Company & Corporate Law · Bosnia and Herzegovina
Company formation in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Four legal systems operate in parallel in this country, so the rules that shape your new business depend on whether it is established in the Federation, in Republika Srpska or in the Brčko District. Describe your project and we will match you, free of charge, with a lawyer who advises on company formation in that territory.
- Advice mapped to the entity or district that applies
- Notarial and contractual formalities sequenced for you
- Fee agreement in writing before work begins
Free matching · No obligation · Average first response 24–48 hours
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Why the territory decides the answer
A country of four legal systems — and no single rulebook
Company formation in Bosnia and Herzegovina is not governed by one national statute book. The Constitution divides legislative competence between the State, the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina with its ten cantons, Republika Srpska and the self-governing Brčko District, and each level enacts its own rules on obligations, property, notaries and labour. In practice this means that the entity or district in which you establish the business determines the formalities, the contract terms you can rely on and even how long a claim stays enforceable. Because those rules are drafted separately, advice prepared for one jurisdiction does not simply transfer to another. A lawyer who practises in the relevant territory can map the sequence for you, from the first notarial act to the day your business trades.
Local context
How company formation works across Bosnia and Herzegovina
The country’s multi-layered constitutional order shapes every commercial step, from the formalities attached to property to the lawyer who may sign your filings. These are the structural points that matter most before you commit to a location.
Four legal orders, one country
Annex 4 of the Dayton Peace Agreement creates the State, the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina with its ten cantons, Republika Srpska and the self-governing Brčko District. Each has its own legislature, executive and judiciary, and each enacts substantive law on obligations, property, succession, notaries and labour. The rules that apply to your business therefore follow the territory rather than the country.
Who may act for you
Representation is reserved to lawyers entered in a bar association register: the Bar Association of the Federation of BiH, the Bar Association of the Republika Srpska or the Bar Association of the Brčko District. Under the entity Law on the Legal Profession, admission requires citizenship, a law degree, the bar examination, the attorney’s examination, at least two years of legal work experience and suitable office premises.
Notarial deeds and formalities
Notaries are public officials and their involvement is not optional for certain acts. Under the Law on Notaries of the Federation of BiH, transfers and encumbrances of immovable property, and other acts for which the law requires solemn form, must be executed as a notarial deed; the notary checks identity, capacity and legality. Equivalent notary laws apply in Republika Srpska and the Brčko District, and the deed is a precondition for land-register registration.
Costs and fee tariffs
Court fees before the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina follow a value-based scale under the 2003 State Law on Court Fees, while the Federation, Republika Srpska and the Brčko District courts apply their own separately enacted fee laws. Lawyers’ fees follow the official tariff adopted by each bar association, which sets minimum or guideline rates, yet the parties may still agree a fee differently in writing.
Language of dealings and proceedings
Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian — mutually intelligible standard varieties written in both Latin and Cyrillic script — are the official languages, and proceedings and official documents may be conducted in any of them. Contracts, filings and correspondence can therefore be drafted and served in whichever of the three the parties and the competent authority use.
Convention rights apply directly
Under Article II of the Constitution, the European Convention on Human Rights and its Protocols apply directly in Bosnia and Herzegovina and take priority over all other law. If a registration, licensing or tax authority interferes with your business, Convention rights — including the Article 6 right to a fair trial — can be invoked before the domestic courts and the Constitutional Court.
Key time limits — Commercial & Corporate Law
| Matter | Time limit | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Debt recovery — general limitation period for contractual claims | 5 years (FBiH) / 10 years (RS) | Which period applies depends on the entity whose Law on Obligations governs the claim. |
| Commercial (B2B) claims — sale of goods and services between legal entities | 3 years | Business-to-business supply claims between legal entities run on this shorter track. |
All country-specific data on this page is drawn from official Bosnia and Herzegovina bodies, the European e-Justice Portal and the published entity legislation listed above, and is reviewed periodically for accuracy.
- European e-Justice Portal — National justice systems: Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina — Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Bar Association of the Federation of BiH
- Law on Notaries of the Federation of BiH
- Parliamentary Assembly of BiH — Law on Obligations (limitation periods)
- Labour Law of the Federation of BiH (English text, 2016)
- Law on Court Fees in proceedings before the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Ministry of Justice of Bosnia and Herzegovina — Free legal aid
What clients run into
The three questions that decide your timeline
Most delays in this country come from choosing a location, a formality or a fee structure before checking which law actually governs it.
You do not know which territory applies
The Federation, Republika Srpska and the Brčko District each write their own commercial and property rules. Picking the wrong jurisdiction for your establishment can shape your contracts, your obligations and your dispute options for years afterwards.
Formalities catch you out later
Notarial deeds, signature formalities and land-register entries are preconditions for certain transactions. Missing one rarely stops a business from trading straight away — it resurfaces when a counterparty, a bank or an authority questions the act.
Fees look unpredictable
Court fees follow separate laws at State, entity and district level, and lawyers’ fees follow bar association tariffs rather than one national scale. Without local guidance it is genuinely hard to tell what a given step should cost.
How we help
Matched to the law that will actually apply to you
We do not sell legal services. We identify your situation and introduce you to a lawyer who already works in that territory and that field.
Territory-specific matching
We ask where the business will be established and match you with a lawyer admitted to the bar association covering that area, so the advice reflects the law that genuinely governs your project.
Formalities put in order
Your lawyer can set out the notarial, contractual and registration steps in sequence, so you know which act must precede which and what each one is meant to produce.
Fees agreed in writing
Bar association tariffs set minimum or guideline rates, but the parties remain free to agree a fee. You can ask for a written fee agreement before any work starts.
One contact, three languages
Proceedings and official documents may be conducted in Bosnian, Croatian or Serbian. Your lawyer can work, correspond and file in whichever of the three suits you and the authority concerned.
Also active in
Cross-border work across Europe
Businesses set up in Bosnia and Herzegovina often trade with, or are owned from, neighbouring and other European jurisdictions. We can match you with lawyers in each of these countries as well.
Common questions
Company formation in Bosnia and Herzegovina — what clients ask
Does the same law apply to a new business everywhere in Bosnia and Herzegovina?
No. The Constitution divides legislative competence between the State, the Federation of BiH with its ten cantons, Republika Srpska and the self-governing Brčko District. Company formation in Bosnia and Herzegovina therefore depends on the territory you establish in: obligations, property, notaries and labour are regulated separately at each level, and the applicable substantive law follows the territory rather than the country as a whole.
Who is allowed to represent me in a commercial dispute here?
Only lawyers entered in a bar association register — the Bar Association of the Federation of BiH, the Bar Association of the Republika Srpska or the Bar Association of the Brčko District — may provide representation in court proceedings. Representation in contentious proceedings must normally be undertaken by an admitted lawyer, and extraordinary legal remedies before the supreme courts require one.
Do I need a notary for business property?
For immovable property, yes in the situations the law prescribes. Under the Law on Notaries of the Federation of BiH, transfers and encumbrances of real estate, and other acts requiring solemn form, must be executed as a notarial deed, through which the notary verifies identity and capacity and controls legality. Equivalent notary laws apply in Republika Srpska and the Brčko District, and the deed is a precondition for land-register registration.
How long do contractual claims stay alive?
It depends on the entity. The general limitation period for contractual claims is five years in the Federation of BiH and ten years in Republika Srpska under the respective Laws on Obligations. Commercial B2B claims for goods and services, and rent or other periodic payments, run on shorter periods. Your lawyer will confirm which law governs your particular contract before you assess the claim.
Can the matter be handled in English?
Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian are the official languages, and proceedings and official documents may be conducted in any of them. English is not among them, so filings, hearings and service normally take place in one of the three official languages. Your lawyer can handle the correspondence, translation and filing on your behalf.
What does it cost to be matched with a lawyer?
Nothing. Our matching service is free and carries no obligation. If you decide to instruct a lawyer, fees are governed by the official tariff adopted by the relevant bar association, which sets minimum or guideline rates, while you and the lawyer remain free to agree a different fee by written agreement.
Next step
Tell us where your business will sit — we do the rest
Describe your project in a few lines: the activity, the entity or district you have in mind and your intended timeline. We will introduce you to a lawyer who advises on company formation in that jurisdiction, at no cost and with no obligation on your side.