Driving in Bosnia-Herzegovina

But if you’re planning a road trip to Bosnia-Herzegovina, it’s essential you’re fully prepared ahead of time as driving there has many differences to the UK. 

To make your trip to the Continent as safe and trouble-free as possible, we’ve put together a guide to everything you need to know before you go, from required documents to the rules of the road.  

Driving a rented vehicle? Jump to the advice for driving a hire car in Bosnia-Herzegovina section.

RAC European Breakdown Cover (Basic and Comprehensive) provides a wide range of benefits – should you breakdown in the Bosnia-Herzegovina – to ensure you stay safe. 

To supplement this, RAC also offers travel insurance. Cover will include medical expenses, baggage, personal money and belongings, among many other benefits.

• A valid, full UK driving licence (you must also be 18 or over)
• Your motor insurance certificate
• The V5 registration document for your own car or the hire car paperwork for a rental

Do I need an insurance green card?

From 2nd August 2021, drivers will no longer require an insurance green card for taking their vehicles to Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Aside from the documents above, there are some legally-required items you must bring with you to drive in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Unless your headlights can be adjusted, it's a legal requirement to carry headlamp converters (stickers for your headlights when driving on the right, so your lights don't dazzle motorists coming the other way).

A warning triangle is also compulsory to carry in vehicles in case of a breakdown.

You must also:

• Be 18 or over
• Make sure everyone in the car wears a seat belt at all times
• Wear a crash helmet if you're riding a motorcycle
• Register with local police within 72 hours of arrival in the country

It's also recommended to have:

• Spare bulbs for your car's external lights
• A fire extinguisher 
• A first-aid kit
• A reflective jacket
• You can pick up all the car kit you need from RAC Shop.

Driving in Bosnia-Herzegovina doesn't differ too much from what we're used to in the UK (aside from driving on the right), but here are some general tips to make sure you're prepared.

• In Bosnia-Herzegovina you must drive on the right-hand side of the road, and overtake on the left
• Children under 5 must use an appropriate child seat
• Children under 12 can't sit in the front seat
• If you're caught committing a driving offence while driving through Bosnia-Herzegovina, you'll be given an on-the-spot fine
• Use of speed camera detectors is prohibited
• The drink-driving limit is 0.05%
• Anyone under the influence of alcohol can't sit in the front seat, even as a passenger
• You must use dipped headlights at all times
• If you're involved in an accident, you must wait until the police arrive
• On mountain roads, you have right of way going uphill
• Trams on the left have priority
• You must stop at pedestrian crossings, as soon as someone shows they want to cross

The speed limit is 50km/h in built-up areas, 80km/h on open roads, 100km/h on dual carriageways and 130km/h on motorways, unless the signs say otherwise

• Not all insurers cover driving in Bosnia-Herzegovina so check before you go – if yours doesn't, you can buy temporary cover at all border posts (except Neum)
• Petrol (leaded and unleaded), diesel and LPG are widely available
• Never go off-road in rural areas without an experienced guide – you run the risk of coming across landmines and unexploded devices
• It's a good idea to avoid driving at night, if you can, as many roads have no lighting and some of the more rural roads can be in bad shape
• There are occasional protests in major towns and cities. Although these are usually peaceful, they can cause disruption to traffic so avoid them if you can

In an emergency

112 - Here's a really important bit of knowledge; you can dial 112 from anywhere in Europe and an operator will connect you to an emergency service in the country you're visiting.

Operators can answer your call in their native language, English or French.

Breaking down in Bosnia-Herzegovina

RAC offers great-value, flexible RAC European breakdown cover tailored to meet your needs. We also offer comprehensive travel insurance, including cover for medical expenses, baggage, personal money and belongings.

Not all of the information in the guide above will be relevant to those looking to rent a hire car in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Though it might be a good idea to read through everything anyway, here are the most important things to know for drivers of rental vehicles:

Rental information

• The minimum age to hire a car is 21
• You need a full, valid UK driving licence and usually a second proof of ID (passport)
• Some car rental companies ask that you have held your licence for a minimum term of 2 years
• Most companies require you to use a credit card for deposit
• You may not be able to drive outside of Bosnia-Herzegovina unless planned in advance - check with your hire company first
• Make sure you get car hire excess insurance before your trip to protect yourself from unexpected costs. It's almost always cheaper to do this with a separate insurer and in advance

Hire car driving tips

• You must drive on the right and overtake on the left - the opposite to the UK
• The national speed limit on Bosnian motorways is 130km/h (80 mph). On a main road outside a built-up area it's 80 km/h. For built-up areas it’s 50km/h
• Dial 112 in an emergency
• It’s compulsory to wear seat belts in the front and rear seats
• The blood alcohol content limit for drivers of private vehicles is 0.05%. That's lower than the 0.08% in England Wales and Northern Ireland, but the same as Scotland.