Bosnia and Herzegovina currency: what does a tourist need to know?

Another amazing country of old Europe is Bosnia and Herzegovina. Let's take a little look at this state, and also find out what currency on its territory you can pay.

About the country

Bosnia and Herzegovina is a unique state in Eastern Europe. How is it different?

Let's list:

• the state is a union of two autonomous administrative units - Bosnia and Herzegovina;
• there are three practically equivalent religions in the country - Catholicism, Islam and Orthodoxy;
• people speak three languages: Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian.

In addition, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the climate is pleasant with a mild summer (average temperature +16 - 25^aboutC) and non-frost in winter (average temperature 0 - -10 ^aboutFROM).

And rest in Bosnia and Herzegovina can andcultural and sporting. There are many architectural monuments, reserves and attractions on the territory of the state, because many cities, especially the capital, Sarajevo, have retained almost their original appearance. Tours can be alternated with a visit to the ski resorts, which are also a large number, and all thanks to the geographical location of the country.

Monetary history of the state

From time to time the currency of Bosnia and Herzegovinawas changing. Thus, during the reign of Austria-Hungary, the Austro-Hungarian krone was considered the official monetary unit. And when the state joined the composition of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Yugoslavia), the money of Bosnia and Herzegovina changed to Yugoslav dinars.

During World War II, as on the neighboringterritories, here in the turnover were the Reichsmarks, the liras of Italy, the levs of Bulgaria, the dinars of Serbia, the pengions of Hungary, the kuna of Croatia, the Franks of Albania. And in the period between the end of the occupation and until 1990 the Yugoslav dinars returned again.

In 1995, after the civil war in Bosnia, according to the Dayton Ceasefire Agreement and the onset of a truce, the authorities introduced a new currency, the convertible mark (BAM or KM).

Bosnia and Herzegovina currency

YOU and today continues to be the national currency of the state.

Available convertible mark of the following denomination:

• banknotes - 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200;
• coins - 1, 2.

The mark (YOU) is equal to a hundred pfennigam. Coins are worth 5, 10, 20, 50 pfennig.

Convertible brands of each nominal are issuedtwo types - for the Bosnian Federation and the Serbian Republic. Their difference lies in the images and the language in which the inscriptions are made. All banknotes have a mandatory watermark - the monogram of the Central Bank. On the face of the bill are political and cultural figures of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Jovan Yukic (nominal BAM 1), Mesha Selimovich (5 BAM), M. Dijar (10 BAM), Antun Simic (20 BAM), Moussa Kazim Katich (50 BAM) , Nikola Shop (100 YOU), Ivo Andrich (200 YOU).

Currency exchange

As in other countries, money exchange in Bosnia and Herzegovina is best done at banks and official exchange points (for example, hotels), since there is a possibility of fraud on the street.

Most banks open from 8:00 to 19:00 on weekdays, and on Saturdays and Sundays - the day off.

Что касается курса, то конвертируемая марка is heavily dependent on the euro (1 EUR to 2 YOU) and the dollar (1 YUDD to 1.4 YOU). As for the Russian ruble, the situation is as follows: 1 RUB = 0.04 BAM. The course is approximate and may vary slightly.

Financial advice to the tourist

Some financial advice that will be useful during a trip to the country:

• the euro is the second currency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with which you can freely pay in the country, but only to tourists in tourist places;
• agree in advance in the taxi route and its cost;
• tips are usually left to taxi drivers (if they helped you to put and pull out the luggage), as well as in restaurants and hotels - in the amount of 10% of the total amount;
• The official currency of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the euro are not the only means of payment for the tourist, in some areas it is possible to pay off Serbian dinars and Croatian kuns;
• in order to accomplish a reverse exchange upon departure from the state, it is necessary to provide checks received as a result of the first conversion
• Visa and Maestro credit cards are not accepted.everywhere, and they can be cashed only in the capital banks and large post offices, as well as in a few hotels, restaurants, shops; working with cards of other systems in the state is extremely difficult;
• traveler's checks are credited only at banks;
• the cost of services should be carefully negotiated in advance, and the money in advance (deposit) is better not to give in order to avoid fraud;
• если полиция требует от вас уплаты штрафа (for example, you rented a car and violated the rules of the road), then request a receipt that you can pay at the bank, and do not pay in cash;
• Shops are open from 8:00 to 20:00 on weekdays, and on weekends until 14:00.