U.S. Embassy in Bosnia
and Herzegovina

Marriage in Bosnia and Herzegovina

The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina has a Family Law that regulates weddings. Under this law people are required to submit marriage applications at least 30 days prior to their wedding date. In exceptional cases, marriage registrars may approve a wedding date in a shorter time frame, but such action is at the discretion of local authorities.

The Republika Srpska uses a separate Family Law adopted in 2002. Couples who wish to marry in the Republika Srpska need to submit marriage applications at least one week prior to their planned wedding date. For additional information, please contact the Marriage Registrar in the relevant municipality.

Where To Go

The law in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIH) recognizes only civil marriages. Application for marriage is made at a municipal registrar’s office in the city where you wish to marry. Because Sarajevo has multiple municipalities, you may go to any registry office, but if your fiancée(e) is local, the responsible office is determined based on his/her place of residence.

Documents the Embassy Will Issue to You

1. A certified copy of your U.S. passport. As there is no document in the U.S. that would be equivalent to the BIH “Certificate of citizenship” (normally required for marriage in Bosnia), marriage registrars have agreed to accept a passport copy certified by the Embassy as your “certificate of citizenship.”  If you have a U.S. naturalization certificate, it can normally be accepted for that purpose as well.  Please check details with the marriage registrar in the relevant municipality.
2. Proof that you are free to marry. Municipal registrar offices have accepted an affidavit sworn before an American consular officer attesting that you are free to marry. The Consular Section of the Embassy can notarize such an affidavit.
3. Certificate of absence of legal impediments to marriage. Will be issued to you based on your affidavit attesting that you are free to marry.

Fees

• Marriage affidavit: $50
• Certified copy of passport: US $50
• Certificate of absence of legal impediments to marriage: $50
• Total: US $150, payable in US dollars or the equivalent in KM

Additional Documents

1. A certified copy of your birth certificate, certified by an Apostille.” Apostille certification is obtained from officials in the state that issued the birth certificate.  The copy of the birth certificate will be retained by Bosnian authorities.
2. Divorce decree, if applicable. It has to be certified by an apostille in the same manner as above.
3. Your birth certificate, passport, and divorce decree (if applicable) must also be translated by a sworn court interpreter.  The interpreter will affix his/her official seal on the translated copy. The translated copy and the original document must then be taken to the District Court responsible for the area in which you wish to marry. The Court will affix its seal.
4. The documents issued to you by the Embassy need to be taken to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Sarajevo (Musala St. No 2) for certification.

Marriage Ceremony

Each party to the marriage must provide one witness to be present at the ceremony. Unless the U.S. citizen is fluent in Bosnian/Serbian/Croatian, he or she will be asked to bring a certified court interpreter to the ceremony.

Marriage Certificate

The marriage is recorded in the Civil Registry. A Bosnian marriage certificate will be issued. One version will be in Bosnian and the other in the so-called international form (which includes English).

Authentication of the Bosnian Marriage Certificate

In order to use a Bosnian public document in the U.S. it must be certified by an apostille under the terms of the Hague Convention. You can obtain the apostille at the court in the town (municipality) where the marriage certificate was issued.