A company in Stuttgart or Vienna needs a new website or an internal tool. Local agencies have waiting lists and hourly rates that a small business finds hard to pay. A developer in Bosnia and Herzegovina works in the same time zone, usually speaks English and can deliver the same quality at a lower price. This guide describes how to set up that collaboration so it works without surprises.
Short answer
Bosnia and Herzegovina is in the same time zone as Germany and Austria, invoices are issued in euros, and the convertible mark is pegged to the euro at a fixed rate. Before starting, agree a contract (scope, deadlines, rights to the code), invoicing and VAT, and — if the developer accesses personal data from the EU — a data processing agreement with Standard Contractual Clauses.
Why work with a developer in Bosnia
- Same time zone (CET/CEST) — meetings during working hours, answers the same day.
- Language — most developers work in English, and many also speak German.
- Costs — a lower cost of living means lower prices for the same scope of work.
- Proximity — a short flight away, but everything can be done online: video calls, shared documents and a task tracker.
- Euro with no currency risk — the convertible mark is pegged at 1 EUR = 1.95583 KM.
How to choose a developer
- Look at their work and concepts — and check those sites’ speed in PageSpeed Insights.
- A short paid trial task tells you more than an interview.
- Communication — how quickly and clearly they reply, and whether they ask the right questions.
- A registered business — a sole trader or company that can invoice a foreign client.
- Clear ownership — the domain, hosting and code must be on your side.
The contract: what it must say
- scope of work, phases and deadlines, with a description of what counts as done;
- price, currency, payment terms and how additional requests are charged;
- transfer of rights to the code, design and content after payment;
- confidentiality and a ban on using your data for other purposes;
- warranty for fixing defects and maintenance terms;
- governing law and how disputes are resolved.
Invoicing and taxes
A developer in Bosnia issues an invoice in euros and is paid by bank transfer to a foreign-currency account. For services to businesses in the EU, the reverse charge mechanism usually applies — in Germany this follows from the place-of-supply rules and Section 13b of the VAT Act (UStG). The customer then accounts for the VAT itself, and the invoice from Bosnia carries no German VAT. Always confirm the details with your accountant or tax adviser.
Data protection
If the developer accesses your customers’ personal data in the EU — for example an online shop database or a CRM — they process data on your behalf, and the GDPR requires a data processing agreement. There is no EU adequacy decision for Bosnia and Herzegovina, so Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) are used alongside that agreement. In practice the simplest approach is to develop with test data and give production access only to those who strictly need it. Since October 2025 Bosnia has also applied a new GDPR-aligned data protection law — more in Bosnia’s data protection law and your website.
Organising remote work
- a short weekly video call and a written summary of progress;
- one system for tasks and questions instead of scattered messages;
- a staging version of the site you can see during development;
- the code in a repository you also have access to.
For businesses run by the diaspora
If you run a business in Germany or Austria and want a website in German and Bosnian, Croatian or Serbian, a developer from Bosnia understands both markets. A multilingual site with correct hreflang tags shows every visitor the right version — see how that works on the website development page.
Looking for a developer in Bosnia?
I work in English and Bosnian, deliver websites in German too, and invoice in euros under a clear contract. Describe your project and you’ll get a proposal and a fixed quote.
Engimotive · Published October 28, 2026