Bosnia and Herzegovina Judicial Assistance

Party to Hague Service Convention? Yes
Party to Hague Evidence Convention? Yes
Party to Hague Apostille Convention? Yes
Party to Inter-American Convention? No
Service of Process by Mail? Yes

DISCLAIMER: THE INFORMATION IS PROVIDED FOR GENERAL INFORMATION ONLY AND MAY NOT BE TOTALLY ACCURATE IN A SPECIFIC CASE. QUESTIONS INVOLVING INTERPRETATION OF SPECIFIC FOREIGN LAWS SHOULD BE ADDRESSED TO THE APPROPRIATE FOREIGN AUTHORITIES OR FOREIGN COUNSEL.

Embassies and Consulates

U.S. Embassy Sarajevo
1 Robert C. Frasure Street
71000 Sarajevo
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Telephone: 387 33 704 000
Emergency Telephone: (387) (33) 704-000 press "0" and ask for the embassy duty officer
Fax: (387) 33 221 837
rws@state.gov

List of Attorneys
List of Attorneys-U.S. Embassy Sarajevo
Helpful Links
Federal Ministry of Justice
Service of Process

Bosnia and Herzegovina is a party to the Hague Convention on the Service Abroad of Judicial and Extra Judicial Documents in Civil and Commercial Matters.  Complete information on the operation of the Convention, including an interactive online request form are available on the Hague Conference website.  Requests should be completed in duplicate and submitted with two sets of the documents to be served, and translations, directly to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Central Authority for the Hague Service Convention.  The person in the United States executing the request form should be either an attorney or clerk of court.  The applicant should include the titles attorney at law or clerk of court on the identity and address of applicant and signature/stamp fields.  In its Declarations and Reservations on the Hague Service Convention, Bosnia and Herzegovina did not object to the methods of service contemplated in Article 10 and permits service via postal channels.  For additional information see the Hague Conference Service Convention website and the Hague Conference Practical Handbook on the Operation of the Hague Service Convention.

Service on a Foreign State: See also our Service Under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA) feature and FSIA Checklist for questions about service on a foreign state, agency or instrumentality.

Service of Documents from Bosnia and Herzegovina in the United States: See information about service in the United States on the U.S. Central Authority for the Service Convention page of the Hague Conference on Private International Law Service Convention site.

Criminal Matters

Prosecution Requests: U.S. federal or state prosecutors should also contact the Office of International Affairs, Criminal Division, Department of Justice for guidance.

Defense Requests in Criminal Matters:Criminal defendants or their defense counsel seeking judicial assistance in obtaining evidence or in effecting service of documents abroad in connection with criminal matters may do so via the letters rogatory process.

Obtaining Evidence in Civil and Commercial Matters

Bosnia and Herzegovina is a party to the Hague Convention on the Taking of Evidence Abroad in Civil and Commercial Matters.  Compulsion of evidence under the Convention requires preparation of a Letter of Request, with appropriate translation, using the Convention Model Letter of Request for guidance on preparation of the letter of request.  The request must be transmitted by the court in the United States to the Central Authority of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Requests from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Obtain Evidence in the United States:  The U.S. Central Authority for the Hague Evidence Convention is the Office of International Judicial Assistance, Civil Division, Department of Justice.

Taking Voluntary Depositions of Willing Witnesses
The Ministry of Justice of Bosnia and Herzegovina has informed the U.S. Department of State that there is nothing in the laws of Bosnia and Herzegovina that prohibits U.S. lawyers from taking depositions in Bosnia and Herzegovina from a voluntary witness for use in U.S. courts. Telephone depositions and video teleconference testimony are possible if the deponent agrees to be deposed voluntarily. A U.S. consular officer can administer an oath if arrangements are made prior to the deposition and a deposit for the appropriate fees has been received. Requests for assistance of a U.S. consular officer to administer oaths to willing witnesses participating in voluntary depositions should be directed to the American Citizen Services section, Consular Section, of the U.S. Embassy in Sarajevo. See 22 CFR 22.1 for current consular fees.
Authentication of Documents
Bosnia and Herzegovina is a party to the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement for Legalization of Foreign Public Documents.  Bosnia and Herzegovina’s competent authority for the Hague Apostille Convention will authenticate Bosnia and Herzegovina public documents with Apostilles.  For information about authenticating U.S. public documents for use in Bosnia and Herzegovina, see the list of U.S. Competent Authorities.  To obtain an Apostille for a U.S. Consular Report of Birth Abroad of a Citizen of the United States of America, contact the U.S. Department of State, Passport Services, Vital Records Office.