According to the latest European Commission report, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) is the only Western Balkan country that increased its level of non-compliance with EU visa policy in 2025.
Instead of introducing visas, BiH continues to allow visa-free entry for citizens of Russia, China, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Kuwait, and Qatar. Brussels views this as a direct channel for irregular migration into the EU.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs justified the decision, saying that BiH “faces difficulties in imposing visas for citizens of China, Russia, and Turkey due to geopolitical relations.”
“Turkey, China, and Russia are unlikely to enter the visa regime at this stage due to geopolitical relations,” said Foreign Minister Elmedin Konaković in early January, effectively confirming what the EU has been warning for months—that BiH is not following the European visa policy, creating a potential risk for security and migration.
While Brussels is urgently seeking to harmonize the visa regime, BiH remains the only Western Balkan country that increased non-compliance with EU visa rules in 2025, whereas neighboring countries have tightened their regulations.
BiH continues to allow visa-free entry for citizens of Russia, China, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Kuwait, Qatar, and seasonally Saudi Arabia, even though these nationals require a visa to enter the EU.
The European institutions emphasize that this non-compliance poses a direct risk to EU security and migration management, while BiH authorities justify it by citing “geopolitical challenges” and “friendly relations.”
The EU lifted visas for Bosnian citizens in 2010, after which BiH pledged to align its visa policy with the EU. Through a reform program approved by the European Commission in December, BiH committed to introducing visas for at least one country per year until 2027 to align with European visa policy.
The European Commission is calling for urgent harmonization of the visa policy with the EU list, removal of seasonal exemptions, and stricter controls for arrivals from high-risk countries. Emphasis was placed on strengthening border police capacity and introducing biometric procedures to maintain visa-free travel with the EU.
The BiH Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not respond to questions from Radio Free Europe on why BiH is failing to comply with EU visa policies. Minister Elmedin Konaković stated on January 5 on N1 TV that there is “continuous communication” with the EU but acknowledged “significant pressure.”
“Besides Turkey, China, and Russia, with whom we have excellent relations, we also have Azerbaijan, Qatar, and Kuwait. There is great pressure, but we expect a two-way path here. First, we wait for the EU’s response. I urge them to be serious,” Konaković said, referring to internal political blockages in the country.
