Embassy of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Switzerland: Bern (Muri bei Bern)

Author: Azur Prnjavorac, attorney at law | Updated: 12 June 2026

The Embassy of Bosnia and Herzegovina (from French ambassade < Italian ambasciata, from 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 (Switzerland); the word also denotes the building that houses it. An embassy is normally opened in the capital of the receiving state. In Switzerland, Bosnia and Herzegovina maintains a single mission, the Embassy in Bern (Muri bei Bern), which at the same time performs all consular tasks for the entire country and, on a non-resident basis, for the Principality of Liechtenstein. There is no consulate general in Zürich, Geneva or Basel. This guide explains what you can arrange at the Embassy in Bern, and which actions in Bosnia and Herzegovina are instead carried out by a lawyer, as a rule without any need for you to travel from Switzerland.

How an embassy is established: from the first preparations to the ambassador's arrival

Once diplomatic relations have been established and an agreement reached on opening an embassy, the sending state usually sends a junior diplomatic officer to the capital of the receiving state to make all the arrangements (premises for the office and the residence, and other matters), to open the mission and to organise the ambassador's arrival. The minister of foreign affairs issues this officer a „letter of introduction” (French lettre d'introduction) addressed to the foreign minister of the receiving state, setting out the purpose of the accreditation. Until the ambassador arrives, the officer acts as chargé d'affaires ad interim. In Switzerland, Bosnia and Herzegovina maintains only one diplomatic and consular mission, the Embassy in Bern (Muri bei Bern), with no separate consulate general.

Because there is a single mission, the Embassy in Bern combines diplomatic and consular work: it maintains relations with the central authorities of Switzerland and, at the same time, provides consular services to citizens of BiH living throughout the country and in Liechtenstein. For most people the practical point is simple: every application, from a passport to a declaration of inheritance, is submitted in Bern.

What the consular section of the BiH Embassy does

The consular section performs the tasks that, under international treaties and diplomatic and consular practice, fall within the consular function. In doing so it acts in accordance with the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the law, the generally recognised rules of international law and confirmed international treaties, following the instructions of the minister and of the accredited ambassador.

As a rule, the consular section maintains relations with the authorities of the receiving state through the Embassy; where treaties or the law and practice of the receiving state expressly allow it, communication may also be direct. The key distinction for citizens is practical rather than formal: the consular section carries out administrative and consular acts, while court and notarial proceedings in Bosnia and Herzegovina are conducted by a lawyer.

Consular services of the BiH Embassy in Bern: what you can arrange

Loss or theft of a personal document. After you submit the police report on the loss or theft of a passport or identity card, the Embassy 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 BiH passport.

Arrest or detention. You may request that the Embassy of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Bern be notified. The consular officer can inform the local authorities that you are under the consular protection of BiH, ask about the reason for your detention and request permission to visit. The officer also checks the conditions of your detention and whether local law has been observed. At your request the officer can obtain a list of lawyers who may defend you (the cost of your lawyer is borne by you).

Serious accident, illness or death abroad. The consular officer notifies your family through the competent authority and, at the family's request, explains the legal formalities for repatriation or burial. In the event of illness, the officer can help you find a suitable medical facility (treatment costs are borne by you).

Consular will. A last will in the form of a consular will may be made at the Embassy or, where there are justified reasons, on premises outside it. A request to make a consular will must be submitted at least one working day in advance if the will is to be made at the Embassy, and at least seven working days in advance if it is to be made elsewhere.

Certification of copies, signatures and declarations. Copies are certified only for documents issued by the competent authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina; the original must be presented and the consular fee paid. For 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 passport; the details of the authorised person must also be given (surname, name, residence and date of birth).

Personal identification number (JMBG) and registration of children. The JMBG can be determined through the BiH Embassy for persons who do not have one and for newborn children whom the parents have first entered in the registers in BiH; the JMB-3 form is completed, and for a minor child the parents sign, attaching copies of their BiH passports. Children born in Switzerland can be entered in the birth register and the register of citizens of BiH either through the Embassy or before 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 Embassy in Bern.

What the BiH Embassy in Bern cannot do for you

The Embassy cannot return you to your home country at the state's expense. It cannot pay your fines, hotel or hospital bills or any other costs. It cannot intervene in court proceedings to secure your release if you have committed an offence on the territory of the receiving state. The Embassy 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 everything that involves a court, a notary or the land registry in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the appropriate course is to instruct a lawyer.

Address, telephone numbers and opening hours of the BiH Embassy in Bern

Embassy of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Switzerland – Bern (Muri bei Bern)
Thorackerstrasse 3, 3074 Muri bei Bern
Telephone: +41 31 351 10 51 and +41 31 351 10 77
Fax: +41 31 351 10 79
Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 17:00; the public counter is generally open in the morning, and an appointment in advance is recommended.
Jurisdiction: the entire territory of the Swiss Confederation and, on a non-resident basis, the Principality of Liechtenstein.

Bosnia and Herzegovina does not maintain a consulate general in Switzerland, whether in Z\u00fcrich, Geneva or Basel. The Permanent Mission of BiH to the United Nations in Geneva deals with multilateral diplomacy and does not provide consular services, so every application, from a passport to a declaration of inheritance, is submitted to the Embassy in Bern.

Note: the addresses and contact details of diplomatic and consular missions can change. Before visiting, we recommend checking the current details and opening hours on the official pages of the mission concerned.

What the Embassy handles, and what a lawyer in Bosnia and Herzegovina handles

A large share of the enquiries from citizens of BiH in Switzerland in fact concern not consular but legal actions carried out in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Embassy 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 carried out 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 Switzerland.

Inheritance and probate from Switzerland

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 Switzerland do not need to travel: it is enough to make a declaration of inheritance at the Embassy and to certify a power of attorney for the lawyer. On that basis 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. You will find more on related pages about family and inheritance law and property relations.

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 Switzerland through a power of attorney. The lawyer first checks the state of the land registry, the possession sheets, encumbrances, mortgages and priority notices, so that you avoid the risk of acquiring an encumbered property. The lawyer then prepares the contract of sale, arranges the notarial deed, pays the real-estate transfer tax and records the ownership right. Details are available on the pages about real estate in BiH and the land registry.

A power of attorney certified at the Embassy

The power of attorney is the central 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 passport 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 BiH Embassy in Bern or before a Swiss notary (with an apostille). This avoids repeated trips and lost time.

Citizenship and registration of children born in Switzerland

A child both of whose parents are citizens of BiH acquires BiH citizenship by descent, regardless of 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 Swiss documents, with the subsequent entry in the registers, and with questions concerning the acquisition of BiH citizenship. For situations with a foreign element, international private law is also relevant.

Representation before courts in BiH without travelling from Switzerland

With a valid power of attorney the lawyer can represent you in every type of proceeding in BiH: disputes over real estate and inheritance, the setting aside of gift contracts or wills, the dissolution of co-ownership, and 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. If you need legal assistance, you can arrange an initial consultation with an attorney at law by email or telephone.

Apostille in Switzerland and the use of Swiss documents before BiH authorities

Documents issued in Switzerland (for example an extract from the birth, marriage or death register, a power of attorney certified before a Swiss notary, or a court or administrative decision) must, as a rule, be properly legalised and translated before they can be used before authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Switzerland and Bosnia and Herzegovina are both parties to the 1961 Hague Convention abolishing the requirement of legalisation for foreign public documents; for public documents, therefore, an apostille (the Hague apostille) is obtained instead of full diplomatic legalisation, from the State Chancellery (Staatskanzlei) of the canton concerned for cantonal documents and from the Federal Chancellery (Bundeskanzlei) in Bern for federal documents. The document is then translated by a court-sworn translator into the languages officially used in BiH.

If you have the document certified at the BiH Embassy in Bern, an apostille is generally 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 matter requires (probate, land-registry recording, entry in the registers, litigation), so that documents are not rejected for formal defects. You will find more on handling documents with a foreign element on the page about international private law.

From Switzerland to a resolved matter in BiH: six steps

1. Initial consultation and assessment. You describe the matter and send the available documents (extracts, contracts, land-registry extracts, decisions). We give an assessment, the proposed steps and the approximate costs.
2. Preparing the power of attorney. We draft a power of attorney with a precise scope of authority, tailored to your matter, so that it is accepted without corrections.
3. Certifying the power of attorney in Switzerland. You have the power of attorney certified at the BiH Embassy in Bern or before a Swiss notary (with an apostille) and send it to us.
4. Conducting the matter in BiH. On your behalf we obtain documents and represent you before the court, notary, land registry, cadastre and tax authority.
5. Reporting. After each stage you receive a written report by email, with clear next steps and deadlines.
6. Completion and registration. Once the decision is final, we carry out the registration, payment or other closing act, so that as a rule you do not need to travel to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Frequently asked questions: the BiH Embassy in Bern and legal assistance in BiH

Where is the Embassy of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Switzerland?
Bosnia and Herzegovina maintains a single mission in Switzerland, the Embassy in Bern, at Thorackerstrasse 3, 3074 Muri bei Bern (telephone +41 31 351 10 51 and +41 31 351 10 77). It performs both diplomatic and consular tasks for the whole of Switzerland and, on a non-resident basis, for Liechtenstein.

Is there a consulate general of BiH in Zürich, Geneva or Basel?
No. There is no consulate general in Zürich, Geneva or Basel; all consular matters are handled at the Embassy in Bern. The Permanent Mission of BiH to the United Nations in Geneva deals with multilateral diplomacy and does not provide consular services.

Can I certify a power of attorney for a lawyer in BiH before a Swiss notary instead of at the Embassy?
Yes. A power of attorney can be certified either at the BiH Embassy in Bern or before a Swiss notary; in the latter case it needs an apostille and a translation into the languages officially used in BiH. We recommend that the draft be prepared by a lawyer beforehand so that it is accepted without corrections.

How do I make a declaration of inheritance from Switzerland for probate in BiH?
A declaration of inheritance is made in person at the BiH Embassy in Bern, with a valid travel document, or alternatively before a Swiss notary with an apostille and translation. The probate proceedings are conducted before a court or notary in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where the lawyer represents you on the basis of a power of attorney, so your presence is not required.

Does the Embassy in Bern also cover citizens of BiH living in Liechtenstein?
Yes. The Embassy in Bern covers the Principality of Liechtenstein on a non-resident basis, so citizens of BiH in Liechtenstein arrange consular matters and the certification of powers of attorney through Bern.

Can a lawyer in BiH conduct my matter without my travelling from Switzerland at all?
Yes. With a properly certified power of attorney a lawyer in BiH can represent you before courts, notaries, the land registry, the cadastre, the tax authority and other bodies without your personal presence. Communication takes place by email and telephone, with a written report after each stage.

How do I sell or buy real estate in Bosnia and Herzegovina from Switzerland?
The whole transaction is conducted through a power of attorney: the lawyer checks the state of the land registry and any encumbrances, prepares the contract of sale, arranges the notarial deed, pays the transfer tax and records the change, and on a sale ensures that the price is paid into your account in Switzerland or BiH.

Our child was born in Switzerland: how do we obtain BiH citizenship and documents?
A child both of whose parents are citizens of BiH acquires citizenship by descent; where one parent is a citizen of BiH, citizenship is acquired by registration and subsequent entry in the registers. The Swiss birth certificate is apostilled and translated by a court interpreter, and the entry is made through the Embassy in Bern or before the registry office in BiH.

Do I lose my BiH citizenship if I acquire Swiss citizenship?
No. Under the current Law on Citizenship of BiH, voluntarily acquiring a foreign citizenship does not cause the loss of BiH citizenship, so citizens of BiH in Switzerland generally keep both. For older cases and special situations, a check on the specific matter is recommended.

How much does a lawyer in BiH cost for a client from Switzerland, and how is payment made?
The fee is set according to the attorneys' tariff and the complexity of the matter; for typical diaspora work, such as probate or a property sale, a fixed fee agreed in advance is also possible. You receive a cost estimate before instructing us, and payment is usually made by bank transfer from Switzerland.