Bosnia and Herzegovina to Increase Quota of Work Permits for Foreigners: What Employers Can Expect in 2026?

(Patria) - Workers from abroad have not been a novelty in Bosnia and Herzegovina for years, and for next year, the issuance of 7,427 work permits has been proposed, which, according to employers, will be sufficient, as economic activity is at a low level.

According to the Ministry of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, published in the E-consultations within the document "Decision on determining the annual quota of work permits for the employment of foreigners in Bosnia and Herzegovina for 2026", out of the total number of permits, 4,500 work permits are allocated to the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2,000 work permits to Republika Srpska, and 927 work permits to Brčko District of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Nezavisne novine reports.

"The number of work permits that can be issued for the extension of already issued work permits amounts to 2,350 work permits, of which 1,500 work permits are allocated to the Federation of BiH, 500 work permits to Republika Srpska, and 350 work permits to Brčko District of BiH. The number of work permits that can be issued for new employment of foreigners in Bosnia and Herzegovina amounts to 5,077 work permits, of which 3,000 work permits are for the Federation of BiH, 1,500 work permits for RS, and 577 work permits for Brčko District of BiH," the aforementioned document states.

According to the Ministry of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the adoption of this decision better meets the needs of the labor market in Bosnia and Herzegovina without endangering the supply of domestic labor, and ensures greater control of the labor market and a reduction in undeclared work by foreign nationals.

"The annual quota of work permits is determined by the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in accordance with migration policy and taking into account the state of the labor market," they explain.

When comparing the proposal for 2026 with the same proposal for 2025, it can be seen that 198 more permits are planned for next year. Specifically, the number of work permits for RS has not changed, for the Federation of BiH it has increased by 10, and for Brčko District, it has increased by 188 work permits for foreign workers.

Number of permits sufficient due to weak economy

Zoran Škrebić, president of the Employers' Union of Republika Srpska, pointed out that some permits remained unused this year as well, and that the aforementioned figure will be sufficient for next year if these economic trends continue.

"Economic activity is at a low level. The crisis in Western Europe is gaining momentum, which significantly affects the economy of Republika Srpska and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The crisis in the wood processing industry is still at the same level as it was during this and the previous year," says Škrebić, adding that the proposed number of work permits is not a good indicator.

Employers in Bosnia and Herzegovina who decide to hire foreign workers are often troubled by complicated procedures when bringing in labor from abroad, and according to Škrebić, things should gradually change for the better recently, so procedures should become faster and obtaining permits easier.

"However, this will only become active in the coming months, so we will see how it will look when bringing in future workers," Škrebić told "Nezavisne novine".

Bosnia and Herzegovina could face a shortage of 100,000 workers

Bosnia and Herzegovina could soon feel the problem of labor shortage, and as Škrebić previously warned, Bosnia and Herzegovina could be short of about 100,000 workers in a few years.

"There are some estimates that in the next few years, Bosnia and Herzegovina will be short of approximately 100,000 workers, which, under these conditions, where workers are leaving for far more developed economies, means that it will be impossible to bring them back. This will be an existential problem for the economy," Škrebić previously told "Nezavisne novine".