚠️Complex BiH political structure: Bosnia has two entities (Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republika Srpska) and one district (Brčko) with overlapping jurisdictions that can complicate citizenship matters
- ⚠️Brain drain: BiH faces significant emigration; the citizenship restrictions are a commonly cited reason why diaspora members do not reclaim BiH citizenship
Official Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can qualify for Bosnia & Herzegovina Citizenship by Descent — Restrictive Rules and No Dual Citizenship?
A child born abroad to two BiH citizen parents qualifies automatically. A child born abroad to one BiH citizen parent and one foreign parent only qualifies automatically if the child would otherwise be stateless. Since most children born abroad to mixed families acquire the other parent's citizenship at birth, the one-parent rule rarely applies in practice. BiH does not permit dual citizenship — naturalization (8 years residency) requires renouncing all foreign nationalities.
Which documents are required?
Birth certificate, both parents' proof of BiH citizenship, and current national passport. For statelessness-based claims, documentation proving no other citizenship was acquired. All foreign documents need apostilles and certified translations into Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian.
How long does the process take?
Registration where both parents are BiH citizens: 3–12 months. Statelessness-exception claims: 6–18 months. Naturalization (8 years residency path): requires years of residency then 12–24 months of processing.
Legal Basis
BiH citizenship is governed by the Zakon o državljanstvu Bosne i Hercegovine (Law on Citizenship of Bosnia and Herzegovina) of 2005, as amended. The one-parent rule with statelessness condition is in Article 7. Article 9 covers the two-parents-both-citizens scenario. The prohibition on dual citizenship is in Article 28. The complex entity-level citizenship structure adds additional layers.
Dual Citizenship
Bosnia & Herzegovina does NOT permit dual citizenship. Article 28 of the BiH Citizenship Law stipulates that BiH citizenship is lost when a person voluntarily acquires foreign citizenship, and acquiring BiH citizenship requires renouncing all existing foreign nationalities. This is one of the strictest dual-citizenship policies in Europe. Exceptions exist for BiH citizens who acquire EU member state citizenship under bilateral agreements with some countries, but this is limited.
Estimated Costs
Application fee at Ministry of Civil Affairs: approximately BAM 30–100 (approx. €15–€51). CIPS documentation: BAM 15–30 per document. Apostilles: €10–€40 per document. Certified translations: €30–€70 per document. Renunciation of other citizenship(s): costs vary greatly by the other country. Total excluding renunciation: approximately €100–€400.
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