According to the data of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), the number of issued visas in the last year was 1857, compared to the previous 2019 when 47.694 visas were issued, which is a drop of over 96%.
While analyzing the data on the number of visas issued in the presented period in the diplomatic and consular missions of BiH, a continuously growing trend since 2010 is evident.
If we look at 2019, there was a significant increase in the number of visas issued (53%) compared to 2018. In 2020, there was a drastic drop in the number of issued visas caused by the Covid-19 virus pandemic and the fact that in 2020, due to the new situation caused by the pandemic, so the legal basis for fulfilling the conditions for entering BiH changed several times with the decision of competent authorities.
In this regard, in the period March-September 2020, the Decision of the Council of Ministers of BiH on the temporary suspension of issuing visas in diplomatic and consular missions of BiH was in force.
Analyzing the data on the number of issued visas in the diplomatic and consular missions of BiH in 2020 compared to 2019, classified by countries whose citizens were issued the most visas to enter BiH, there is a decrease in the number of issued visas for all citizens. The largest number of visas in 2020 was issued to citizens of Saudi Arabia, India, Kosovo, and Jordan, which represents 63% of the total number of visas that were issued.
According to the data submitted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of BiH, the number of received requests in 2020 was 2.487. In last year, 1.857 requests (75%) were positively resolved.
Only 3 visas were issued at BiH border crossings last year.
As for Saudi Arabia, whose citizens still have a visa requirement to enter BiH, there has been a dramatic drop in visas issued last year. In 2019, 35.905 visas were approved, while in the pandemic year 2020 only 783 visas were approved, which is a decline of almost 98% (97.82%), Buka reports.
