Explanation of responsibilities and roles in the process of issuing personal documents in Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Agency for Identification Documents, Registers and Data Exchange of Bosnia and Herzegovina (IDDEEA BiH) is a state-level institution, established to ensure smooth and secure issuance of identification documents and maintenance of vital registers from central records, both of which are critical to the administrative and legal framework of institutions at all levels in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Many citizens still associate this institution with the project known as CIPS, which was the initial phase of modernising the personal document system in BiH.
CIPS (Citizen Identification Protection System) was an internationally supported project launched in the early 2000s, aimed at creating a central register of BiH citizens and introducing secure, standardised personal documents. Following the successful implementation of this first phase through CIPS, the system was transferred to the newly established state agency, IDDEEA BiH, which continued to develop and improve the infrastructure and processes for issuing personal documents in line with international standards, including ICAO and EU regulations.
What precisely does IDDEEA BiH do?
IDDEEA BiH is not the institution that directly interacts with citizens during the personal document issuance process. Its principal functions are technical, operational, and strategic. In compliance with the Law on the Agency for Identification Documents, Registers and Data Exchange of BiH, the Agency is responsible for:
- Centralized register of personal documents, driving licenses, personal identification numbers, and other registers as approved by the source authorities;
- Personalization of ID cards, passports, driving licenses, vehicle registration documents, tachograph cards, seafarer’s passports and maritime ID cards, local border traffic permits, and other documents upon approval by the competent authorities;
- Proposing, drafting, and implementing strategies and policies for the development of identification documents in line with international standards;
- Providing software solutions;
- Cooperating with domestic and international institutions on the exchange and protection of personal data;
- Administrative procedures related to its scope of work as prescribed by applicable legal regulations;
Issuance of qualified electronic signatures for remote signing.
What do the Ministries of the Interior (MUPs) do?
The Ministries of the Interior (MUPs) of the entities, cantons, and the Brčko District are responsible for receiving and processing citizens’ requests for issuing personal documents, i.e., for the entire administrative process, while IDDEEA is exclusively responsible for the personalisation of these documents. In other words, a citizen submits a request for a document, or a residence certificate (commonly called a CIPS certificate), at the location for issuing documents – the offices of the competent authorities.
Those employees are MUP officials, not IDDEEA staff, even though they use technical systems and infrastructure developed by IDDEEA BiH. This frequently leads to misunderstandings among the public, who mistakenly think that these officials are affiliated with the Agency.
Why is this important to know?
Understanding the division of responsibilities is important because IDDEEA BiH has no authority to manage counter operations or resolve potential procedural errors during the submission of requests – this is solely the responsibility of the competent authorities. On the other hand, if a technical error occurs in data processing, document printing, or data protection, then IDDEEA BiH is responsible.
The goal of this division of responsibilities is to ensure a functional system in which MUPs provide services to citizens, while IDDEEA provides technical support, security, and centralised oversight of the document issuance system.
Electronic data exchange – modernization in service of citizens
Thanks to modern systems maintained by IDDEEA, all competent authorities – including municipal and city administrations – have the technical capacity for electronic data exchange, which:
- Reduces the need for paperwork;
- Speeds up administrative procedures;
- Increases the efficiency and transparency of public services.
To establish electronic data exchange, public institutions with legal grounds for accessing the registers maintained by IDDEEA (on behalf of the source authorities) must submit a request to the Agency. This will quickly and easily facilitate smoother operations within their institutions.