“Turkey, China and Russia can hardly enter the visa regime at this stage due to geopolitical relations.”
With that sentence, at the beginning of January, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Elmedin Konaković, practically confirmed what the European Union has been warning about for months – that BiH does not follow the European visa policy and that it is therefore becoming a security and migration risk.
At a time when Brussels is seeking urgent harmonization of the visa regime, Bosnia and Herzegovina is, according to the latest report of the European Commission, the only country in the Western Balkans that increased the level of non-compliance with the EU visa policy during 2025. While neighboring countries tightened the rules, Bosnia and Herzegovina went in the opposite direction.
Instead of introducing visas, BiH continues to allow visa-free entry for citizens of Russia, China, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Kuwait, Qatar, and seasonally Saudi Arabia – countries whose citizens must have a visa to enter the European Union. Brussels sees this as a direct channel for irregular migration towards the EU.
These are countries whose citizens require a visa if they want to enter one of the EU countries.
While the highest EU institutions warn in their reports that non-compliance with their policies in BiH represents a direct security and migration risk, authorities in BiH justify the non-introduction of visas with “geopolitical” challenges and “friendly relations”.
The EU abolished visas for citizens of BiH in 2010, after which Bosnia and Herzegovina undertook to harmonize its visa policy with the European Union.
Through the reform program, which was approved by the European Commission in December, Bosnia and Herzegovina undertook, ending in 2027, to introduce visas for at least one country every year, in line with the European visa policy.
What does the EU demand from Bosnia and Herzegovina?
The latest report of the European Commission points to the fact that in 2025, Bosnia and Herzegovina is the only country in the region that has recorded a negative trend, while its neighbors have tightened their regimes.
“Bosnia and Herzegovina kept the number of permanent visa-free agreements at 72, but increased the number of seasonal visa-free exemptions from 1 to 3. As a result, the number of inconsistencies between the visa policy of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the visa policy of the European Union increased from 8 in 2024 to the current 10,” says the EC Report on the harmonization of the visa regime of the Western Balkan countries and the European Union.
It is particularly emphasized that the border with Croatia remains the main entrance for irregular migrants, with increasingly frequent cases of the use of forged passports.
In the recommendations in the Report, it is not explicitly stated for which countries BiH is expected to abolish visas, but it is pointed out that BiH must speed up the harmonization of visa policy, abolish seasonal relief, strengthen border control and introduce biometric visa applications in order to maintain the visa-free regime with the EU.
The report also states that BiH has taken certain steps, such as signing an agreement with Frontex, but that there are still delays in readmission and problems in border control.
The European Commission did not respond to inquiries Radio Free Europe what are the key steps for BiH.
The European Commission requests that the visa policy be urgently harmonized with the EU list, that the seasonal concessions be abolished and that checks on arrivals from risky countries be strengthened. Special emphasis was placed on the need to strengthen the capacity of the border police and the introduction of biometric procedures in the visa system, in order for BiH to maintain the visa-free regime with the European Union.
Cooperation with EU agencies was positively assessed, after Bosnia and Herzegovina signed a status agreement with Frontex in June 2025.
What does the Minister of State say?
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina did not respond to RFE’s inquiry as to why Bosnia and Herzegovina is failing to comply with EU visa policies. Minister Elmedin Konaković did not respond to messages and calls either.
However, he stated on January 5, in a guest appearance on N1 television, that he “constantly communicates” with the European Union, but that there are “great pressures”.
“Apart from Turkey, China and Russia, with whom we have excellent relations, we also have Azerbaijan, Qatar and Kuwait. There are great pressures, but there we expect a two-way street. We expect first what will be the reaction of the European Union. I call on them to be serious”, said Konaković, alluding to internal political blockades in the country.
Speaking about temporary visas with Saudi Arabia, Konaković said that there was a large number of visits from this country to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“And zero security challenges, not a single asylum, Saudi people will not flee to BiH, it is a good practice, I am convinced that it will continue”, he said.
The Council of Ministers is on the move
For the introduction of visas, it is necessary that the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, of which Konaković is a member, make a decision.
The council consists of the chairwoman and nine ministers, three of whom are Bosniaks, Croats, and Serbs as “constituent nations”, and one minister from the ranks of “Others”.
In order for a proposal to be on the agenda of the session, it is necessary that the chairman and her two deputies, who cannot be from the same constituent nation, vote for it.
At least one minister from each nation must vote for the adoption of the decision, with a simple majority.
Due to the opposition of Serbian ministers, BiH did not introduce visas to Russia, with which the visa-free regime was established in 2013.
After Russia’s aggression against Ukraine in 2022, the EU introduced sanctions and visas for Russian citizens, and it has repeatedly asked Bosnia and Herzegovina to do the same.
The European Commission also warns that over 5,000 Turkish citizens tried to illegally cross the BiH-Croatia border in 2024, which the EU sees as a direct consequence of the uncoordinated visa policy.
But despite this, political parties from Sarajevo refuse to introduce visas to Turkey.
Citizens from more than 70 countries can enter Bosnia and Herzegovina without a visa, according to a decision of the Council of Ministers from 2017, which was subsequently amended several times.
EU sees inconsistency of visa policy in BiH as a ‘risk’
Political analyst Adi Ćerimagić for RSE points out that the EU sees the inconsistency of BiH’s visa policy as a significant risk for increased irregular migration.
“The penalties for not fulfilling the requirements are twofold – Bosnia and Herzegovina could be left without the 23 million euros foreseen in the growth plan and the reform agenda, and the other option is the suspension of the visa-free regime,” he told Radio Free Europe.
However, he adds that a punishment in the form of suspension of the visa-free regime for BiH is “unlikely, because such a decision would require the consent of all EU members”.
“The EU has made it clear that Bosnia and Herzegovina must start harmonizing the visa policy, and committed to a gradual reduction through the Reform Agenda, with financial support of 7.3 million euros for each country for which the visa-free regime is abolished – a total of about 22 million euros,” he said.
He points out that the second key request of the EU refers to the strengthening of the capacity of the BiH border service.
“The authorities are required to introduce a stricter identification system for travelers, especially from Turkey. BiH would have to develop a system that would distinguish tourists from those who use the visa-free regime for illegal entry into the EU, which implies a better exchange of data with the countries of origin and the modernization of the border infrastructure,” Ćerimagić pointed out.
He added that the existence of the seasonal visa-free regime, which BiH has with Saudi Arabia, is not recognized by the EU as a legal category.
“The EU will not give up on the request”
Political analyst Denis Hadžović told RSE that it is unlikely that the authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina will agree to the introduction of a visa regime in the short term, as requested by the European Union.
Hadžović emphasized that BiH will have a number of problematic tasks, among which is the issue of the visa regime with Kosovo.
BiH did not cancel visas to Kosovo, due to the opposition of one of its entities, Republika Srpska, while, on the other hand, BiH citizens can go to this country without a visa.
Hadžović pointed out that the EU will not give up on its demands, because Bosnia and Herzegovina has received candidate status.
“If we want to become part of the EU, we have to fulfill the entire acquis, including visa policy and foreign policy. There will be no room for negotiations,” he concluded.
What does the BiH visa map look like?
Bosnia and Herzegovina established a visa-free regime with Russia in 2013, with Turkey in 2016.
According to the latest amendment adopted by the Council of Ministers, in April last year, BiH continues to provide a visa-free regime for citizens of Bahrain, Oman and Saudi Arabia during the tourist season from June 1 to September 30 during the calendar year for up to 30 days.
According to data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), citizens of BiH can travel to 118 countries out of 193 UN members without visas.
Of the European countries, citizens of BiH only need visas for the United Kingdom, and in the BiH region there is a visa regime with Kosovo, whose independence it does not recognize due to the opposition of the representatives of the RS, writes Focus.
