Go with a plan.
No major changes since yesterday.
Governments, one trip
What they're telling their own citizens about Bosnia and Herzegovina
The real score
The breakdown
See it from your perspective
Go with a plan.
The general Sketch Score, unweighted for any specific traveler.
Don't fall for it
Scams to know
Pickpocketing
Pickpockets operate in the old center of Sarajevo and other cities like Mostar and Banja Luka. Stay alert, especially when using public transportation.
Don't do this
Laws that jail tourists
Trespassing on abandoned property
Entering abandoned houses or private properties is dangerous and prohibited, as these structures were often rigged with mines during the war.
Reporting suspicious objects
You are required to report any suspicious or unknown objects you encounter to the police to ensure public safety.
Staying healthy
What to watch out for, health-wise
Active notices
- • Global Measles
Tap water safe to drink: Yes
Vaccines
Required: Yellow Fever
Recommended: Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Measles, Rabies, Tick-borne Encephalitis
Source: CDC Travelers' Health →Getting in
What you'll need at the border
Visitors to Bosnia and Herzegovina must obtain a visa from one of the Bosnia and Herzegovina diplomatic missions unless they are citizens of one of the visa-exempt countries.
Source: Wikipedia →Real, not invented
Terrorism
Terrorist attacks in Bosnia and Herzegovina cannot be ruled out. Previous attacks have included firearms attacks on government, law enforcement interests and the public. Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places visited by foreigners.
Source: UK FCDO →Real, not invented
Cultural & legal notes
LGBT+ travellers
Same-sex sexual activity is legal in Bosnia and Herzegovina, but LGBT+ communities continue to report incidents of discrimination and even violence. Showing affection in public is likely to be frowned upon and may receive unwelcome attention. Read more advice for LGBT+ travellers .
Source: UK FCDO →From people who've been there
Local know-how
Staying safe
- •Land mines: Be very careful when travelling off the beaten path in Bosnia and Herzegovina: it is still clearing many of the estimated 5 million land mines left around the countryside during the Bosnian War of 1992–1995.
- •Some rules: Abide to the warning signs around everywhere Whenever you're in rural areas, try to stay on paved areas if possible.
- •In case you are still suspicious and want to at least get a feel for where dangers lurk, there exists a rough map layer for OsmAnd online based on the picture here.
- •Footpaths are free of mines, and the grass to the side of them is mostly demined but the odd mine remains in some rural areas.
- •Crime: Bosnia experiences very little violent crime. However, in the old centre of Sarajevo and in other cities such as Mostar and Banja Luka, beware of pickpockets.
- •Dogs: Bosnia has far fewer stray and street dogs than many other Eastern European countries.
Staying healthy
- •All Bosnian employees undergo regular health checks to ensure that they can physically do their jobs and that they will not transmit any disease or injure anyone.
- •Tap water is drinkable in most parts of the country, there's even "hajrli česme" or "safe travel fountains" in some parts of the country which offers drinkable water from the source of a mountain.
- •Since the food is rich, some extra exercise may help.
- •And as above, never walk off dedicated paths in case of land mines.
Adapted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA — edited by travelers, not us.
Right now
In the news the last few days
Pack this, know this
The little things that trip people up
Plug & voltage
C / F · 230V
Driving side
right
Emergency
police: 122 / ambulance: 124 / fire: 123
Cash vs. Card
The official currency is the konvertibilna marka (or marka) (convertible mark), denoted by the symbol KM (ISO code: BAM). It is fixed with the euro at the precise rate of KM 1.95583 for €1. Euro cash is also widely accepted, though mostly in denominations of €20 or less. 1 konvertibilna marka is equal to 100 fenings.
Zoom in
One Bosnia and Herzegovina city on SKETCH.WORLD
Real, resident-submitted Numbeo crime data at the city level — the same national picture above, with crime swapped for what people who actually live there report.
Show the receipts (9 sources)
- us-state — observed 2026-09-09
- uk-fcdo — observed 2026-09-09
- ca-gac — observed 2026-09-09
- worldbank-political — observed 2026-09-09
- worldbank-policeTrust — observed 2026-09-09
- cdc-health — observed 2026-09-09
- wikivoyage — observed 2026-09-09
- reddit — observed 2026-09-09
- lgbtq-legal-wikipedia — observed 2026-09-09