Embassy of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Austria: Vienna, Salzburg, Linz, Graz
Author: Azur Prnjavorac, attorney at law and mediator | Last updated: 17 September 2026
At a glance: appointment, passport, documents, opening hours
- Appointment
- Appointments with the consular section of the Embassy in Vienna (Tivoligasse 54, 1120 Vienna) are arranged in advance: consular section +43 1 811 85 34, switchboard +43 1 811 85 55, email bhbotschaft@bhbotschaft.at. For citizens living far from Vienna the Embassy periodically holds consular days (Innsbruck, Klagenfurt, Vorarlberg). Full details: addresses and contacts.
- Passport and emergency travel document
- Passports and emergency travel documents are issued only by the Embassy in Vienna; the honorary consulates in Salzburg, Vienna, Linz and Graz do not issue travel documents. What the Embassy does: consular services.
- Documents and certifications
- The Embassy certifies your signature on a power of attorney, receives declarations of inheritance and certifies copies. Austrian documents for use in BiH need no apostille under the 1954 treaty, as a rule only a sworn translation: apostille and legalisation.
- Opening hours
- Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 17:00, consular section open to the public from 09:00 to 14:00; consular emergency number +43 667 795 65 45. Check the current opening hours on bh-botschaft.at before you go.
This is the page of the Prnjavorac law office in Tuzla, not of the embassy. Appointments, passports and consular fees are arranged directly with the mission; we handle your legal matters in BiH (power of attorney, probate, real estate, citizenship) without your travelling.
What else you need besides the consulate
In brief: The BiH Embassy in Vienna and the honorary consulates in Austria carry out consular work (travel documents, certifications, powers of attorney, declarations of inheritance, registration of children, life certificates). Legal actions before courts, notaries and land registries in Bosnia and Herzegovina are carried out by a lawyer in BiH, most often on the basis of a power of attorney certified at that very consular section.
- Handled at the mission: travel documents, certification of signatures and powers of attorney, declarations of inheritance, the JMBG, registration of children born in Austria, and life certificates for pension recipients in BiH.
- Handled by a lawyer in BiH: probate proceedings, the purchase, sale and land-registry recording of real estate, representation before courts, challenges to gift contracts and wills, and the division of property.
- No travel from Austria: most matters are completed through a power of attorney certified at the consular section of the BiH Embassy in Vienna, so as a rule you do not need to travel to BiH.
- Power of attorney: the draft is best prepared by a lawyer in BiH before certification, so that it states the exact scope of authority and is accepted without corrections.
- Legal framework: the rules of the Federation of BiH, Republika Srpska and the Brcko District of BiH apply (inheritance, property rights, the land registry, citizenship).
- Area of work: Law Office Prnjavorac is based in Tuzla and represents clients from Austria in Sarajevo, Banja Luka, Mostar, Bijeljina, Zenica and throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Embassy of Bosnia and Herzegovina (from French ambassade, Italian ambasciata, Medieval Latin ambactia: service, from Gaulish ambactus: servant) is the highest-ranking diplomatic mission of the sending state (Bosnia and Herzegovina) in the receiving state (Austria). The term also denotes the building of that mission. An embassy is as a rule opened in the capital of the receiving state, and with the special prior approval of the receiving state individual sections, as constituent parts of the embassy, may be opened in another city. In Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina has an Embassy in Vienna, whose consular section covers the whole country, and honorary consulates in Salzburg, Vienna, Linz and Graz. In addition, consular days for citizens of BiH are organised periodically in other cities.
How an embassy is established: from the first preparations to the ambassador’s arrival
Once diplomatic relations have been established and agreement reached on opening an embassy or consulate of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the sending state usually dispatches a junior diplomatic officer to the capital of the receiving state (Austria) to make all the preparations (premises for the office and the residence, and other matters), to open the embassy and to organise the ambassador’s arrival. The foreign minister issues that officer a letter of introduction (French lettre d’introduction) addressed to the foreign minister of the receiving state, stating the purpose of the officer’s accreditation. Until the ambassador arrives, the officer serves as chargé d’affaires ad interim. The seat of the Embassy of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Austria is in Vienna, while the consular network is supplemented by honorary consulates in Salzburg, Vienna, Linz and Graz.
Once the officer has completed the tasks entrusted, he or she informs the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which then communicates the means of transport and the exact time of the ambassador’s arrival in the capital of the receiving state. The chargé d’affaires notifies the foreign ministry of the receiving state by note.
What the consular section of the BiH missions in Austria does
A consular mission performs those tasks within the remit of the Ministry that fall under the consular functions provided for by international treaties and by diplomatic and consular practice. In doing so it acts in accordance with the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the laws, the generally accepted rules of international law and confirmed international treaties and general regulations, as well as the directives of the minister and the instructions of the heads of the competent units of the Ministry and of the ambassador accredited in the receiving state.
As a rule a consular mission of BiH maintains relations with the central authorities of the receiving state through the Embassy of Bosnia and Herzegovina in that state; where international agreements or the law and practice of the receiving state expressly allow it, communication may also be direct. Honorary consuls assist citizens of BiH in the territory of their federal state and mediate contact with the Embassy, while the more demanding consular tasks (for example the issue of travel documents) are as a rule carried out at the consular section of the Embassy in Vienna or during consular days.
The distinction that matters in everyday life is between administrative and legal acts. The Embassy in Vienna and the honorary consulates carry out administrative and consular acts; court and notarial proceedings in Bosnia and Herzegovina are conducted by a lawyer. The mission can certify your signature on a power of attorney, but it cannot litigate, draft a claim or record real estate on your behalf.
Consular services of the BiH missions in Austria: what you can arrange
- Loss or theft of a personal document. On presentation of the police report on the loss or theft of a passport or identity card, the consular section can (1) issue an emergency travel document for your return to Bosnia and Herzegovina or (2), where the statutory conditions are met, issue a new passport of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
- Arrest or detention. You may request that the Embassy of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Austria, seated in Vienna be notified. The consular officer can inform the local authorities that you are under the consular protection of BiH, ask to be told the reason for your arrest and request permission to visit you. The officer will also check the conditions of your arrest and whether local law was observed, and can, at your request, obtain a list of lawyers who may defend you (the costs of your lawyer are borne by you).
- Serious accident. The consular officer will notify your family through the competent authority and, if the family so requests, discuss with them the continuation of hospital treatment (at your expense).
- Illness. If you ask for help, the consular officer can assist you in finding a suitable medical facility (treatment costs are borne by you).
- Death abroad. The consular officer will notify the family and, if the family so requests, explain the legal formalities for repatriation or burial of the remains (at the expense of the family or of the deceased’s insurance).
- Problems with the local authorities. The consular officer can advise you and obtain useful addresses (of lawyers, translators and the like).
- Consular will. A last will in the form of a consular will may be made at the consular section or, where there are justified reasons, on premises outside the mission. The request must be submitted at least one working day in advance for a will made at the mission and at least seven working days in advance for a will made elsewhere.
- Certification of copies. Copies are certified only for documents issued by the competent authorities and services of Bosnia and Herzegovina; the original must be presented and the consular fee paid.
- Power of attorney, declaration of inheritance and other declarations. For the certification of a signature on a power of attorney, for a declaration of inheritance or any other declaration, the person making it must attend in person and prove identity with a valid BiH travel document, and the details of the authorised person must be given (surname and name, residence and date of birth).
- Determination of the JMBG (personal identification number). The JMBG can be determined through the mission for persons who do not have one and for newborn children whom the parents have first entered in the registers in BiH. The procedure and documents are the same as for the registration of the JMBG: form JMB-3 is completed, and the application for a minor child is signed by the parents with copies of their BiH passports attached.
- Acquisition of BiH citizenship and subsequent entry in the birth register. Under the Law on Citizenship of Bosnia and Herzegovina, citizenship can also be acquired by descent from the parents. Where one or both parents are citizens of BiH, children born abroad can be entered in the birth register and the register of citizens of BiH once certain conditions are met. The registration of children born in Austria can be started through the consular section or the competent registry office in BiH.
- Life certificate for a pension. Citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina can have the life certificate required to continue drawing a pension in BiH certified at the consular section.
- Certificate of residence in the Republic of Austria. The consular section of the Embassy of Bosnia and Herzegovina can issue citizens of BiH certificates and certifications within its competence, in accordance with the consular regulations and the documents presented.
What the BiH missions in Austria cannot do for you
The embassy and the consulates cannot return you to your home country at the state’s expense. They cannot pay fines, hotel bills, hospital costs or any other costs of yours. They cannot intervene in court proceedings to secure your release if you have committed an offence on the territory of the receiving state. The Embassy of Bosnia and Herzegovina is not a substitute for travel agencies, banks or insurance companies, and it cannot grant you consular protection if you also hold the citizenship of the state in which you are present. For anything that involves a court, a notary or the land registry in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the appropriate course is to instruct a lawyer.
Addresses of the BiH missions in Austria
| Mission | Address and contact | Jurisdiction and notes |
|---|---|---|
| Embassy of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Republic of Austria, Vienna | Tivoligasse 54, 1120 Vienna (Wien) Telephone: +43 1 811 85 55 Consular section: +43 1 811 85 34 Fax: +43 1 811 85 69 Email: bhbotschaft@bhbotschaft.at Web: bh-botschaft.at Emergency consular number: +43 667 795 65 45 | Consular section for the whole of Austria. Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 17:00 (consular section for the public 09:00 to 14:00). |
| Honorary Consulate of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Salzburg | Rottweg 97/Top 6, 5020 Salzburg | Covers the federal state of Salzburg. |
| Honorary Consulate of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Vienna | Grinzinger Allee 5, 1190 Vienna (Wien) | Covers Vienna and Lower Austria (Niederösterreich). |
| Honorary Consulates in Linz and Graz | Linz (Upper Austria / Oberösterreich) and Graz (Styria / Steiermark) | For the current addresses, contact details and opening hours of these consulates we recommend checking the official page of the Embassy. |
Consular days: for citizens of BiH living farther from Vienna, the Embassy periodically organises consular days in cities such as Innsbruck, Klagenfurt and in Vorarlberg, at which individual consular acts can be carried out. The dates and venues of the consular days are published by the Embassy.
Note: the addresses, contact details, opening hours and details for the payment of consular fees of diplomatic and consular missions can change. Before visiting or making a payment, we recommend checking the current details on the official pages of the mission concerned.
When you need a lawyer in BiH, not the embassy
A large share of the enquiries from citizens of BiH in Austria in fact concern not consular but legal actions carried out in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The consular section can certify your signature on a power of attorney or take a declaration of inheritance, but it cannot conduct court proceedings on your behalf, draft a claim, record real estate in the land registry or conclude a contract of sale. Those tasks are taken on by a lawyer in BiH. Law Office Prnjavorac, based in Tuzla, has for more than three decades represented clients from the diaspora and conducted their matters in BiH so that the client, as a rule, does not need to travel from Austria.
Inheritance and probate from Austria
Where the deceased leaves property in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the probate proceedings are conducted before the competent court or notary in BiH. Heirs living in Austria do not need to travel: it is enough to make a declaration of inheritance at the consular section and to certify a power of attorney for the lawyer. On the basis of that power of attorney the lawyer obtains the death certificate and register extracts, establishes the circle of heirs and the estate, represents the heir at the hearing and, once the proceedings are concluded, records the inherited real estate in the land registry. More on the procedure on the pages probate proceedings in BiH and inheritance law.
Buying and selling real estate in BiH from the diaspora
The purchase or sale of a flat, house, plot of land or business premises in Bosnia and Herzegovina can be completed entirely from Austria, through a power of attorney. The lawyer first checks the land-registry position, the possession sheets, encumbrances, mortgages and notices, so that you avoid the risk of buying an encumbered property. The lawyer then draws up the contract of sale, arranges the notarial processing of the deed or the certification of signatures depending on the entity, reports the real estate transfer tax where it is prescribed and records the ownership. Details on the pages real estate in BiH, property and legal relations and ownership relations.
A power of attorney certified at the mission
The power of attorney is the key document that enables the lawyer in BiH to act on your behalf. For it to be accepted without corrections, it should contain the exact details of the principal (surname, name, JMBG or travel document number and residence), the exact details of the lawyer and a precisely described scope of authority. We recommend that the draft be prepared by a lawyer before you have it certified at the consular section of the BiH Embassy in Vienna. Between BiH and Austria an apostille is as a rule not required, so the certification of the power of attorney together with a translation by a court interpreter is sufficient. This avoids repeated visits to the mission and lost time.
Citizenship and registration of children born in Austria
A child both of whose parents are citizens of BiH acquires BiH citizenship by descent, regardless of the place of birth; where only one parent is a citizen of BiH, a child born abroad acquires citizenship by registration and subsequent entry in the birth register and the register of citizens, which under the Law on Citizenship of BiH must be requested before the child reaches the age of 23. The office assists with obtaining and translating the Austrian documents, with the subsequent entry in the birth register and the register of citizens, and with questions concerning the acquisition of BiH citizenship and the registration of children. For situations with a foreign element, international private law is also relevant.
Representation before courts in BiH without travelling from Austria
With a valid power of attorney the lawyer can represent you in every type of proceeding in BiH: in disputes over real estate and inheritance, in the setting aside of gift contracts or wills, in the division of property, and in proceedings before the Constitutional Court of BiH and the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. Communication takes place by email and telephone, with a written report after each stage of the proceedings. If you need legal assistance, contact us for an initial consultation.
Recognition of documents from Austria in BiH: an apostille is as a rule not required
Unlike most other countries, between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Austria an apostille (the Hague apostille) is as a rule not required. The two states are bound by a bilateral treaty on mutual legal relations (the Treaty between the Federal People’s Republic of Yugoslavia and the Republic of Austria on Mutual Legal Relations of 16 December 1954, which Bosnia and Herzegovina took over by succession), under which the public documents of one state are recognised directly in the other, without legalisation and without an apostille. That means that Austrian public documents (extracts from the civil registers, court documents and other documents of the competent authorities) are recognised in BiH directly, just as documents from BiH are valid in Austria.
In practice a translation of the document by a court interpreter (a sworn translator) into the languages in official use in BiH is as a rule all that is needed. An apostille would be needed only for documents from countries with which BiH has no such bilateral treaty. A power of attorney for representation is most simply certified at the consular section of the BiH Embassy in Vienna, because it is then a document of our own diplomatic and consular mission. The office checks in advance which form of certification and translation a particular procedure requires (probate, land-registry recording, entry in the registers, litigation), so that documents are not rejected for formal defects. More on the handling of documents with a foreign element on the page on international private law, and on the types of our legal services on a separate page.
How to start a matter in BiH from Austria: step by step
- Initial consultation and assessment. You describe the matter to us and send the available documents (extracts, contracts, land-registry extracts, decisions). We give an assessment, the proposed steps and the approximate costs.
- Preparing the power of attorney. We draft a power of attorney with the exact scope of authority, tailored to your matter, so that it is accepted without corrections.
- Certifying the power of attorney in Austria. You have the power of attorney certified at the consular section of the BiH Embassy in Vienna and send it to us. Between BiH and Austria an apostille is as a rule not required.
- Conducting the proceedings in BiH. On your behalf we obtain the documents and represent you before the court, the notary, the land registry, the cadastre and the tax authority.
- Reporting. After each stage you receive a written report by email, with clear next steps and deadlines.
- Completion and registration. Once the decision is final, we carry out the registration, the payment or another closing act, so that as a rule you do not need to come to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Embassies and consulates of BiH abroad
Guides for citizens of BiH in the diaspora, with the addresses of the missions and an explanation of legal assistance in Bosnia and Herzegovina:
Frequently asked questions: the BiH missions in Austria and legal assistance in BiH
The questions citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina living in Austria ask us most often.
Which cities in Austria do the BiH Embassy and consulates cover?
Bosnia and Herzegovina has an Embassy in Vienna, whose consular section carries out consular work for the whole of Austria. In addition, BiH has honorary consulates in Salzburg, Vienna, Linz (Upper Austria) and Graz (Styria), and consular days for citizens are organised periodically in other cities such as Innsbruck, Klagenfurt and in Vorarlberg. The current addresses and dates are best checked on the official page of the Embassy.
Can I make a declaration of inheritance at the BiH consulate in Austria?
Yes. At the consular section of the BiH Embassy in Vienna you can make a declaration of inheritance and certify a power of attorney for representation in the probate proceedings. The probate proceedings themselves are conducted before the competent court or notary in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and on the basis of that power of attorney a lawyer in BiH represents the heir without any need to travel from Austria.
How can I sell or buy real estate in Bosnia and Herzegovina from Austria?
Real estate transactions from the diaspora are carried out through a power of attorney, which is most simply certified at the consular section of the BiH Embassy in Vienna; between BiH and Austria an apostille is as a rule not required, because public documents are recognised directly on the basis of the bilateral treaty. On the basis of the power of attorney a lawyer in BiH checks the land-registry position, encumbrances and mortgages, draws up the contract of sale, arranges the notarial processing of the deed or the certification of signatures depending on the entity, reports the real estate transfer tax where it is prescribed and records the ownership, all without your coming to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
What should a power of attorney certified at the consulate for representation in BiH contain?
The power of attorney should contain the exact details of the principal (surname, name, JMBG or travel document number and residence), the exact details of the lawyer you are authorising, and a clearly described scope of authority (for example representation in probate proceedings, the sale or purchase of a specific property, the collection of documents). We recommend that the draft be prepared by a lawyer in BiH before certification at the consulate, so that the power of attorney is accepted without corrections.
Can a lawyer in BiH represent me without my travelling from Austria?
Yes. With a properly certified power of attorney a lawyer in Bosnia and Herzegovina can represent you before courts, notaries, land registries, the cadastre, the tax authority and other bodies, without your physical presence. Communication takes place by email and telephone, and you receive a written report on each stage of the proceedings.
How is a child born in Austria entered in the registers of BiH and how does it acquire citizenship?
Under the Law on Citizenship of BiH, a child both of whose parents are citizens of BiH acquires citizenship by descent regardless of the place of birth. Where only one parent is a citizen of BiH and the child was born abroad, citizenship is acquired by descent with registration and subsequent entry in the birth register and the register of citizens of BiH, which must be requested before the child reaches the age of 23. The entry is made through the consular section of the Embassy or the competent registry office in BiH, and the office assists with obtaining and translating the documents and with carrying out the entry.
What is the difference between what the consulate does and what a lawyer in BiH does?
The consular section of the Embassy carries out administrative and consular acts: it issues travel documents, certifies signatures and powers of attorney, takes declarations of inheritance and issues certificates. The consulate does not conduct court or notarial proceedings in BiH, does not represent parties before courts and does not draft claims. Those tasks are carried out by a lawyer in Bosnia and Herzegovina, who on the basis of a power of attorney conducts the probate proceedings, real estate transactions and court proceedings.
How are probate proceedings started in BiH if the heirs are in Austria?
Probate proceedings are started before the competent court or notary according to the last residence of the deceased or the place where the property in BiH is located. Heirs from Austria make a declaration of inheritance at the consular section of the Embassy and certify a power of attorney for the lawyer, who then conducts the whole proceedings on their behalf, including the recording of the inherited property in the land registry.
Can I challenge a gift contract or a will before a court in BiH from Austria?
Yes. If you consider that a gift contract, a contract of lifetime support or a will was concluded contrary to the law or infringes your reserved share of the inheritance, you can bring an action for a declaration of nullity or for setting aside such an act before the competent court in BiH. Law Office Prnjavorac represents clients from the diaspora in such disputes in all cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
How much does instructing a lawyer cost, and do you offer an initial consultation?
The fee for the lawyer’s work is calculated under the attorney tariff and the complexity of the matter, and for work such as a real estate transaction or the conduct of probate proceedings a fixed amount can also be agreed. Before you instruct us we offer an initial consultation and an assessment of the matter, so that you know in advance which steps we propose and the approximate costs. Contact is available by email and telephone.
What clients from Austria say
A few matters of our clients who live and work in Austria, as they described them. Full names are protected by attorney-client privilege, so only initials are given.
„My mother passed away in Tuzla, and only afterwards did I learn that years earlier she had concluded a contract of lifetime support with someone and that the flat was supposed to pass to that person. From Vienna I did not know where to begin. The lawyer dug out and reviewed the contract, established that the person had never performed the obligations at all, and negotiated for the flat to stay in the family. All settled peacefully, without a single trip down there on my part.”
„I wanted to buy a plot near Sarajevo for a house for when we retire. The seller was in a hurry and I was in Salzburg, unable to check anything. It was a good thing I asked them, because they found that part of the plot was not building land under the new plan at all and that the title was not clean. We brought the price down to a realistic level and only then bought. They saved me from an expensive mistake.”
„I inherited a flat in Zenica in a building that had never been divided into units, so in the land registry there was no separate unit in my name at all. From Graz I could not untangle that, and others told me it was impossible. They carried out the division into units and recorded the flat in my name. Now I have clean papers and can sell it or let it whenever I want. Hats off to their patience.”
„There are three of us after our father, and I am the only one living in Austria. I did not want to complicate things or take out my share; I wanted to cede it to my sister, who stayed and looked after our parents. They prepared the declaration of cession, I certified it, and the probate was completed quickly without any dispute. Fair to everyone. Thank you.”
„We married in Vienna, had a child, and all of that had to be entered in BiH and the child’s citizenship sorted out. Papers in two languages kept being rejected for years. They explained to us exactly what was needed, arranged the translations and all the papers, and entered both the marriage and the child. Fast, without our running from counter to counter. We finally got it off our backs.”
„I lent money to a business partner in BiH and for years got nothing back. From Klagenfurt I could do nothing. First they sent a demand, and when that brought nothing, they started collection through the court. The debt was collected, with interest and costs. Without them I would certainly have written that money off. Recommended.”
„Together with relatives I inherited a larger plot near Travnik in co-ownership, and for years we could not agree. From Innsbruck I had already given up. First they tried to reach an agreement, and when that did not work, they dissolved the co-ownership through the court, fairly for everyone. Each of us got our own, and a question almost twenty years old was resolved.”
„A neighbour moved the boundary on my plot near Bihac, started using part of my land and even built something on it. From Graz I could not go out into the field. They engaged a surveyor, the boundary was settled in non-contentious proceedings, and by an ownership action the court ordered him to remove what he had built on my land. Thorough and without empty talk.”
„I inherited business premises in Tuzla which already had a tenant, and I wanted to sell them but did not know what to do about the lease. From Bregenz it all looked impossible. They settled the question of the lease, prepared the contract and carried out the sale, and the money arrived in my account. They watched every detail and kept me properly informed.”
„After my father’s death a will turned up that we had not even known about, leaving almost everything to one child only. From Vienna I felt completely powerless. They started the proceedings for the reserved share and, step by step, won what belongs to me by law. My thanks for their persistence and their humane approach in a hard family dispute.”
„The family has used land near Gradacac for decades, but the registers still showed a great-grandfather who died long ago, under an old title deed. From Wels I had no idea how to turn that into proper ownership. Through proceedings to establish ownership and reconciliation with the cadastre they recorded the land in our names. Now everything is clean and in our name, for the first time after so many years.”
„From Vienna we wanted to start a small business in BiH and buy a business building, and we could not find our way either with the company or with checking the property. They founded the company for us, checked the building’s papers and completed the purchase, while we stayed in Austria the whole time. One team for everything, without wandering from counter to counter. Exactly what we needed.”
All reviews of our clients are publicly available on both Google business profiles, without filtering, intermediation or moderation by the office: profile no. 1 and profile no. 2.
Clients have trusted us since 1993.
The law office Prnjavorac has been active since 1993. Today, in its fourth decade of work, it has 1,056 Google reviews with a rating of 5.0 / 5 across two independent Google business profiles.
All client reviews are publicly available on both Google business profiles, without filtering, mediation or moderation by the law office.
Other areas of the firm's work
We provide legal assistance and representation across a wide range of areas in Bosnia and Herzegovina:
