Can You Drink Tap Water in Bosnia and Herzegovina?

Tap water safety in Bosnia and Herzegovina varies significantly depending on where you are. The country is not an EU member state and its water quality regulations are not subject to EU enforcement mechanisms. Infrastructure quality reflects the country's complex political structure, with water management divided between entities (the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska) and the Brčko District, with investment levels varying considerably across the country.

In Sarajevo, the capital and most visited city, tap water has historically been considered good quality — the city is supplied by mountain springs from the surrounding Dinaric Alps, which provide naturally clean, cold water. Many Sarajevo residents drink tap water directly and consider it among the best in the Balkans. However, older distribution infrastructure in parts of the city means quality can vary, and most visitor guidance recommends bottled water as a precaution. Hotels throughout Sarajevo typically serve bottled water.

In Mostar — Bosnia's second most visited city and home to the iconic Stari Most (Old Bridge) — tap water is treated but infrastructure is older and water quality is less consistently good than in Sarajevo. Bottled water is the recommended choice in Mostar. In Banja Luka, the largest city in Republika Srpska, and in other cities across the country, water treatment exists but aging infrastructure means bottled water is the practical default for visitors.

Bosnia's natural water resources are exceptional — the country has abundant rivers, springs, and some of Europe's last wild rivers including the Una and Neretva. The quality of natural sources is high, but distribution infrastructure has not always kept pace.