Expatriates Forums in Bosnia & Herzegovina

Bosnia & Herzegovina

SHOPPING IN BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA

General

Traditional purchases include woodcarvings, brass coffee-pots, ceramics, handmade carpets, woolen goods, wines, folk-art, tapestries, embroidery and leather boxes.

Sarajevo is fine for buying clothes and shoes of good quality and relatively cheap, where as Mostar has an excellent shopping mall on the Croatian side with some typical European-style clothes shops and jewellers.

Shopping hours

0800-2000.

Banking hours

Mon-Fri 0800-1900.

Currency

Bosnia and Herzegovina Konvertibilna Marka (BAM) = 100 pfeninga. Notes are in denominations of BAM200, 100, 50, 20, 10, 5 and 1 and 50 pfenings. Coins are available in denominations of BAM2 and 1, and 50, 20 and 10 pfenings. Some Euro notes - but not coins - are widely accepted.

Currency exchange

The Euro and US Dollar are the preferred foreign currencies. The Pound Sterling is of relatively little value in the republic and rarely used. Included in the Dayton Peace Agreement, signed in 1995, were provisions for a Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina. This bank acts as a currency board and is the sole authority for the issue of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Konvertibilna Marka.

Credit & debit cards

Credit cards are not generally accepted. Check with your credit or debit card company for details of merchant acceptability. ATMs are available in some cities (in Sarajevo and Mostar, for example), and their quantity is continually increasing. Cash is still generally advised.

Traveller's cheques

Bosnia and Herzegovina is generally a cash-only economy and traveller's cheques are exchanged only at select banks.

Currency restrictions

The import and export of local currency are limited to BAM200,000. There are no restrictions on the import and export of foreign currencies.