It is estimated that there are currently just over 7,000 foreign workers working in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and among the most sought-after occupations are waiters, cooks, cleaners, carpenters, and reinforcement workers, bricklayers and joiners, confirmed to Feni from the UNIDAD Employment Agency.
Given the ongoing shortage of labor in certain sectors, they point out that the need for foreign workers is expected to grow further in the coming years.
“According to available data, in 2024, a total of 5,798 work permits were issued for foreign workers, while in 2025, according to data from the BiH Labor Agency, a total of 6,702 were issued, of which 3,588 in the FBiH, 2,789 in the Republika Srpska, and 325 in the Brčko District of BiH,” UNIDAD states.
They note that certain categories of foreigners, according to the law, do not have to have a work permit, so the actual number of foreign workers employed in BiH is somewhat higher.
“The need for foreign workers in BiH is truly great and constantly growing. As an agency that deals with the employment of foreign workers, we notice that the number of employers who contact us is increasing year by year. The greatest demand is currently for professions such as waiters, cooks, cleaners, carpenters, reinforcement workers, bricklayers, production workers, joiners, but also other auxiliary and qualified workers,” they add.
UNIDAD says that foreign workers come to BiH from various countries and that currently the most numerous are those from India, followed by Turkey, Nepal, Bangladesh, as well as from countries in the region such as Serbia and Croatia.
“The greatest shortage of labor is currently in the construction sector, hospitality and manufacturing industries, and it is precisely companies from these sectors that most often employ foreign workers in order to maintain business continuity,” they emphasize.
They also add that the tourism and hospitality sector has an increased need for labor every year ahead of the tourist season.
In this sector, employers are already preparing and some of them are trying to secure workers in advance, including foreign workers, in order to avoid a shortage of staff during the most intense part of the season.
However, the Agency points out that the procedures for hiring foreign workers are still quite complex and time-consuming.
“In the last few months, certain changes have been introduced with the aim of speeding up the process, especially through the Protocol between the Service for Foreigners’ Affairs of BiH and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of BiH signed in August 2025. This step has somewhat facilitated the procedure, but in practice the process can still be slow,” UNIDAD assessed.
They underline that the process of hiring foreign workers is administratively quite complex and requires compliance with multiple procedures and regulations.
“As an agency, we conduct all processes strictly in accordance with the law, precisely in order to avoid any irregularities. Therefore, we often advise employers to involve agencies that have experience in hiring foreign workers in this process. Such an approach helps to properly prepare and submit all necessary documentation, which significantly reduces the possibility of errors and potential problems in practice,” they say.
They also note that domestic workers have priority when hiring.
“The law itself is set up so that a foreign worker cannot be hired if there are domestic citizens on the register who meet the requirements for that job position. In addition, for employers, hiring domestic workers is simpler, faster and more financially advantageous,” conclude UNIDAD.
