Residence and movement of foreign nationals in BiH is regulated by the Law on Movement and Residence of Foreigners and Exile.
A temporary residence permit is issued by the authorized Ministry of Interior Affairs for a period of up to one year and can be extended. If the residence permit is issued on the basis of employment agreement, its validity is directly linked to the work permit. Since the first residence permit can be issued for one year only, foreign employee needs to extend both his work and residence permits, once that period expires.
If a foreign national intends to reside in BiH with his/her spouse and/or children, this must be mentioned in the application for the first residence permit.
A permanent residence permit can be issued to a foreign national on the basis of temporary residence of at least 5 years of continuous residence in BiH.
