Renunciation of BiH citizenship through a lawyer: cost, power of attorney and statistics
In brief. This is the central page of Law Office Prnjavorac on citizenship of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and it covers three connected notions: renunciation of BiH citizenship (Article 19 of the Law on Citizenship of BiH), deregistration from BiH citizenship as the everyday name for the same procedure, and cessation of BiH citizenship as its legal consequence. The authority competent to decide is the Ministry of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Sarajevo, Sector for Citizenship and Travel Documents. In practice the procedure is conducted entirely from abroad, without the client travelling to Bosnia and Herzegovina, by a lawyer acting on a certified power of attorney.
- What the client provides: the guarantee issued by the foreign state (in Austria the Zusicherung der Verleihung der Staatsburgerschaft) and proof of residence abroad not older than six months.
- State administrative fee 2025/2026: BAM 800.00 (about EUR 409) for the immediate family at the same address, on a single joint application, or about EUR 110 where Croatian citizenship, or that of another former Yugoslav republic, is being acquired with proof of residence in that state.
- Scale: according to figures of the Ministry of Civil Affairs of BiH reported by domestic media in January 2026, 102,318 people renounced BiH citizenship between 1996 and the end of 2025.
- The turning point: after the German Staatsangehorigkeitsgesetz reform entered into force on 27 June 2024, renunciations fell from an average of about 4,400 a year in the period 2016 to 2019 to 1,580 in 2025, a decline of roughly 63 per cent.
- Who still renounces: mainly people acquiring the citizenship of Austria, Slovenia, the Netherlands, Croatia and Sweden.
In matters of citizenship of Bosnia and Herzegovina our office does one thing, and has done it since 1993: the renunciation of BiH citizenship, which clients in the diaspora usually call deregistration from Bosnian citizenship. We run the whole procedure from Bosnia and Herzegovina on a certified power of attorney, from the first conversation to the delivery of the decision of the Ministry of Civil Affairs of BiH, so a client living in Austria, Slovenia, the Netherlands or Croatia does not travel to BiH at any stage.
Part of that work is the preparatory steps without which the Ministry would not treat the request as complete: registering a marriage concluded abroad in the BiH civil registers, entering the current surname, obtaining recognition of a foreign judgment on divorce or adoption before the competent court in BiH, and the subsequent registration in the register of births and the register of citizens for people born abroad who were never entered. That subsequent registration is the only form of acquiring citizenship we meet in practice, and only ever as the step that comes before a renunciation. Other procedures under the Law on Citizenship of BiH, such as release, re-acquisition or naturalisation, are a rarity in our practice and appear on this page only where they help a client understand the difference.
Author and editor: Azur Prnjavorac, attorney at law and mediator · Page last updated: · Field of law: citizenship of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Quick answer: how does renunciation of BiH citizenship work in 2026?
A client in the diaspora issues a power of attorney to a lawyer in Bosnia and Herzegovina and has it certified at the nearest embassy or consulate of Bosnia and Herzegovina abroad or, most simply, before a local notary. The notarial route is the easiest in practice, because the notary abroad does not certify the content of the power of attorney, whose language is unknown to them, but only the identity of the person signing it, which reduces the certification to a few minutes. Once the power of attorney arrives, the law office in Bosnia and Herzegovina takes over everything that follows: it obtains the necessary public documents from the competent registry offices in BiH (the certificate of BiH citizenship, the birth certificate, the marriage certificate where the client is married, and certificates from the Ministry of the Interior that no BiH passport or identity card is held where the client has none), carries out the preparatory status steps that are a precondition for the request itself (registering a marriage concluded abroad, entering the current surname in the BiH records, obtaining recognition of a foreign judgment on divorce, adoption or a change of status), and finally files the request for cessation of BiH citizenship with the Ministry of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Sarajevo. Communication with the client runs by e-mail, telephone and international courier, without a single trip to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Quick answer: which documents from abroad are needed?
A client starting the procedure from the diaspora supplies the following documents obtained abroad:
- The guarantee of the competent authority of the foreign state that the client will be admitted to its citizenship as soon as proof of cessation of BiH citizenship is produced. The name of the document depends on the language and the legal system: in Austria the Zusicherung der Verleihung der Staatsburgerschaft, in Slovenia the zagotovilo o sprejemu v drzavljanstvo Republike Slovenije, in Croatia the assurance of admission to Croatian citizenship, in the Netherlands the toezegging Nederlanderschap or an IND confirmation that naturalisation is under way, and in Sweden the corresponding act of the Migrationsverket.
- A certificate of registered residence or stay abroad: the Austrian Meldebestatigung or Meldezettel, the Slovenian potrdilo o prijavi prebivalisca, the Dutch uittreksel uit de BRP, the Croatian certificate of residence issued by the Ministry of the Interior, or the Swedish personbevis. It must not be older than six months counted from the day the request is filed.
- A power of attorney issued to a lawyer in Bosnia and Herzegovina, certified in one of the prescribed ways: before a notary abroad (the easiest in practice, since the notary certifies the signature and not the content), at the competent embassy or consulate of Bosnia and Herzegovina, or before a foreign notarial service with an Apostille certificate under the Hague Convention.
- A copy of a valid passport of Bosnia and Herzegovina, where the client holds one. If there is no passport, the law office in BiH obtains a certificate that no travel document is held.
Every remaining step, from obtaining the BiH extracts and certificates to filing the request and taking delivery of the decision, is carried out by the law office on the client's behalf under the certified power of attorney. The client does not need to travel to Bosnia and Herzegovina at any stage.
BiH citizenship in 2026: the key figures in one place
A short overview of the figures that matter most to clients considering the procedure in 2026.
Sources: reports of domestic news media from January 2026 carrying figures of the Ministry of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and regional media reports from August 2025 on the number of renunciations in the first half of 2025.
The cost of renouncing BiH citizenship in 2025 and 2026: a worked example for one person acquiring Austrian citizenship
Most clients of Law Office Prnjavorac in 2025 and 2026 are people acquiring the citizenship of Austria, who file the request for cessation of BiH citizenship through the embassy and consulate of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Austria or at the consular days organised there for the diaspora. Every cost item for one adult acquiring Austrian citizenship is set out in the table below. The figures are based on the official price lists of the embassy of Bosnia and Herzegovina and on the tariff prescribed by the Law on Administrative Fees of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Cost comparison: one person renouncing BiH citizenship in 2026
| Cost item | Amount in 2026 | Legal basis or note |
|---|---|---|
| State administrative fee of the Ministry of Civil Affairs of BiH, per case | BAM 800.00 (about EUR 408 to 425) | Law on Administrative Fees of BiH, tariff item 25; paid when the request is filed |
| Consular fee of the embassy or consulate of BiH for certifying the power of attorney, where it is not certified before a notary | about EUR 20 to 30 | BiH consular tariff for certifying a signature on a power of attorney; variable |
| Certificate of BiH citizenship, not older than six months, obtained by the office in BiH | about BAM 5 to 10 | Municipal fee of the competent registry office in BiH |
| Extract from the BiH register of births, with the most recent entries | about BAM 5 to 10 | Municipal fee of the competent registry office in BiH |
| Marriage certificate from the BiH register of marriages, for married persons | about BAM 5 to 10 | Municipal fee of the competent registry office in BiH |
| Certificate that no BiH passport or identity card is held, where those documents have been lost | about BAM 5 to 15 per certificate | Entity or cantonal fee of the Ministry of the Interior in BiH |
| Certified translations of the Austrian documents into Bosnian, Croatian or Serbian (the Zusicherung, the Meldezettel) | about EUR 15 to 25 per page in Austria, or BAM 15 to 25 in BiH | Tariff of the court interpreter |
| Apostille certificate on a notarised power of attorney (only for states that have no treaty with BiH exempting documents from legalisation, for example the Netherlands) | about EUR 25 to 35 at the competent court or authority of the state of certification | As a rule not needed for Austria: the 1954 treaty between the FPRY and Austria on mutual legal relations exempts public documents from legalisation; not needed either where the certification is done at the embassy of BiH |
| International courier for the originals | about EUR 25 to 55 per consignment | As a rule two consignments in total, outgoing and returning |
| Attorney's fee for conducting the whole procedure | fixed by agreement | See the next section on what drives the fee |
The cost for members of the immediate family going through the procedure together
Where spouses and their minor children living at the same address abroad go through the procedure at the same time, a single administrative fee of BAM 800 is paid, whatever the number of people covered by the request: a father, a mother and three minor children pay one fee. Adult children up to the age of 23 are included in the family fee provided they are unemployed or in full-time education, which is proved by written confirmations from the competent authorities abroad, such as an Austrian Inskriptionsbestatigung from a university or a Schulbesuchsbestatigung.
Special tariffs: the bilateral framework and the former Yugoslav republics
- Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Slovenia, and the other former Yugoslav republics: where the applicant has proof of valid registered residence in that state, a reduced administrative fee of BAM 200, about EUR 110, applies.
- Bilateral agreements on dual citizenship: BiH has concluded treaties on dual citizenship with Serbia, Croatia and Sweden. In those cases renunciation of BiH citizenship is not necessary in ordinary naturalisation.
- Sweden: because the bilateral agreement on dual citizenship applies, renouncing BiH citizenship in order to acquire Swedish citizenship is not procedurally required in 2026. A client who nevertheless wishes to go through the procedure pays the standard fee of BAM 800.
- The amounts in euro are converted at the fixed parity of the convertible mark (EUR 1 is about BAM 1.95583, the parity set by the Central Bank of BiH). The authoritative tariff is the one prescribed by the Law on Administrative Fees of Bosnia and Herzegovina and by the consular tariffs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of BiH.
- The consular price list is displayed in the public area of the consular department of every embassy of Bosnia and Herzegovina abroad, and a client may also ask for it in writing.
The power of attorney: certification before a notary abroad is the simplest route
The question clients abroad ask most often is where and how to certify the power of attorney by which they authorise a lawyer in Bosnia and Herzegovina to conduct the whole procedure. Thirty-three years of practice have shown that certification before a notary abroad is by far the simplest option compared with certification at an embassy or consulate of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The reason is this: a notary abroad does not certify the content of the power of attorney, but only the identity of the person signing it. The notary need not know the languages of Bosnia and Herzegovina, nor understand the legal matter the power of attorney concerns: the act is confined to establishing the signatory's identity from a valid identity document. On the document itself the notary abroad, whether in Austria, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Croatia, Sweden, Germany or Switzerland, adds a clause limiting the reach of the certification. Austrian and German notarial practice, for example, uses the following wording:
"Der Text der Urkunde ist in einer Sprache abgefasst, deren die Notarin / der Notar nicht machtig ist."
(In free translation: the text of the document is drawn up in a language the notary does not command; only the party's signature is certified.)
What this means in practice for a client renouncing BiH citizenship from abroad:
- The power of attorney does not have to be translated into the foreign language before certification: the law office in Bosnia and Herzegovina sends the client a properly drafted text in Bosnian, Croatian or Serbian.
- Certification takes a few minutes: the notary checks a valid identity document (passport, identity card, driving licence), the client signs in the notary's presence, and the notary certifies the signature with a stamp and signature.
- No consular fee is paid to the embassy of BiH: the client pays only the notary's fee abroad, which on average runs from about EUR 15 to about EUR 35 depending on the state and the notary's tariff.
- No journey to the embassy or consulate of BiH: which matters most to clients living far from the nearest mission, several hours' travel away.
- Apostille certificate: depending on the state and on the notary's practice, an Apostille under the Hague Convention of 1961 may also be needed on the certified power of attorney before it is sent to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Our office gives the client clear written instructions for each particular country.
Alternatively, the client may have the power of attorney certified at an embassy or consulate of Bosnia and Herzegovina abroad. Consular certification is sometimes the better choice, for instance where the client is visiting the consulate for another consular act anyway, but in practice it is often dearer than notarial certification and requires an appointment. The consular fee for certifying a power of attorney in 2025 and 2026 runs from about EUR 20 to about EUR 30, and the client must attend in person.
- Clients in the diaspora who want the quickest and simplest route should have the power of attorney certified before the nearest notary in their country of residence.
- We send a properly prepared form of power of attorney by e-mail, the client prints it, goes to a notary, has the signature certified (the notary certifies identity, not content) and sends the document to our office in Bosnia and Herzegovina by courier.
- Everything that follows is handled by our office without any further involvement on the client's part.
What drives the attorney fee for a renunciation of BiH citizenship
The fee charged by Law Office Prnjavorac for conducting a renunciation depends on the procedural steps the office takes on the client's behalf. The price is agreed as a fixed sum for each case, with no later surprises, but it is only fair to tell a client in advance what can affect it. The factors fall into the following practical groups.
Factor 1: obtaining the BiH documents from the registry office and the Ministry of the Interior
In most cases the client does not hold the necessary BiH documents, so the office obtains on the client's behalf:
- The certificate of BiH citizenship, not older than six months, from the registry office of the place of entry in the register of citizens.
- The extract from the BiH register of births containing the most recent entries.
- The certificate that no BiH passport is held, from the competent Ministry of the Interior, where the client has no valid BiH passport.
- The certificate that no BiH identity card is held, likewise from the competent Ministry of the Interior.
Factor 2: bringing the civil registers into line with the facts
The BiH registers must reflect the client's current circumstances, otherwise the foreign authority will not accept the BiH decision terminating citizenship. The most common preparatory steps taken by the office are:
- Registering a marriage concluded abroad in the BiH register of marriages: very common for couples married in Austria, Slovenia, the Netherlands, Sweden or Croatia.
- Regularising a surname changed on marriage, by court decision, on adoption or by another status act, in the BiH records.
- Recognition of a foreign judgment on divorce, adoption, a change of surname or the establishment or contesting of paternity, before the competent municipal court in BiH.
- Subsequent registration in the BiH register of citizens for people who are entitled to BiH citizenship by descent but were never actually entered in the BiH registers (Article 6 of the Law on Citizenship of BiH).
Factor 3: the number of people in the procedure
Where one adult files the request the procedure is at its simplest. Where the immediate family goes through it at the same time, spouses with minor children, the legal work grows considerably, because separate documents, certificates and translations are collected for each person, while the state fee remains a single one of BAM 800 for the whole family.
Factor 4: the complexity of the individual case
The following circumstances call for more legal analysis and more procedural steps:
- The client was never entered in the BiH registers, for example a person born abroad to parents who are BiH citizens: subsequent registration in the register of births and in the register of citizens is needed.
- The client has a case pending before a court or a tax authority in BiH: a preliminary analysis is required.
- The client was adopted abroad as an adult and bears a different surname in the BiH records: recognition of the foreign judgment on adoption is needed.
- The client was divorced abroad and the divorce was never entered in the BiH register: recognition of the foreign judgment on divorce is needed.
- The request is refused at first instance: an appeal follows before the second-instance authority within the statutory period of 15 days from delivery of the decision, and possibly an administrative dispute before the Court of BiH within 60 days.
Factor 5: the client arrives with complete documentation, the simplest case
For a smaller share of clients the BiH documentation has already been collected, the registers match the facts, the marriage is registered in BiH and the surname is in order. In that case the office only finalises the request, files it with the Ministry of Civil Affairs and follows the case to delivery of the decision, which is reflected proportionately in the overall price.
- In every case, after a short consultation and a review of the available documents, the office gives the client a fixed quotation listing every step it undertakes.
- The agreed price for the case is fixed and does not change while the procedure runs.
- Any unforeseen step, such as an unexpected need to translate a further document, is notified and agreed separately in advance. There are no hidden costs.
The renunciation procedure in seven steps
The overview below follows the practical course of the procedure from the first consultation to delivery of the final decision terminating BiH citizenship. The steps are typical: individual cases call for adjustment where the client's status requires it.
- Initial consultation. By e-mail or telephone the client describes the situation and the target state of naturalisation. The office proposes a fixed quotation and a list of the steps it will take.
- Issuing the power of attorney. At an embassy or consulate of BiH abroad, or before a foreign notary, the client certifies the text of the power of attorney sent by the office.
- Sending the originals to BiH. By courier the client sends the power of attorney, the guarantee issued by the foreign state, proof of residence abroad and a certified copy of the BiH passport where one is held.
- Obtaining the BiH documents. Acting on the certified power of attorney, the law office collects in person from the competent registry offices and ministries of the interior: the certificate of citizenship of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the birth certificate, the marriage certificate where the client is married, and the certificates that no BiH passport or identity card is held.
- Bringing the civil registers into line where necessary: registering the marriage, regularising the surname, obtaining recognition of a foreign judgment, and subsequent registration in the BiH register of citizens.
- Filing the request with the Ministry of Civil Affairs in Sarajevo. The office files a complete request with the full documentation and proof of payment of the administrative fee. The statutory period for deciding then begins.
- Delivery of the decision terminating BiH citizenship. The decision is collected at the office or, at the client's request, delivered through the competent BiH mission in the country of residence. The BiH passport is permanently surrendered.
Legal framework: the Law on Citizenship of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Articles 17 to 21; the Rulebook on the procedure for acquiring and terminating BiH citizenship; the Law on Administrative Procedure of BiH.
Countries that require renunciation of BiH citizenship in 2026: a summary
The following is a practical overview of the position as at September 2026: which states still make the grant of citizenship conditional on proof that the previous citizenship has ceased, and which do not require that proof because they allow dual or multiple citizenship. The overview is informative and relates only to ordinary naturalisation procedures; numerous exceptions exist for acquisition by descent, marriage to a national of the state concerned, protected status or a special interest of the state. A fuller table of sixteen states, with the position on each, is set out on our page on giving up BiH citizenship.
| State | Renunciation of BiH citizenship required in 2026? | Treaty on dual citizenship with BiH | Particular feature in 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | Yes, as a rule | No | Two years from the Zusicherung to submit the Entlassungsurkunde; the exceptions under Article 10(6) of the Austrian Citizenship Act of 1985 are rare |
| Slovenia | Yes, as a rule | No | The standard requirement of renunciation; exceptions arise in practice in facilitated naturalisation |
| Netherlands | Yes, as a rule | No | Strict application of the rule afstand doen van uw oude nationaliteit; exceptions are rare |
| Croatia | Yes, on favourable terms | Yes | A bilateral treaty on dual citizenship is in force; the reduced BiH fee of BAM 200 applies on proof of residence in Croatia |
| Sweden | No | Yes | Under the bilateral treaty on dual citizenship, renunciation is not procedurally required in ordinary naturalisation |
| Serbia | No | Yes | A bilateral treaty on dual citizenship is in force; a client may hold both citizenships |
| Germany | No, since 27 June 2024 | Under preparation, an initiative of 2024 | The StAG reform of 27 June 2024 allows Mehrstaatigkeit; renunciation of BiH citizenship for German naturalisation is no longer required |
| Switzerland | No | No | Switzerland generally allows multiple citizenship |
| Italy | No | No | Italy allows multiple citizenship |
| France | No | No | France allows multiple citizenship |
- Before issuing a power of attorney, confirm the current policy of the target state: national citizenship legislation changes relatively often, as the German reform of 2024 shows.
Fifteen client reviews: renouncing BiH citizenship
Below are fifteen representative accounts from clients whose renunciation of BiH citizenship the office completed successfully in recent years. Each review is taken from the office's two official Google Business profiles, Advokat / Rechtsanwalt Prnjavorac and Advokat / Odvjetnik Prnjavorac, which together carry 1,056 ratings with an average of 5.0 out of 5. Only initials are used, to protect our clients' privacy. Seven of the fifteen accounts concern clients who acquired Austrian citizenship, which faithfully reflects the make-up of our caseload in 2025 and 2026.
"The whole renunciation procedure for the purposes of naturalisation in Austria was completed within the statutory time limits. At the first meeting the attorney drew a clear line between two related institutes, release from BiH citizenship under Article 21 and renunciation under Article 19, and gave reasons for recommending the second as better suited to my situation. The decision of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, together with the Austrian Entlassungsurkunde, was accepted by the Austrian authorities without a single supplementary query."
"Everything was done without a single trip to Bosnia and Herzegovina. I had the power of attorney certified at the embassy of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Austria, sent the papers to the office by courier, and the office took over everything that followed. Communication was entirely by e-mail and WhatsApp: quick, professional, with no unnecessary waiting. The Austrian Einburgerungsbehorde accepted the decision of the Ministry of Civil Affairs without any objection."
"My husband, our three minor children and I went through the renunciation procedure together. Because we all lived at the same address in Austria, a single administrative fee of BAM 800 was paid for the whole family, not five separate fees. The office obtained the extracts, the certificates of citizenship, the translations and all the necessary consents. What impressed me most was the precision with which the procedure before the Austrian authorities was explained."
"Mine was a complicated case: I had been adopted in Austria as an adult and my surname differed from the one in the BiH records. The office first obtained recognition of the Austrian judgment on adoption before the municipal court in BiH, then entered the new surname in the BiH register of births, and only then filed the request for cessation of citizenship. All of it in order and within the statutory time limits."
"I lost my passport of Bosnia and Herzegovina years ago, and from Austria I had no way of obtaining new documents in Bosnia. The attorney first had the passport declared invalid, obtained the certificates that no passport and no identity card were held, and then filed the request. I had received my Zusicherung from the Austrian Einburgerungsbehorde back in 2024, and because the procedure in BiH was carried out properly and in time, I did not lose my right to Austrian citizenship."
"I had the power of attorney certified at the consular days of the embassy of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Austria: simple, with no travelling at all. Everything that followed was an example of professionalism: a clear quotation in advance, a fixed price, regular updates on the state of the case. The final decision of the Ministry of Civil Affairs arrived within the statutory period and I submitted it to the Austrian authorities without a single further query."
"What impressed me in particular was the office's command of the interface between the BiH and the Austrian legal systems. I had a question about the recognition of foreign academic qualifications after naturalisation, and the attorney gave a precise legal position that the Austrian naturalisation authority accepted without reservation. The renunciation procedure itself went through without any difficulty."
"In ordinary naturalisation the Netherlands requires proof of renunciation of the previous citizenship (afstand doen van uw oude nationaliteit). The office conducted the complete procedure before the Ministry of Civil Affairs in Sarajevo and everything was finished in three weeks. The Dutch IND (Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst) accepted the BiH decision without any further questions, with a certified translation and an Apostille certificate."
"I contacted the office by e-mail from the Netherlands and received a clear written quotation within a day. Everything else was done through the lawyer in Bosnia and Herzegovina, without a single journey on my part. I commend the quick response and the professionalism: they even helped with advice on my status in the Netherlands after naturalisation. The best possible recommendation for the diaspora."
"Slovenia requires proof of renunciation of the previous citizenship in ordinary naturalisation. The office conducted the complete procedure before the Ministry of Civil Affairs for my case, including registering my marriage to a Slovenian national in the BiH register of marriages and regularising my new surname. The Slovenian authorities accepted the BiH decision with a certified translation. My thanks to the office for its thoroughness and expertise."
"I was weighing release from BiH citizenship under Article 21 against renunciation under Article 19. I received a written legal opinion comparing the two procedures side by side and setting out precisely which was faster and simpler in my case. The attorney recommended renunciation under Article 19, because the result, the cessation of citizenship, is identical while the route is considerably shorter. Thirty-three years of experience show in every detail. My warmest recommendation to clients in the diaspora."
"We had a dilemma about the family arrangement: my husband and I received our guarantees at different times. The attorney explained that within the same calendar year we would pay a single fee as a family, which reduced our costs considerably. The procedure was conducted properly for all three of us, my husband, myself and our minor daughter, without any complications."
"While the renunciation procedure was under way my circumstances turned around: I lost my registered residence in my original country of residence because I was offered a job in a third state. The office professionally carried out the withdrawal of the request before the first-instance decision was issued, which is in line with the practice of the Ministry of Civil Affairs. A month later, once my situation had settled, we reopened the case with no adverse consequences."
"The first-instance decision of the Ministry initially refused my request on formal grounds, an administrative omission in the part concerning proof of residence. Within the statutory period of 15 days the office lodged an appeal with the second-instance authority with precise legal argument. The appeal was upheld, the first-instance decision was set aside and the new procedure was successful. Without professional legal help I would not have known how to respond, and the fee I had paid would have been lost."
"I had never been entered in the BiH register of citizens, although my mother is a BiH citizen by descent, born in Sarajevo. The foreign authority required that I first be registered as a BiH citizen so that I could then renounce. The office carried out the subsequent registration in the BiH register of citizens under Article 6 of the Law on Citizenship of BiH, on the basis of my mother's descent, and then the whole renunciation procedure. A rescue at the last minute: the age limit of 23 had almost expired."
Statistics on renunciation of BiH citizenship, 2009 to 2025: seventeen years in one table
The table below shows the number of people who renounced citizenship of Bosnia and Herzegovina in each year from 2009 to the end of 2025. The figures are drawn from official statements of the Ministry of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina published in domestic and regional media. The series is a reference point for legal and demographic analysis, and also for a client who wants to understand the wider context before deciding to start the procedure.
| Year | People | Comment and trend |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 3,316 | A period of stagnation |
| 2010 | 3,606 | A period of stagnation |
| 2011 | 3,394 | A period of stagnation |
| 2012 | 3,514 | A period of stagnation |
| 2013 | 3,538 | A period of stagnation |
| 2014 | 3,519 | A period of stagnation |
| 2015 | 3,591 | A period of stagnation |
| 2016 | 4,441 | The rise begins: heightened interest in German citizenship |
| 2017 | 4,503 | The peak: most cases were for German naturalisation |
| 2018 | 4,493 | Stable at a high level |
| 2019 | 4,159 | The first slight fall |
| 2020 | 3,168 | A fall: the COVID-19 pandemic closed borders and counters |
| 2021 | 3,110 | Stable at a lower level |
| 2022 | 2,622 | A fall: the StAG reform was announced in Germany |
| 2023 | 2,219 | The fall continues: applicants waited for the German law to change |
| 2024 | 1,669 | 27 June 2024: the StAG reform; Germany allows dual citizenship |
| 2025 | 1,580 | The lowest figure: renunciations now mainly for Austria, Slovenia and the Netherlands |
| Total 2009 to 2025 | about 58,500 | Total 1996 to 2025: 102,318 renunciations of BiH citizenship |
Source of the data: a report of domestic news media published on 23 January 2026, based on official correspondence with the Ministry of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sector for Citizenship and Travel Documents.
Analysis: the effect of the German reform of 27 June 2024 on renunciations of BiH citizenship
When the reform of the German Citizenship Act (Staatsangehorigkeitsgesetz, StAG) entered into force on 27 June 2024, the Federal Republic of Germany generally allowed multiple citizenship (Mehrstaatigkeit). The practical consequence is that applicants for German citizenship from the BiH diaspora are no longer required to renounce BiH citizenship, which in earlier years had been the main reason for starting the procedure before the Ministry of Civil Affairs.
A comparison of the figures reveals a dramatic fall that can be attributed almost entirely to that reform:
| Indicator | 2016 to 2019, when German law required renunciation | 2024 to 2025, when it no longer does | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average number of renunciations a year | about 4,399 | about 1,625 | about 63 per cent lower |
| Dominant target state of naturalisation | Germany, more than 60 per cent of cases | Austria, estimated at 55 to 65 per cent | A structural change |
| Secondary target states | Austria, Slovenia, Norway, Denmark | Slovenia, the Netherlands, Croatia, Sweden | A change in the diaspora's priorities |
The make-up of the remaining renunciations in 2024 and 2025
The Ministry of Civil Affairs does not publish an official breakdown by target state. On the basis of the practical experience of Law Office Prnjavorac, information from the diplomatic and consular missions of Bosnia and Herzegovina and our own case review in January 2026, the estimated make-up of the remaining 1,625 cases a year is as follows.
| Target state of naturalisation | Estimated share of remaining cases | Legal basis of the renunciation requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Austria | about 55 to 65 per cent | Austrian Citizenship Act of 1985: two years for the Entlassungsurkunde |
| Slovenia | about 10 to 15 per cent | Slovenian citizenship legislation: renunciation is traditionally required |
| Netherlands | about 8 to 12 per cent | Rijkswet op het Nederlanderschap: renunciation is the standard requirement |
| Croatia | about 5 to 8 per cent | The bilateral treaty between BiH and Croatia; the reduced fee of BAM 200 |
| Sweden | about 3 to 5 per cent | The bilateral treaty between BiH and Sweden on dual citizenship; renunciation is rarely required |
| Others: Switzerland, Norway, Italy and the rest | about 5 to 10 per cent | Various national naturalisation rules |
- More than 60 per cent of new renunciation cases in 2025 and the first quarter of 2026 concerned the acquisition of Austrian citizenship.
- Next come clients in Slovenia and the Netherlands, with individual cases relating to Croatian and Swedish naturalisation.
- Cases relating to Germany have in practice stopped arriving since June 2024, which the diplomatic and consular missions of Bosnia and Herzegovina in that country confirm.
Sources for the analysis: reports of domestic news media from January 2026; official statistics of the Ministry of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina; the archive of Law Office Prnjavorac for the period 1993 to 2026.
Frequently asked questions: BiH citizenship in 2026
What does citizenship of Bosnia and Herzegovina mean and how is it proved?
Citizenship of BiH is the legal bond between a natural person and the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina, from which reciprocal rights and obligations follow. Its existence is proved by a certificate of BiH citizenship, issued by the registry office where the person is entered in the register of citizens, or by a valid BiH passport. Entity citizenship is proved by a certificate of citizenship of the Federation of BiH or of Republika Srpska.
How long does the renunciation of BiH citizenship take?
In practice the whole procedure, from the issuing of the power of attorney to the decision terminating BiH citizenship, takes about one month in typical diaspora cases in Austria, Slovenia, the Netherlands and Croatia. The statutory period within which the Ministry of Civil Affairs of BiH in Sarajevo must decide on a complete request is 60 days (Article 33 of the Law on Citizenship of BiH), but in practice the decision is issued and served before that period expires. The client does not travel to Bosnia and Herzegovina: the power of attorney is certified before a notary abroad and sent by courier (1 to 2 days from the EU), so in urgent cases, where the guarantee of the foreign state is about to expire, the timeline is shortened further.
How much does it cost to renounce BiH citizenship in 2026?
The state administrative fee before the Ministry of Civil Affairs of BiH in 2026 is BAM 800.00, about EUR 425, per case, covering the immediate family at the same address: spouses and their minor children, and adult children up to the age of 23 provided they are unemployed or in full-time education. For people acquiring citizenship of the Republic of Croatia, or of another former Yugoslav republic, on proof of valid residence in that state, a reduced tariff of BAM 200, about EUR 110, applies. In addition to the state fee the client bears the cost of obtaining the BiH documents, certified translations, any Apostille certificate and the agreed attorney's fee.
What drives the attorney fee for conducting the procedure?
The fee depends on the number of procedural steps the office takes on the client's behalf: (1) obtaining the certificates that no BiH passport or identity card is held, from the competent Ministry of the Interior; (2) registering a marriage concluded abroad in the BiH register of marriages; (3) regularising a surname changed on marriage or by court decision; (4) obtaining recognition of a foreign judgment on divorce, adoption or a change of status; (5) obtaining the full range of BiH extracts from the competent municipality; and (6) any appeal proceedings. The price is always agreed as a fixed sum for the particular case, with no later surprises.
Does the immediate family pay one administrative fee or several?
An immediate family going through the procedure at the same time, spouses and minor children living at the same address abroad, pays a single administrative fee of BAM 800 whatever the number of people involved. Adult children up to the age of 23 are also included in the family fee on proof of unemployment or of full-time education. A brother and a sister may pay a single fee only if at least one of the parents goes through the procedure with them, if they are under 23 and if they live at the same address.
Which is better for me: renunciation of BiH citizenship or release from it?
For the great majority of clients in the diaspora, renunciation under Article 19 of the Law on Citizenship of Bosnia and Herzegovina is procedurally the better course than release under Article 21, for three reasons. First, renunciation calls for a narrower list of mandatory evidence and does not require certificates that public and private law obligations in BiH (tax, maintenance, civil) have been settled. Second, it is not conditional on residence in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Third, the legal consequence is identical to that of release: BiH citizenship ceases on the day the final decision of the Ministry of Civil Affairs is delivered. Our own figures show that almost every case (more than 99 per cent) involving clients living outside Bosnia and Herzegovina, whether in Austria, Slovenia, the Netherlands or Croatia, goes through the Article 19 route, while release under Article 21 remains an exceptional procedure reserved for a narrow set of situations.
Is it possible to regain BiH citizenship after renouncing it?
The legal framework allows it, but on restrictive conditions. A person whose BiH citizenship has ceased by renunciation or by release may apply for reacquisition if the conditions of Article 9 of the Law on Citizenship of BiH are met, other than those in paragraph 1, items 1 and 2, together with proof of at least one year of temporary or approved permanent residence in BiH. In practice reacquisition is realistic only for nationals of Serbia, Croatia and Sweden: the states with which BiH has concluded a bilateral treaty on dual citizenship.
Where is the power of attorney certified and what are the options?
A power of attorney to a lawyer in BiH is certified in one of two ways. In practice the simplest is certification before a notary in the country of residence: the notary certifies only the signature, the document is not translated, and the whole certification takes a few minutes. The alternative is certification at an embassy or consulate of BiH, which requires an appointment and a journey, so it suits clients who are going to the consulate anyway. An Apostille on the notarial certification is needed only for states that have no treaty with BiH exempting documents from legalisation (for example the Netherlands); for Austria, Slovenia and Croatia it is as a rule not required. The office sends every client a ready-made text of the power of attorney and written instructions for certification in that client's country.
May I keep my BiH passport after handing the documents to the lawyer?
Yes. The BiH passport stays in your possession until the decision terminating BiH citizenship is delivered. Only when you take delivery of the final decision of the Ministry of Civil Affairs must you hand the passport to the competent official for permanent deposit (Article 19(3) of the Law on Citizenship of BiH). Until then you may use the BiH passport for travel in the ordinary way.
What does the declaration of renunciation say, and must reasons be given?
The standard wording is: "I, name and surname, declare under criminal and material liability that I renounce citizenship of Bosnia and Herzegovina in order to acquire the citizenship of [the foreign state]." The Law on Citizenship of BiH does not require detailed reasons to be given, nor is the party asked to explain the motive: it is enough to state that a guarantee or proof of acquisition of the foreign citizenship exists. The declaration is given by the party in person before the Ministry of Civil Affairs or through an authorised lawyer.
Which authority issues the decision terminating BiH citizenship?
The only authority competent to decide on the acquisition and cessation of BiH citizenship is the Ministry of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sector for Citizenship and Travel Documents, seated in Sarajevo. That competence was further confirmed by the decision of the Constitutional Court of BiH of 29 September 2012, which established that citizenship of BiH is a matter regulated uniformly at state level, without distinction between the entities.
Why did the number of renunciations fall so sharply after 2024?
The main cause is the reform of the German Citizenship Act (Staatsangehorigkeitsgesetz, StAG) which entered into force on 27 June 2024: since then Germany has generally allowed multiple citizenship and no longer requires proof of renunciation of the previous citizenship. According to figures of the Ministry of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina reported by domestic media in January 2026, 1,669 people renounced BiH citizenship in 2024 and a further 1,580 in 2025, which compared with the period 2016 to 2019 (an average of about 4,400 a year) is a fall of roughly 63 per cent. Those who still renounce do so mainly to acquire Austrian, Slovenian, Dutch and Croatian citizenship.
Can I obtain a certificate that I am not a BiH citizen if my parents are but I was never entered in the BiH registers?
There is no centralised state record of all BiH citizens: the registers of citizens are kept by local registry offices, generally according to the parents' place of birth. A local registry office can issue a certificate that you are not entered in its records, but that is not decisive for foreign authorities. Under Article 6(4) of the Law on Citizenship of BiH, a person born abroad to at least one parent who was a citizen of BiH at the time of the birth is entitled to BiH citizenship by descent (ius sanguinis), on registration with the competent authority by the age of 23. In practice foreign authorities often require the person first to be entered in the BiH registers and to acquire BiH citizenship, and only then to go through the renunciation procedure.
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