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Bosnia and Herzegovina photo specifications

Photo sizes and rules for 1 document issued in Bosnia and Herzegovina, taken from the issuing authorities and linked to their official pages.

Based on 6 official sources · last checked Official sources

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At a glance

The visa is the document where you bring a photo: one colour print of 35 x 45 mm, head about two thirds of the picture, on a plain light background and glossy paper. BiH passports work differently: the office takes the photo with a digital camera when you apply, so you bring none. One embassy asks for two 3.5 x 4.5 cm prints for an emergency travel document.

Overview

Several bodies share the work. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MVP) and its missions issue visas to foreigners under rules that the Service for Foreigners' Affairs (SPS) publishes. Citizens' passports are applied for in person at the cantonal ministries of the interior in the Federation, the Ministry of Interior of Republika Srpska or the Public Register of Brčko District, and abroad at BiH missions for citizens who live there for three months or longer. The Agency for Identification Documents, Registers and Data Exchange (IDDEEA) sets the rules for taking biometric data.

The two documents treat the photo differently. For a visa you hand in a printed 35 x 45 mm photo with the form. For a passport the photograph is acquired by a digital camera as part of the biometric data, so the guidelines are about how the officer takes it, not about a print you supply.

Photo specifications by document

Visas and travel authorisations

Bosnia and Herzegovina Visas and travel authorisations
DocumentPrint sizeDigital sizeBackground
Visa35 × 45 mm—Single-coloured light background, no patterns…

Frequently asked questions

One colour photo of 35 x 45 mm that shows the holder faithfully, frontal, with a neutral expression, the head about two thirds of the picture and no higher than 36 mm, on a plain light background and glossy, smooth paper.

No. IDDEEA's guidelines say the photograph is acquired with a digital camera as part of the biometric data taken when the application is filed. They ask for a sharp image, a plain light-coloured background and clearly visible open eyes.

IDDEEA's guidelines allow head coverings only for religious reasons, with the facial features from the bottom of the chin to the top of the forehead and both edges of the face clearly shown. The visa rulebook also accepts medical reasons.

It depends on the mission. The embassy in Washington lists two passport photos of 3.5 x 4.5 cm for its putni list, a travel document for returning to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Ask your own embassy what it requires.

At BiH diplomatic and consular missions, for citizens who live abroad for three months or longer. The application is made in person, and the embassy in Washington says the photograph, fingerprints and signature are taken there.

Nearby countries

Other countries in Southern Europe:

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Official sources

  1. Služba za poslove sa strancima (Service for Foreigners' Affairs). Pravilnik o izdavanju kratkoročne vize (viza C) i aerodromske tranzitne vize (viza A), Službeni glasnik BiH 69/13 sps.gov.ba. Checked 2 November 2026.
  2. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Visa C (Short-stay visa) mvp.gov.ba. Checked 2 November 2026.
  3. Agency for Identification Documents, Registers and Data Exchange of Bosnia and Herzegovina (IDDEEA). Guidelines on manner of biometric data acquisition in the procedure of issuing travel documents, Official Gazette of BiH 83/13 iddeea.gov.ba. Checked 2 November 2026.
  4. Agency for Identification Documents, Registers and Data Exchange of Bosnia and Herzegovina (IDDEEA). Passport of Bosnia and Herzegovina iddeea.gov.ba. Checked 2 November 2026.
  5. Embassy of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Washington, D.C.. Uputstvo za izdavanje putnog lista (emergency travel document), Embassy in Washington bhembassy.org. Checked 2 November 2026.
  6. Embassy of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Washington, D.C.. Izdavanje pasoša Bosne i Hercegovine, Embassy in Washington bhembassy.org. Checked 2 November 2026.
Cite this page

"Bosnia and Herzegovina photo specifications". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/bosnia-and-herzegovina

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