Guidance

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Knowledge Base profile

Published 13 May 2024

About: Bosnia and Herzegovina

This document contains useful information about Bosnia and Herzegovina which will assist His Majesty’s Passport Office staff process passport applications.

Contacts

If you have any questions about the document and your line manager or senior caseworker cannot help you or you think that the document has factual errors then email the Guidance team.

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Publication

Below is information on when this version of the document was published:

• version 3.0
• published for Home Office staff on 8 May 2024

Changes from last version of this document

This document has been updated with minor formatting changes.

Bosnia and Herzegovina: names

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about names in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Names in Bosnia and Herzegovina consist of:

• up to 2 forenames
• 1 surname

Changes of name

Name changes are allowed in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Following a marriage, spouses may choose to:

• keep their maiden surname
• adopt one spouse’s surname as the family name
• create a double barrelled surname (connected with a hyphen)

When a name change has taken place, a change of name certificate is issued by the local police force in the area where the person was resident at the time of the application. These certificates are not in a standardised format and may differ depending on the police force. Once a name has changed, the person must change all their identity documents.

Bosnia and Herzegovina: nationality

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about nationality in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Dual nationality is recognised in Bosnia and Herzegovina if:

• a bilateral agreement exists between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the other country where the nationality is from
• the other nationality does not require the citizen to renounce their Bosnia and Herzegovina nationality

Bosnia and Herzegovina: legitimacy and parental responsibility

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about legitimacy and parental responsibility in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Legitimacy

Bosnia and Herzegovina recognise a difference between legitimate and illegitimate births.

A child will be considered:

• legitimate if they are born to:
  • married parents
  • unmarried parents (at the time of birth), who later marry
• illegitimate if they are born to unmarried parents who do not marry

Parental responsibility

The parents who are named on a child’s birth certificate hold parental responsibility for the child.

Bosnia and Herzegovina: adoption

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about adoption in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Adoption is legal in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Bosnia and Herzegovina: surrogacy

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about surrogacy in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Surrogacy is not legal in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Bosnia and Herzegovina: gender recognition

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about gender recognition in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Transgender citizens are recognised in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Bosnia and Herzegovina: civil partnerships and marriage

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about civil partnerships and marriage in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The civil element of a marriage is recognised in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Bosnia and Herzegovina: documents

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about documents from Bosnia and Herzegovina.

There are differences in the types of documents and certificates issued from Federation Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska.

Two types of certificates can be provided both of which are acceptable for HM Passport Office purposes, including:

• a local certificate
• an international certificate (originally written in English and French)

Birth certificates

All births should be registered within 30 days with the local Registry Office. Late registrations are allowed. Birth certificates are issued following registration.

If a mistake is identified on the birth certificate this can be corrected.

Hospital birth records are issued to the parents when a child is born, these documents show the name of the child’s mother and do not name the father.

Marriage certificates

Civil marriages are registered when the wedding takes place and a marriage certificate is issued.

Divorce certificates

Divorce certificates are issued in Bosnia and Herzegovina. These are issued by the local courts and are not in a standard format. The divorce certificates can be in:

• Latin if issued by Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Cyrillic if issued by Republic of Srpska

Older divorce certificates are usually printed on an old style typewriter.

Death certificates

Death certificates are issued following the registration of a death in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The death certificates are issued locally, and there is no central register of deaths.

All deaths must be registered within 30 days. Late registrations are allowed.

Copies of death certificates can be obtained by a close family member, or a person with a Power of Attorney document.

There are several types of death certificate in circulation.

Identity documents

Identity documents are issued in Bosnia and Herzegovina. These are issued on a national level, and the documents are not laminated.