ISSUANCE OF TRAVEL DOCUMENTS IN DIPLOMATIC-CONSULAR REPRESENTATIONS OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

In accordance with regulations of the Law on Travel Documents of Bosnia and Herzegovina, diplomatic-consular representations of Bosnia and Herzegovina issue passports to the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina who stay abroad three months or longer.
Starting with October 15, 2009, the bodies competent for issuing the passports, as in Bosnia and Herzegovina so in diplomatic representations of Bosnia and Herzegovina abroad, issue the passports with contactless chip - biometric passports. The first condition to obtain a biometric passport is to register JMB – unique identification number - into the central data base of the Civil Register of Bosnia and Herzegovina. This is performed either in Bosnia and Herzegovina pursuant to permanent residence, or via diplomatic representation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, pursuant to temporary residence abroad. In order to register the JMB, it is necessary to submit the following documents:

Birth Certificate – original, not older than 6 months

Citizenship Certificate – original, not older than 6 months

JMB-7 form to register the JMB into the central data base of the Civic Register

This procedure is done electronically via diplomatic-consular representations of Bosnia and Herzegovina free of charge. Citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina who hold valid identity card of Bosnia and Herzegovina are not obliged to register their JMB, although officials in diplomatic-consular representations may ask their Birth Certificate and Citizenship Certificate to be enclosed to their requests. In this case, the certificates do not have to be originals and may be older than six months.

After the registration of JMB in the central data base of the Civil Register of Bosnia and Herzegovina, citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina are obliged to personally come to the diplomatic-consular representations in order to submit their requests to obtain their passports and provide their biometric details – photo, signature, fingerprints in the presence of the diplomatic-consular official. Depending on technical circumstances, diplomatic-consular representations may organize acquisition of biometric data in cities with larger population of BH citizens.

Validity of ordinary passports of Bosnia and Herzegovina is:
- three years for a person under 3 years of age
- five years for a person from 03 to 18 years of age
- ten years for a person of 18 years of age and older

Minors (under 18 years of age) can only obtain their passports if the consent of both parents is provided. The JMBs of the parents must be registered in the central data base of the Civil Register.

In case of loss or passport or identity card being stolen, it is mandatory to report the loss or the theft without any delay to police authorities of the state of residence and ask for a report print-out. Diplomatic or consular representations shall issue a travel document to a citizen of Bosnia and Herzegovina who resides abroad without a passport as to enable the citizen to return to Bosnia and Herzegovina. In order to obtain a travel document it is necessary that, along with the request for travel document and the police report, the citizen will have to submit birth and citizenship certificates as well as two photos.

Prior to traveling abroad, it is recommended that the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina carry a copy of one’s passport (the copy should be kept apart from the original document). In case a citizen of Bosnia and Herzegovina is not able to obtain the report or his/her proof of identity and citizenship, diplomatic-consular representation of Bosnia and Herzegovina of the citizen’s temporary residence shall conduct relevant checks in shortest possible time period.