Warning list – Study in Bosnia
Not every institution that calls itself a university in Bosnia and Herzegovina holds valid state accreditation. A degree from a non-accredited university is not recognised for professional licensing or further studies, neither in Bosnia nor abroad. This page lists every university whose accreditation has lapsed, was withdrawn or never existed, with dates and what happened, so you can check before you pay a single euro.
Accreditation check
Status on 17 August 2026, checked against the official state register of accredited higher education institutions. Study in Bosnia does not work with any institution on this list and does not place students there.
In Bosnia and Herzegovina a university needs two things to issue valid degrees: a licence from the entity or cantonal ministry of education and a current entry in the state register of accredited higher education institutions. If the accreditation period has ended and no new one has been entered, diplomas issued in that period are routinely rejected for professional licensing, for recognition abroad and for transfer to another university. Always check the register yourself and ask the university for the number and date of its current accreditation decision.
The table shows every university that appears in the state register with an accreditation period that has ended, that was only conditionally accredited and not renewed, or that has formally ceased operating. One institution operates under a university name without any entry in the register. Click a university below the table for the full story.
| University | City | Accreditation period | Status | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American University in Bosnia and Herzegovina (AUBiH) | Tuzla (also Sarajevo, Banja Luka, Mostar) | 15.08.2007 – 26.11.2021 | Ceased operating | Closed after a state investigation into diploma issuance. No new enrolments possible, diplomas under review. |
| American Northwest University of Health Science and Technology (formerly International University of Goražde; marketed with a Travnik campus) | Goražde | 07.09.2021 – 07.09.2023 (conditional) | Not renewed | Conditional accreditation ended in 2023. Medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and nursing degrees from here are not recognised abroad. |
| Viktoria International University (until 18.08.2023 University of Modern Sciences CKM) | Mostar | 18.02.2020 – 18.08.2025 | Lapsed | No valid accreditation entered since August 2025. |
| University of Business Engineering and Management (PIM) | Banja Luka | 15.08.2007 – 31.12.2025 | Lapsed | No valid accreditation entered since January 2026. |
| Independent University of Banja Luka (Nezavisni univerzitet) | Banja Luka | 15.08.2007 – 01.04.2026 | Lapsed | No valid accreditation entered since April 2026. |
| European University Kallos | Tuzla | 16.08.2022 – 24.07.2026 | Ceased operating | Final decision of 24.07.2026 ends the institution. |
| University FINRA (successor of the College of Finance and Accounting FINRA) | Tuzla | College: 28.04.2021 – 03.03.2025; university: no entry | Not in register | The college ceased operating on merger (03.03.2025). The university itself has no accreditation entry. |
Accreditation in Bosnia and Herzegovina is granted for a fixed period and must be renewed. A lapsed entry can mean that a re-accreditation procedure is still running; it also means that, today, the institution is not on the list of accredited universities. We treat every institution with a lapsed entry as not accredited until the register shows a new period.
AUBiH was the best-known private university in the north-east and advertised double diplomas with a US partner college. That partnership ended in November 2011 after disputes about tuition and payments. In 2020 the university withdrew from its US accreditation, so it could no longer issue US-valid diplomas. In June 2021 the state investigation agency searched the university and arrested its founder; the case concerns forged diplomas, abuse of office and destroyed records, and the indictment was confirmed by the Cantonal Court of Tuzla in July 2023. The university stopped operating and the state register records the end of its accreditation on 26.11.2021.
This is the institution on the list that international students ask us about most often, because it advertises an English-taught MD programme at a low price. The university received only a conditional accreditation in 2021, valid for two years, and the register shows nothing after 07.09.2023. Its predecessor, the International University of Goražde, is at the centre of a criminal case about fake diplomas in which the former rector and collaborators were arrested.
On 3 November 2025 the Italian Ministry of University and Research informed all Italian rectors that the institution, including its new name, is not accredited in Bosnia and Herzegovina and that its degrees have no legal value in Italy: graduates cannot register with professional chambers, continue studies or have the degree recognised. Other recognition offices in the EU apply the same logic, because a degree can only be recognised if the issuing institution is accredited in its home country.
The university was accredited for a single five-and-a-half-year period and renamed itself two years before that period ran out. Since August 2025 it has had no valid accreditation entry. Students enrolled after that date carry the full risk that their degree will not be entered as a degree from an accredited institution.
PIM was one of the first private universities in the Republic of Srpska and was accredited continuously from 2007. The last accreditation period ended on 31 December 2025 and the register shows no renewal. Until a new period appears, we do not recommend enrolling or transferring here.
The Independent University of Banja Luka held accreditation from 2007 until 1 April 2026. Since then the register has shown no new period. The gap may close if a re-accreditation decision is entered; until that happens, a degree started now carries the risk of being issued by a non-accredited institution. Ask the university for the current decision number before you pay any fee.
Kallos was accredited in 2022 and is recorded in the register as having ceased operating in July 2026. There are no new enrolments. Students who were enrolled should clarify with the cantonal ministry of education how their records and credits are transferred.
The accredited College of Finance and Accounting FINRA was merged into a newly founded University FINRA in March 2025. The college's accreditation ended with the merger, and the new university has not yet been entered in the register. The institution may be licensed by the cantonal ministry and may be in an accreditation procedure, but as of August 2026 it is not an accredited university. Degrees issued in the meantime are issued by a non-accredited institution.
Colleges issue bachelor-level degrees only. These entries in the state register have ended or the institution has ceased operating:
| College | City | Accreditation period | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| College of Applied and Legal Sciences "Prometej" | Banja Luka | 18.04.2016 – 19.10.2024 | Ceased operating (14.03.2025) |
| American School of Economics | Sarajevo | 26.12.2017 – 26.12.2022 | Ceased operating (11.12.2023) |
| College of Computing and Business Communications eMPIRICA | Brčko | 22.07.2021 – 22.07.2025 | Lapsed |
| College of Tourism and Management Konjic | Konjic | 16.05.2022 – 16.05.2024 (conditional) | Not renewed |
| Communication College "Kapa Fi" | Banja Luka | 15.08.2007 – 19.03.2021 | Ceased operating (04.08.2021) |
| College "Primus" | Gradiška | 15.08.2007 – 18.11.2020 | Ceased operating (18.11.2020) |
The state register of accredited higher education institutions is public and updated several times a year. Search for the exact legal name of the university and read the end date of the current accreditation period. If the date is in the past or the name is missing, stop.
Institutional accreditation covers the university. Since 2023 study programmes are accredited separately as well. Ask whether your programme (for example Medicine in English) has its own accreditation decision and request the number and date.
Every university needs a licence (dozvola za rad) from the entity ministry (Republic of Srpska) or the cantonal ministry (Federation). A serious university sends you a copy within a day.
These words are not protected. An institution with a US partner office or a campus abroad is still a Bosnian institution and needs Bosnian accreditation. A foreign partner never replaces it.
Ask the recognition authority in your country whether degrees from the institution are recognised. For regulated professions such as medicine, dentistry and pharmacy, also ask the professional chamber.
Degrees "in a few months", admission without any school-leaving certificate, payments to private accounts, agents who promise a diploma rather than a study place, no physical faculty you can visit.
Search the public state register of accredited higher education institutions for the university's exact legal name and check the end date of its current accreditation period. All 21 universities in our university finder hold valid state accreditation as of 17 August 2026. Study in Bosnia checks the register again before every placement.
As of 17 August 2026 the following universities have no valid accreditation: American University in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Tuzla, ceased operating), American Northwest University of Health Science and Technology (Goražde, conditional accreditation expired 2023), Viktoria International University / CKM (Mostar, lapsed 2025), University of Business Engineering and Management (Banja Luka, lapsed 2025), Independent University of Banja Luka (lapsed April 2026), European University Kallos (Tuzla, ceased operating 2026) and University FINRA (Tuzla, no entry).
No. Recognition offices in the EU, the UK, the USA, Canada and the Gulf states recognise a foreign degree only if the issuing institution is accredited in its home country. The Italian Ministry of University and Research stated this explicitly for the University of Goražde in November 2025: its degrees have no legal value in Italy. For regulated professions such as medicine or dentistry, a non-accredited degree cannot lead to a licence anywhere.
The ministry of education usually orders the transfer of enrolled students to an accredited institution with the same or a similar programme, and credits already earned during the accredited period are normally recognised. Credits earned after the accreditation ended are the problem. If you are in this situation, contact us: we check which accredited university in Bosnia and Herzegovina can take you and handle the transfer.
Yes. English-taught Medicine is offered by the public universities in Foča (University of East Sarajevo), Sarajevo, Banja Luka and Mostar, and by private SSST in Sarajevo. All of them appear in the state register with valid accreditation. Tuition starts at €2,500 per year in Foča.
No. We place students only at universities with a valid entry in the state register, and we re-check the register before every application. If a university's accreditation lapses, we remove it from our finder, as we did with the institutions above.
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Last updated: 20 October 2026 · Study in Bosnia editorial team
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