Bosnian Truck Drivers Block Borders Over EU Visa Rules

Bosnian truck drivers blocked two freight terminals on Monday at the country’s border with EU member Croatia, protesting new visa rules that limit their time in the bloc.

Since October, the European Union has been implementing its long-delayed Entry/Exit System (EES), which drivers in the Balkans call “discriminatory” because it subjects them to the same 90-days-in-180 rule applied to tourists.

“Our work has been made administratively impossible,” Hidajet Muratovic, one of the protest organizers, told AFP at Orasje, one of the blocked terminals.

The full rollout of the system is scheduled for April 10, leading to stricter border checks. Many truck drivers are now being turned back at the Croatian border, which Bosnia shares and which joined the EU in 2013.

On Monday, drivers blocked terminals at Orasje and Svilaj. At Gradiska, another major crossing, police prevented trucks from blocking the terminal, AFP reported. Muratovic said, “We will not give up until we receive concrete solutions, not just empty promises.”

This protest follows earlier blockades across the Balkans. In late January, hundreds of truck drivers from Bosnia, Serbia, Montenegro, and North Macedonia staged multi-day blockades at several terminals to protest the EES rollout. Those blockades were lifted after talks in Brussels were announced, but no decisions have been reached so far.

Truck drivers in Serbia have postponed new blockades until April 10, when the EES rules are scheduled to come fully into effect.

The protests highlight the economic stakes for Balkan countries, where road transport accounts for a significant portion of trade. According to the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, Balkan economies lost around 100 million euros ($115 million) per day in goods exports during the January blockades.

EU data shows that the bloc is the Balkans’ largest trading partner, responsible for more than 60 percent of the region’s total trade, most of it transported by road. Trade in goods between the EU and the Balkans exceeded 83 billion euros in 2024. In Bosnia alone, 93 percent of trade moves by road, making the border delays particularly costly for businesses.

The EES is intended to enhance border security and improve the monitoring of travelers entering and exiting the EU. However, Balkan drivers argue that the rules unfairly restrict their work mobility, as commercial transport requires frequent and extended stays in EU countries.

The unfolding situation underscores the challenges for both Balkan governments and the EU in balancing border security measures with the economic realities of regional trade, which relies heavily on cross-border road transport.