RRoad Clarity
A narrow road following a green river through a steep limestone canyon in Bosnia and Herzegovina, dense forest on the slopes above.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Drives on the right · BAM · Emergency 112
LAST VERIFIED 2026-09-13

Driving in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia and Herzegovina has a short motorway network and a great deal of mountain road, and that ratio is the single most useful thing to know when planning a route here. Tolls apply only on the motorway sections, notably around Sarajevo, and are collected at barriers on a ticket system — take a card entering, hand it in leaving. Cash in local marks or euros, bank cards, and an ACC TAG for the non-stop lanes are all accepted. If you are also driving in Croatia, the ACC TAG registers against the Croatian ENC system, so one device covers both. Everything else is conventional road, much of it narrow and winding through the mountains. Journey times run well ahead of what the distances suggest, especially in poor weather, and this is not a country to plan tightly. The alcohol limit is 0.3‰ and zero for novice drivers. Headlights are required day and night, year-round. Winter tyres are generally required from 15 November to 15 April, and chains can be needed on mountain roads outside that window during snowfall. The currency is the convertible mark, and the country is outside the EU.

Speed limits

Urban
50 km/h
Rural / outside built-up areas
80 km/h
Motorway
130 km/h

Alcohol limits

General limit
0.3‰
Novice drivers
0.0‰

Mandatory equipment

  • •Warning triangle
  • •Hi-vis vest
  • •First aid kit
  • •Spare bulb kit

Winter tires & snow chains

Generally required from 15 November to 15 April, or whenever winter conditions are present — mountain roads can require chains even outside this window during snowfall.

Tolls

System
Toll booths

Bosnia and Herzegovina has a limited but growing motorway network; some sections (e.g. around Sarajevo) charge tolls at booths, while most conventional roads are free.

Full motorway tolls guide →

More things to know before you drive

Seatbelts
Mandatory front and rear for all occupants.
Mobile phone use
Hands-free only; holding a phone while driving is prohibited.
Child seats
Children under 12 or shorter than 150 cm require an appropriate child restraint.
Headlights
Dipped headlights are required at all times, day and night, year-round.
Low-emission & restricted zones
No low-emission zone network; some historic town centers (e.g. Mostar, Sarajevo) have limited local vehicle restrictions.
Right of way & roundabouts
Priority to the right at unmarked intersections; roundabouts give way to traffic already circulating.
Parking
Paid parking zones are common in cities, typically via ticket machine or attendant.
Speed cameras
Fixed and mobile cameras are used, particularly near towns and on main routes.

Good to know

Not in the EU. Currency is the convertible mark (BAM), not the euro. Mountain roads can be narrow and winding — allow extra time, especially in poor weather.