Embassy of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Germany: Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich, Stuttgart
Author: Azur Prnjavorac, attorney at law and mediator | Last updated: 17 September 2026
At a glance: appointment, passport, documents, opening hours
- Appointment
- Appointments are arranged in advance by telephone or email with the competent mission: the Embassy in Berlin (Ibsenstrasse 14, tel. +49 30 814 712 10) or the Consulates General in Frankfurt (Mendelssohnstrasse 69, tel. 069 907 486 40), Munich (Karlstrasse 60, tel. +49 89 982 80 64) and Stuttgart (Olgastrasse 97b, tel. +49 711 2538 3923). Full details: addresses and contacts.
- Passport and emergency travel document
- A passport or emergency travel document is applied for in person at the consulate competent for your federal state; children are first entered in the BiH civil registers. What the consulate does: consular services.
- Documents and certifications
- The consulate certifies your signature on a power of attorney, receives declarations of inheritance and certifies copies. German documents for use in BiH need an apostille and a sworn translation: apostille and legalisation.
- Opening hours
- Weekdays from 09:00 to 17:00, public hours mostly in the morning; check the current opening hours on the official website of the mission 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 and consulates in Germany 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 consulate.
- Handled at the mission: travel documents, certification of signatures and powers of attorney, declarations of inheritance, the JMBG, registration of children born in Germany, 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 Germany: most matters are completed through a power of attorney certified at a BiH Consulate General in Germany, 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 Germany 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 (Germany). 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 Germany, Bosnia and Herzegovina has an Embassy in Berlin and Consulates General in Frankfurt am Main, Munich and Stuttgart.
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 (Germany) 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. Bosnia and Herzegovina has the following Embassy and consulates in Germany: in Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich and Stuttgart.
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 Germany 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. Where there is no Embassy of Bosnia and Herzegovina in a foreign state, or it is unable to perform its duties, the consular mission may, by authorisation of the minister and on the basis of an agreement with the receiving state, take over certain diplomatic functions.
The distinction that matters in everyday life is between administrative and legal acts. The Embassy in Berlin and the Consulates General 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 Germany: 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 Berlin, or the competent Consulate General in Frankfurt, Munich or Stuttgart, 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 Germany 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 the length of residence in Germany. The Consulates General of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Frankfurt, Munich and Stuttgart issue citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina a certificate of the length of their residence in the Federal Republic of Germany.
What the BiH missions in Germany 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 Germany
| Mission | Address | Telephone and notes |
|---|---|---|
| Embassy of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Federal Republic of Germany, Berlin | Ibsenstrasse 14, 10439 Berlin | Telephone: +49 30 814 712 10 Fax: +49 30 814 712 11 |
| Consulate General of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Frankfurt am Main | Mendelssohnstrasse 69, 60325 Frankfurt am Main | Telephone: 069 907 486 40, 069 907 486 414, 069 907 486 416, 069 907 486 417 |
| Consulate General of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Munich | Karlstrasse 60, 80333 München | Telephone: +49 89 982 80 64 Fax: +49 89 982 80 79 |
| Consulate General of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Stuttgart | Olgastrasse 97b, 70180 Stuttgart | Telephone: +49 711 2538 3923 or 390 Fax: +49 711 2538 3922 Opening hours: 09:00 to 17:00 (except Saturday and Sunday) |
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 Germany 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 Germany.
Inheritance and probate from Germany
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 Germany 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 Germany, 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 a BiH Consulate General in Germany or before a German notary, with an apostille. A power of attorney certified at the consulate needs no apostille, because it is a document of our own diplomatic and consular mission; one certified before a German notary needs an apostille and a translation by a court interpreter. This avoids repeated visits to the mission and lost time.
Citizenship and registration of children born in Germany
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. The office assists with obtaining and translating the German 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 Germany
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.
Apostille and legalisation of documents from Germany for use in BiH
Documents issued in Germany (for example a birth, marriage or death certificate, a power of attorney certified before a German notary, court or administrative decisions) must, as a rule, be properly legalised and translated before they can be used before authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Germany and Bosnia and Herzegovina are both parties to the 1961 Hague Convention abolishing the requirement of legalisation for foreign public documents, so for public documents an apostille (the Hague apostille) of the competent German authority is obtained instead of full diplomatic legalisation. The document then has to be translated by a court interpreter (a sworn translator) into the languages in official use in BiH.
If you have the document certified at a BiH Consulate General in Germany, an apostille is as a rule not required, because it is a document of our own diplomatic and consular mission. The office checks 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 Germany: 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 Germany. You have the power of attorney certified at a BiH Consulate General in Germany or before a German notary with an apostille, and send it to us.
- 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 Germany and legal assistance in BiH
The questions citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina living in Germany ask us most often.
Which cities in Germany do the BiH Embassy and consulates cover?
Bosnia and Herzegovina has an Embassy in Berlin and Consulates General in Frankfurt am Main, Munich and Stuttgart. The Embassy in Berlin carries out diplomatic and consular work, while the Consulates General cover individual federal states and provide consular services to citizens of BiH living in Germany.
Can I make a declaration of inheritance at the BiH consulate in Germany?
Yes. At a BiH Consulate General in Germany 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 Germany.
How can I sell or buy real estate in Bosnia and Herzegovina from Germany?
Real estate transactions from the diaspora are carried out through a power of attorney certified at a BiH consulate in Germany or before a German notary with an apostille. 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 Germany?
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 Germany 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. The entry is made through the consulate 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 consulate 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 Germany?
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 Germany make a declaration of inheritance at the consulate 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 Germany?
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 Germany say
A few matters of our clients who live and work in Germany, as they described them. Full names are protected by attorney-client privilege, so only initials are given.
„Father died here in Munich, and the house and land stayed near Tuzla. The three of us work in Germany and simply could not take time off and fly down for every hearing. We gave our declarations at the consulate, certified a power of attorney, and that was it: attorney Prnjavorac did everything and transferred the house to us. He kept us informed by email regularly. A heartfelt recommendation.”
„I have lived in Frankfurt for 20 years and wanted a house with a garden near Bijeljina. You cannot take agents down there at their word, and I could not take leave for every house. I gave a power of attorney, they checked the papers, the encumbrances, everything, negotiated and completed the purchase on my behalf. When I first came, I was already recorded as owner with the keys in my hand. Hats off.”
„While my mother and I were here in Stuttgart, relatives talked my father into signing a gift to them and transferring the family property to themselves. I was desperate. Mr Azur immediately registered a notice of dispute and filed the claim. It went slowly, but in the end, by settlement, my mother got back what belongs to her. Without them we would have been left with nothing. Thank you!”
„I inherited a flat in Sarajevo, but the land registry still showed my late grandfather, and the numbers did not match because of that digitisation. From Berlin I had no way of dealing with it. They sorted out the papers through the court, recorded the flat in my name and later organised the sale as well. All within a few months. I flew in only at the end to sign.”
„Our children were born in Düsseldorf and for years we never got round to sorting out their papers and BiH citizenship. They explained to us exactly what was needed, arranged the translations and entered the children in the registers. Now they have proper documents. Patient people; nothing was too much trouble for them to explain twice.”
„I draw a pension from BiH while living in Cologne and regularly certify my life certificate. Suddenly they stopped the payments because of some error of theirs. The lawyer sorted everything out with the fund, my pension was reinstated and the arrears were paid as well. And I never moved from Germany. Thank you for everything.”
„The four of us, all in Germany, inherited our parents’ house in Zenica and for years could not agree. I liked that they did not rush straight to court but first sat down and talked with all of us. Within a couple of months we settled, two of us were paid out, the house stayed in the family. They preserved both our property and, frankly, the family relationships.”
„A neighbour overnight blocked my access road to the plot near Doboj, a road that has been used as long as I can remember. From Nuremberg I had no idea what to do. They dug out the old land-registry records, proved that the road had been used for years and won the right of way through the court. All recorded. I came down only at the end. Professionals.”
„I was selling a flat in Mostar from Stuttgart and could not go down for every signature. The lawyer prepared the power of attorney in advance, I only certified it at the consulate, and they handled the whole sale, the tax and the payment into my account. After each stage I received a report. Fair from beginning to end.”
„After the divorce here in Germany the question of the company and the real estate in BiH that we had acquired together remained unresolved. His side claimed it was not marital property. Before the court they proved the opposite and I received my half. For the first time in a long while I felt that someone was truly protecting what I had built. I recommend them.”
„On inherited land near Gradacac the cadastre and the land registry did not match, so the buyer was offering me a ridiculously low price. From Frankfurt I could not deal with it. They engaged a surveyor, sorted out the position through the court, and within a couple of months the title was clean. I sold at a normal price. Worth every mark.”
„Our company from Berlin was buying a commercial building in BiH for distribution. We asked for an additional check before signing, just in case. Within a few days they uncovered a hidden notice of dispute and an old mortgage that had not been properly cancelled. Without that we would have bought a building with encumbrances that would have cost us hundreds of thousands. The best money spent in the whole deal.”
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:
