Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia and Herzegovina applies a single, country-wide indirect-tax regime to passenger-car imports. Under the Indirect Taxation Authority of BiH (UIO BiH), non-EU-origin passenger vehicles are charged the standard 15% customs duty plus a 17% VAT; vehicles of EU origin can be cleared duty-free with an EUR.1 movement certificate or an invoice declaration, paying only the 17% VAT. By a 2026 Council of Ministers decision, import duties on newly manufactured electric, hybrid and CNG/LPG vehicles are temporarily suspended or reduced — new EVs to 0%, hybrids to 5% — valid through 31 December 2026, subject to the official decision. Imported vehicles must pass individual technical homologation by an authorised technical service (such as BAS), meeting at least Euro IV emissions. Bosnia drives on the right, so left-hand-drive vehicles are required, and registration is handled by the entity-level ministries of interior. As a landlocked country, sea freight normally arrives via the Croatian port of Ploče and is trucked to Sarajevo. Verify the vehicle's proof of origin and the technical-approval route for the specific model before import, and watch the expiry of the EV duty incentive.

What are the rules for importing a car from China into Bosnia and Herzegovina?

Import duty & taxes: Non-EU-origin passenger cars pay the standard 15% duty plus 17% VAT; EU-origin vehicles are duty-free with an EUR.1 or invoice declaration, paying only 17% VAT. A 2026 Council of Ministers decision temporarily suspends or cuts duties on new EVs, hybrids and CNG/LPG — new EVs to 0%, hybrids to 5% — valid through 31 December 2026.
Authority & certification: The single country-wide indirect tax is administered by the Indirect Taxation Authority of BiH (UIO BiH); vehicle registration is handled by the entity-level ministries of interior.

Import facts at a glance

Import duty & taxes	Non-EU-origin passenger cars pay the standard 15% duty plus 17% VAT; EU-origin vehicles are duty-free with an EUR.1 or invoice declaration, paying only 17% VAT. A 2026 Council of Ministers decision temporarily suspends or cuts duties on new EVs, hybrids and CNG/LPG — new EVs to 0%, hybrids to 5% — valid through 31 December 2026.
Steering	Right-hand traffic; imported vehicles must be left-hand drive.
Main ports / entry	Landlocked; sea freight usually arrives via Croatia's Ploče port and is then trucked to Sarajevo.
Authority & certification	The single country-wide indirect tax is administered by the Indirect Taxation Authority of BiH (UIO BiH); vehicle registration is handled by the entity-level ministries of interior.
Required documents	Imports must pass individual technical homologation by an authorised body (such as BAS), meeting at least Euro IV; proof of origin (EUR.1 or invoice declaration) is required.

Figures indicative. Bosnia and Herzegovina: a single country-wide indirect-tax regime — non-EU passenger cars pay a standard 15% duty plus 17% VAT, while EU-origin vehicles are duty-free with EUR.1; a 2026 Council of Ministers decision cuts new EVs to 0% and hybrids to 5% through 31 December 2026; imports need individual technical homologation (min Euro IV); LHD only, cargo via Ploče. Confirm current rules with the Indirect Taxation Authority of BiH before shipping. Sources: Indirect Taxation Authority of BiH (uino.gov.ba). Last reviewed 2026-10.

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Import guides

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Our experience in this region — Europe

EZ Auto's team has 15–20 years of experience in China's car export business, working from our base in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China. We are not a European company and do not claim a local European office: we serve European importers directly from China, with the same order-based, document-complete model we use in every market. Vehicles reach Europe either by sea from Chinese ports to major European gateways such as Hamburg, Bremerhaven, Rotterdam, Antwerp, Barcelona and Gdańsk, or overland on the China–Europe rail service through terminals such as Małaszewicze. We do not rely on transshipment shortcuts; every car is sourced directly in China, inspected before payment, and shipped with full export documents. A typical order runs in seven steps: you confirm the model, specification and quantity; we source and verify availability in China; you approve the unit and we sign the contract; inspection takes place before payment; export clearance and booking are arranged in China; the vehicle leaves a Chinese port or rail terminal and we send you the shipping documents; you clear customs on arrival with your local broker. Payment terms, delivery windows and inspection scope are agreed in the contract for each order. Our role ends at the port of entry; import clearance, national approval and inland delivery are handled locally, with our document support throughout.

FAQ

What certification does a China-built car need to enter Europe?

Inside the EU, a vehicle must hold EU Whole Vehicle Type Approval (WVTA); where the manufacturer supplies no European Certificate of Conformity (CoC), an individual approval is carried out by the national authority — for example TÜV or DEKRA in Germany, DREAL in France and TDT in Poland. Outside the EU, Moldova, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Albania each run their own technical-entry approval, generally aligned with UN/ECE or EU standards. We prepare the China-side export documents; national approval is arranged on arrival.

How are duty and VAT calculated on a car imported into the EU?

EU customs applies the Common Customs Tariff — 10% ad valorem duty on the CIF value for passenger cars from China — and the member state then charges import VAT on the CIF value plus duty (19% in Germany, 20% in France, 21% in Spain, 23% in Poland). National registration or excise taxes may add further cost. New China-origin battery-electric cars may also carry EU countervailing duties, which follow the EU's current published notice. The final amount depends on the vehicle, its HS code and the member state.

Are there extra duties on Chinese electric cars?

Since October 2024 the EU has applied dedicated countervailing duties on new China-origin battery-electric passenger cars, set per manufacturer and time-limited. Rates, scope and expiry are revised, so we do not publish fixed numbers — always confirm against the EU's current published regulation before purchase. Used vehicles are generally outside that measure.

Bosnia and Herzegovina