Bosnia and Herzegovina is a European country in the north-western part of the Balkan Peninsula that is developing dynamically and has significant potential. Low inflation and low public debt contribute to high economic growth rates. And the favourable employment conditions in Bosnia may be of interest to representatives of many other countries.

The particularities of employment in Bosnia and Herzegovina

The country has parallel administrative apparatuses of two political entities: The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Respublika Srpska. Therefore, certain legal norms may differ in these regions, which also applies to the field of labour. For example, depending on their location, Bosnian workers pay certain insurance premiums with each salary, either voluntarily or under compulsion.

Such payments provide employees with:

• pension;
• paid leave;
• accident insurance;
• preventive examinations by doctors;
• unemployment support.

In general, Bosnian law stipulates a maximum working time of 40 hours per week. Paid leave can last a maximum of 30 days per year. Employers must also provide leave for pregnant women and those caring for a child. In addition, one of the mandatory requirements for Bosnian workers is to register health insurance, which will later cover their medical treatment.

Labour market in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Almost one fifth of the population of Bosnia and Herzegovina works in agriculture. Therefore, most job offers are in the agricultural sector. Many fruits, vegetables, wheat, tobacco and maize are grown in the country. There are also widespread animal farms producing dairy and meat products.

Popular occupations by 2022 in Bosnia include:

• doctors;
• lawyers;
• pilots;
• financial professionals;
• bank managers;
• IT professionals;
• marketers.

Top job search websites for Bosnia and Herzegovina

Serda.ba is the best-known portal in the country for searching current job offers. IT offers are particularly popular here.

Poslovi.ba publishes many vacancies not only from local but also international companies with branches in Bosnia.

In addition to employment opportunities, the Boljiposao resource suggests considering grants and other alternative ways of finding work.

Work visa to Bosnia and Herzegovina

Foreigners wishing to work in Bosnia and Herzegovina must first obtain a work permit. This is issued by the relevant employment service authorities. Anyone who plans to work and stay in Bosnia for more than 3 months needs a work visa. It is issued for the period indicated in the employment contract.

To obtain a visa to Bosnia for an employee, the employer must provide the following information:

• general details of name, age, nationality, etc;
• reasons for granting work to the foreigner;
• working conditions, including salary and job duties;
• the employee's education diplomas translated into one of the official languages of Bosnia;
• notarised copies of passports.