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First registration of an imported car in BiH: FBiH and Republika Srpska

An imported used car is registered at the MUP (interior ministry) for the owner's residence: a cantonal MUP in the Federation of BiH, the MUP of Republika Srpska in Republika Srpska. Customs clearance with homologation, a technical inspection and AO insurance come first. You then pay the entity's fees and receive two certificates, plates and a sticker; registration is valid for one year.

Which rules apply and where to register

Both entities follow one state rulebook, the Pravilnik o registriranju vozila (Službeni glasnik BiH 69/09, last amended by 66/25). You apply to the MUP unit for your residence: a cantonal MUP in the Federation of BiH (FBiH), the MUP of Republika Srpska in Republika Srpska.

Technical inspection first

A used imported car must pass a regular technical inspection before its first registration. The page linked below gives its price, the EKO test in FBiH, which stations the MUP accepts, what to bring and how long the result is valid.

Driving before registration: test plates

Until registration you can drive the car on MUP test plates to the technical inspection and to the place where it will be registered. They last up to 15 days, cost 5 KM and need proof of ownership, the AO policy and ID. They cannot be reissued for the same car and owner within a year and must be returned before registration.

Insurance and the green card

Before registration you need compulsory motor liability (AO) insurance. The page linked below gives the premiums by kW in each entity, the class of your first policy and where you need a green card.

Which documents you need

The request goes on the prescribed form (Pravilnik o registriranju vozila, article 6) with:

  • the invoice or sales contract
  • the foreign ownership document with proof of deregistration abroad (for a German car, the Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil II)
  • the customs declaration
  • the AO policy and proof of its payment
  • proof of paying the fees, plates, forms and inspection
  • your ID
  • for a gas-powered car, proof that the gas installation is sound

What you receive and what it costs

You receive the ownership certificate (potvrda o vlasništvu vozila), the registration certificate (potvrda o registraciji), plates and a sticker for the inside of the windscreen, top right. Registration is valid for one year. Prices are the same in both entities (Službeni glasnik BiH 20/24, March 2024): 5 KM for each certificate, 5 KM for the sticker and 20 KM for a pair of plates.

Fees in FBiH and Republika Srpska

The road fee, the vehicle-use tax of Republika Srpska, the environmental fee, the water fee and the cantonal tax in FBiH have pages of their own, linked below. The calculator page for each entity computes them and these smaller fees too.

In both entities: the sticker, 5 KM at every registration, the first and each renewal (Službeni glasnik BiH 20/24).

In the Federation of BiH:

  • Pomoć-informacije road assistance fee: 8 KM (Službene novine FBiH 5/11).
  • Cantonal administrative tax: 20 KM in Sarajevo Canton, and 10 KM at each renewal (Službene novine Kantona Sarajevo 30/01, tariff no. 15). In other cantons the amount is not confirmed; ask your MUP.

In Republika Srpska:

  • The road fee, the vehicle-use tax, the environmental fee and the water fee are paid into the public revenue account of Republika Srpska, each under its own revenue type. The owner works out these amounts, and the MUP checks at registration that they have been paid (Republika Srpska public-sector audit office, December 2019).
  • Administrative tax: 5 KM, and 2 KM at each renewal (Službeni glasnik Republike Srpske 108/25).
  • AMS RS special fee: required by law (Službeni glasnik Republike Srpske 1/09, article 12), but its amount, often quoted as 12 KM, is not confirmed. In return, once a year, AMS RS carries a car damaged in a traffic accident, with its owner and passengers, to a destination in BiH free of charge (article 13).

Common mistakes

  • "The 8 KM in FBiH is for BIHAMK." It is the Pomoć-informacije fee, paid to JP Ceste FBiH.
  • "Republika Srpska charges a 15 KM SUP fee." The MUP list has no such item; the administrative tax is 5 KM.
  • "You take the homologation certificate to the MUP." It reaches the MUP electronically at the inspection.

Work out the whole cost

Sources

The official laws, decisions and pages this guide rests on, read on 23/09/2026. Rules and amounts change, so check the ones that matter to you before you buy.