Bosnia & Herzegovina | Culture, Etiquette and Customs

The Basics

People tend to be quite direct when it comes to asking what some people in other cultures may feel as personal questions. For example, "Do you have children?", “How old are you?” "Are you married?", etc.
It is common to hear people speaking in loud voices and becoming animated during conversations. This usually does not signify anger; people just tend to be expressive.

With family or people that you are more familiar with, hugs and touching of the shoulder during conversations is usually accepted.

In many situations, eye contact is not considered to have such a strong message attached with it. People may look at you for no particular reason, maybe because they like your shirt.

To beckon someone, you would raise the palm of your hand toward them, and then fold the fingers down in a scratching motion. It may be considered rude to beckon someone with an upwardly turned hand.

It is considered rude to refuse an offer of a drink or a meal when visiting someone in their home.
Raising the first three fingers is a sign of victory within Serbian areas. It is best to avoid this when in Bosniak and Croat areas.
Giving someone the middle finger is a rude gestures, as is pointing at someone or wagging a finger at someone.
It isn't proper etiquette to eat or drink while lying down or reclining.
It is not good to put any holy book on the floor, anywhere where people sit or walk, or in the bathroom.

Penalties for possession, use, or trafficking in illegal drugs are severe, and convicted offenders can expect long jail sentences and heavy fines.

Businesspeople tend to dress well, opting for the latest styles influenced by Italy.
For Men - Formal suits and ties. Darker colors are the way to go. Shoes and their cleanliness are important.
For Women - Dress suits are common (matching top and bottom) and many have them tailor made. Younger women like to wear skirts and pants and tops.
Business casual attire may be acceptable in certain industries.

Titles are important at initial meetings. Use Mr., Mrs., or Ms.followed by the person's title and their surname. Mr. or Mrs. in Bosnian is Gospodin and Gospodja, respectively.
It’s best to use a person's title and their surname until invited to use their first name.

Bargaining happens more often than not and decisions are not as fast as one may expect. This is one of the characteristics of the Bosnian way of doing business.
Patience is needed as is the will for clarifying and explaining things in fine detail as people like to be informed maybe more then usual.
Doing business takes time because of the complicated business laws that require time, but all this should not discourage a foreign investor as is full of unused and very diverse business opportunities with huge wealth in spring water, coal, organic food, tourism potentials and so on.
Decisions tend to be made from the top down.

The school year at most institutions begins in September and ends in May.
Dress at most universities is casual, usually jeans and shirts. Unacceptable clothing would be anything greatly provocative or extremely revealing.
Grades are usually given on a scale from 5 to 10 at the university level with 6 as the minimum passing level. Some schools use the 1-5 scale with 2 as the minimum passing level.
Lecture is the most common form of teaching but efforts are being made to modernize and add variety to the educational process.

People are friendly and relaxed. It is a very interesting county for tourists with the great natural beauty and prices that are still cheap.

Bosnia & Herzegovina is a friendly and unique country and one should be relaxed and casual when dealing with people.

The guides describe what people tend to do. The work at culturecrossing.net is about what you do.