EU programmes

The BiH Ministry of Civil Affairs is an institution that, among other things, has a mobility and youth unit in its scope of work and is responsible for monitoring the participation of BiH in various EU programs. Currently, BiH participates in 8 EU programs that cover different forms of projects and mobility (through formal, non-formal education, and through projects from different fields). Information for two of those programs, European Solidarity Corps and European Youth Card, are only available on the official websites of those programs and websites of contact points for those programs. BiH's participation in these programs enables formal education institutions, public institutions and civil society organizations to implement mobility activities involving young people (variety of profiles) or those who work with young people and other professionals through various projects.

In the context of mobility in the field of youth work, the most important programs for young people in BiH are Erasmus+ Youth and European Solidarity Corps, which cover mobility activities at their core. These are EU programs in which BiH may participate and are implemented through the coordination of projects and project partnerships by civil society organizations.

The general goal of the Erasmus+ program is to, through lifelong learning, support the educational, professional and personal development in education, training, youth and sports, in Europe and beyond, contributing to sustainable growth, quality jobs and social cohesion, initiating innovation and strengthening European identity and active citizenship. Considering the types of cooperation it offers, the program is crucial for the improvement of cooperation in youth policy within the European Union Youth Strategy 2019 - 2027 and the development of the European dimension in sports. 

BiH does not have a national youth agency, as is the case with the countries in the group of Program countries and Third countries associated with the program, which would cover the area of information about the opportunity of the program, provide support for organizations and young people to use the program opportunity and financial coordination of certain calls that are not of a centralized type. Accordingly, when it comes to the bodies responsible for the implementation of the program, in addition to EACEA and the BiH Ministry of Civil Affairs of BiH, the following are significant for BiH:

• SALTO Resource Centre for Southeast Europe focuses on support and promotes co-operation between the Program Countries and Western Balkan Partner Countries in the framework of the Erasmus+: Youth in Action Program and European Solidarity Corps;

  • The BiH National Erasmus+ Office (NEO) assists the Commission, the Executive Agency and local authorities in the implementation of the Erasmus+ program. It is the focal point in the country for the stakeholders involved in the Erasmus+ program in the fields of higher education, vocational education and training, youth and sports, and

  • Contact Points - Center for Education and Gathering (COD) Jajce is responsible for informing and promoting the opportunities offered by the Erasmus+ Youth program, and Archdiocesan Center for Youth Pastoral John Paul II (NCM) is responsible for promoting the European Solidarity Corps program and its opportunities for users in BiH.

A detailed description of the monitoring activities of the Erasmus+ program implementation at the national level is not available.

The second largest European program that enables mobility and is available to youth organizations from Bosnia and Herzegovina is the European Solidarity Corps, which was known as the European Volunteer Service - EVS until 2019. 

In addition to volunteer activities within the European Solidarity Corps program, organizations from BiH are also available to participate within the Humanitarian Aid activities. Within Humanitarian Aid activities, volunteers (from 18 to 35 years old) have the opportunity to participate in activities related to disaster preparedness and post-disaster relief, covering a very wide range of areas such as: promotion of gender equality, protection of women and children, protection of refugees and internally displaced persons, protection undocumented migrants, mitigating the effects of climate change, improving food security, etc. With this type of activity, there is also the possibility of individual and team volunteering in short-term and long-term activities. This activity is available only for people who legally reside legally in EU Member State or in a third country associated to the Programme (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Turkey and Republic of North Macedonia) and who have registered in the European Solidarity Corps Portal. So, organizations from BiH cannot send volunteers but can be host for other volunteers. 

Given the specificity of these activities, the program requires organizations to obtain a separate Quality Label for Humanitarian Aid for which it is required to apply directly to EACEA, and a minimum of 3 organizations with a valid Quality Label for Humanitarian Aid must participate for the implementation of the activity. For organizations from BiH with a valid QL, participation in these activities is available through project partnership with lead organizations that should be from EU Member States and third countries associated to the Programme.

When it comes to the bodies responsible for the implementation of the ESC program there is a overleap with bodies in Erasmus+ program, except of NEO role. They are not involved in ESC program. 

The third largest European program available for participation by young people from BiH is the European Youth Card. This is a program that is implemented at the state level, and is coordinated by the organization PRONI Centre for Youth Development as the only licensed organization in BiH for developing and distributing the youth card.

Other programmes

Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO) is an independently functioning institutional mechanism, founded by the Western Balkans six participants (WB 6): Albania, BiH, Kosovo*, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia, aiming to promote the spirit of reconciliation and cooperation between the youth in the region through youth exchange programs. The Agreement on the establishment of RYCO was signed by the WB6 Prime Ministers at the WB Summit held in Paris, on 4 July 2016. RYCO is funded by all Parties to the Agreement and is supported by the EU and other donors. With its main office in Tirana, and local branches in all participating countries, RYCO promotes reconciliation, trust, cooperation and dialogue in the Western Balkans through the support and financing of projects that bring together young people in the region. The calls available for application have regional character and are intended for CSOs and secondary schools in the participating countries. The RYCO Local Office for BiH is in Sarajevo, and through cooperation with ministries, organizations and local administrations, holds informative activities throughout the year, in order to bring the RYCO’s mission and possibilities closer to young people and possible applicants.

With the aim of better informing young people about all possibilities of mobility and encouraging activism, RYCO launched the Hajde.media platform to provide a meeting place for all young people interested in mobility, participating in events, opportunities and news in the Western Balkans. Designed to provide daily promotion of regional youth collaboration, youth experiences, opportunities and storytelling, this platform embodies RYCO's goal for the region's youth – to inspire young people to seize opportunities and embrace positive change in their communities.

The Students Help Life (Schüler Helfen Leben) is a German-based foundation with an office in Sarajevo that supports the development of youth in BiH through volunteering and exchange programs in Germany. 

SHL focuses on empowering youth (ages 18–23) to become socially engaged and active in their communities. Through non-formal education, SHL offers young people from BiH one-year volunteering opportunities in SHL offices in Neumünster and Lübeck, where they engage in local and international projects. The Youth Exchange Program, supported by Germany's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, promotes mobility in formal education and involves school students and youth organizations from BiH and Germany. Over 1,800 youth from 75 schools and 4 youth organizations have participated in the exchanges so far. Exchanges include attending school, living with host families, and participating in cultural activities, followed by a return visit to the partner school or organization. SHL independently manages these activities without direct involvement of BiH government institutions.

The regional program that enables the mobility of individuals is the "WBF MOVE Grant" implemented by the Western Balkan Fund. The Western Balkan Fund (WBF) is an international organization based in Tirana, Albania, founded by the governments of Albania, BiH, Kosovo*, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia. The agreement on the creation of the WBF was signed by the WB6 foreign affairs ministers in November 2015. The fund started operating on October 1, 2017, after all the parliaments of its constituent members completed the ratification procedures. The WBF has separate calls for CSO projects, but especially a grant for the mobility of individuals. The mobility grant scheme is dedicated to individuals and aims to encourage people-to-people connections. More specifically, WBF will support individuals from the region in their personal and professional development by providing project funds for regional research and new perspectives, encouraging them to step out of their comfort zones, embrace diversity and develop a regional mindset. The scheme aims to encourage regional cooperation through various forms of mobility of individuals by encouraging active engagement for local and regional issues and challenges.

Legal framework applying to foreign volunteers

The BiH Law on Foreigners defines the legal framework that applies to foreign volunteers. Article 49 of this Law defines general requirements for granting temporary residence, and Article 57 defines the temporary residence of volunteers as follows:

(1) Temporary residence may be granted to a foreign volunteer who, in addition to the conditions set out in Article 49 (General conditions for granting temporary residence) of this Law, also meets the following requirements:

a) is not younger than 18 nor older than 65 years of age,

b) has a volunteering agreement concluded with an institution, organization, humanitarian association, citizens’ association or foundation in BiH where the volunteering is carried out,

c) submits the project in which they are engaged, or a document showing the volunteer work scheme, description of duties and tasks, number of participants, duration of volunteering, supervision, and working hours,

d) the organization in which the foreigner is volunteering holds liability insurance towards third parties and assumes responsibility for the foreigner during the volunteering period, which includes the costs of subsistence, accommodation, food, health insurance, and return.

(2) Temporary residence for a foreign volunteer is granted for a period of up to one year and may, in exceptional cases, be extended under the same conditions under which it was granted, if the duration of the project on which the foreigner is engaged exceeds one year.