Rural tourism registration in Republika Srpska: steps, fees, Trebinje offices

This guide is for family farms in East Herzegovina that want to offer guests lodging, food and other services in the countryside. Under the Law on Hospitality (as amended in 2024), such a farm provides services in an "objekat seoskog turizma" (rural tourism facility), which is recorded through a contract with a tourist organisation and categorised by the municipality or city.

In short

• A natural person who is the holder of a family farm and is not registered as an entrepreneur may provide rural services if they sign a contract with a tourist organisation or with a licensed travel agency.
• According to APIF's instructions, the contract must be submitted to APIF (Agencija za posredničke, informatičke i finansijske usluge, the intermediary, IT and financial services agency) within seven days, with a request, proof of ownership and a 40 KM registration fee.
• The rural tourism facility is categorised by the municipality or city where it is located.
• APIF in Trebinje: Kralja Petra Karađorđevića 15, phone 059/220-235, trebinje@apif.net.
• On 24 September 2026 the RS Government adopted a proposal for a new Law on Hospitality. Until it is passed, the 2017 law as amended in 2024 applies.

Who it applies to

The holder of a family farm who, as a natural person without entrepreneur registration, offers lodging and food and drink produced on the farm, plus related services (horse riding, picking mushrooms and medicinal herbs, walking routes, sale of handicrafts and similar). The law provides for guest stays of up to 30 days. If you were entered in the earlier register of rural households, the data was transferred to the new register (Article 52 of the Law), so ask APIF before filing a new request.

What to do

1. Contract. Sign a service contract with a tourist organisation (in Trebinje: Turistička organizacija Grada Trebinja, Jovana Dučića bb, phone 059/273-410) or with a licensed travel agency.
2. APIF. Within seven days of signing, submit to APIF: the contract, the completed request, your ID card and bank account number (shown for inspection), proof of ownership of the property, and payment of 40 KM. APIF issues a confirmation of registration of the contract, that is, a confirmation of entry in the Register of Natural Persons Providing Hospitality Services.
3. Categorisation. Under Article 26 of the Law, categorisation of a rural tourism facility is done by the local self-government unit, and the procedure is set by the Rulebook on the categorisation procedure for hostels and rural tourism facilities (Official Gazette RS no. 17/24). For apartments, the City of Trebinje took requests in 2023 at the Citizens' Service Centre, Vuka Karadžića 2, phone 059/273-460. Before filing, confirm with the City of Trebinje whether the same applies to rural tourism facilities and what the fee is.
4. Facility standards. The facility must meet sanitary, technical and hygiene conditions, and you must have regular health checks (Article 20 of the Law). The conditions are in the Rulebook on conditions for hospitality services in rural tourism facilities (Official Gazette RS no. 15/20).
5. Guest records and the Central Information System. Record guests as required by the Rulebook on the form, content, place and manner of keeping guest records by a natural person providing hospitality services in the countryside (Official Gazette RS no. 105/17). The Law (Article 12a) provides for entering accommodation data into the Central Information System, and the Rulebook on the type and manner of data entry into the Central Information System (Official Gazette RS no. 4/26) sets how. Ask the Ministry of Trade and Tourism or the City of Trebinje how to get access.
6. Taxes and contributions. After registering with APIF, check with the Tax Administration of Republika Srpska (Trebinje regional centre) your obligations on registration, tax and contributions, and with the City of Trebinje your tourist tax obligations.

Deadlines and amounts

• Submitting the contract to APIF: seven days from signing (according to APIF's instructions).
• Registration with APIF: 40 KM (APIF price list for 2026, item 8.1.1). Older guides give 35 KM.
• Check the categorisation fee with the City of Trebinje.

Where to go

• APIF, Trebinje branch: Kralja Petra Karađorđevića 15, 059/220-235.
• Description of the registration procedure on the APIF site
• Subordinate acts in the field of hospitality, Ministry of Trade and Tourism RS

Laws and sources

• Zakon o ugostiteljstvu, amendments (Official Gazette RS no. 1/24): introduces the rural tourism facility, the categorisation duty and the Central Information System
• Zakon o ugostiteljstvu, original text (Official Gazette RS no. 45/17): Articles 19, 20, 26 and 34 in the original 2017 wording; the rules described here follow the consolidated text with the 2024 amendments
• Rulebook on the categorisation procedure for hostels and rural tourism facilities (Official Gazette RS no. 17/24)
• Rulebook on conditions for hospitality services in rural tourism facilities (Official Gazette RS no. 15/20)
• Rulebook on the form, content, place and manner of keeping guest records by a natural person providing hospitality services in the countryside (Official Gazette RS no. 105/17)
• Rulebook on the type and manner of data entry into the Central Information System (Official Gazette RS no. 4/26)
• APIF price list for 2026
• Guide to registration and categorisation of accommodation, Tourist Organisation of the City of Trebinje (2023, unofficial, about apartments)