Registering a farm in the Republika Srpska farm register: documents, yearly update, subsidies

The Register of Agricultural Holdings in Republika Srpska is kept by the Agencija za posredničke, informatičke i finansijske usluge (APIF, the Agency for Intermediary, IT and Financial Services). This applies to farmers, sole traders and companies doing agricultural production, including farms that add agritourism to their production.

In short

• Entry in the Register of Holdings and the Register of Subsidy Users is free and voluntary, but only registered holdings can receive subsidies.
• A family holding is registered as commercial or non-commercial. The software decides this from your land and livestock data.
• Every year from 1 January to 15 May the holding reports its crops and livestock numbers. Miss it and the holding becomes passive and gets no subsidies until the next update.
• Changes of holder, residence, contact details or bank account must be reported within 30 days.

Who it applies to

• Individuals resident in Republika Srpska (family holdings: the holder and adult members who live and work on the holding).
• Sole traders and legal entities seated in Republika Srpska.
• A holder or member can be entered on one family holding only.

What to do

1. Submit a request to the APIF unit competent for the holder's residence (or the legal entity's seat), on the forms prescribed by the Ministarstvo poljoprivrede, šumarstva i vodoprivrede (Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management).
2. A family holding attaches copies of: ID cards of the holder and members, the property list, possession certificate, lease or concession contract (or other proof of the right to use the land), and a statement that the members belong to the same holding. If an inheritance procedure is unfinished, add the court proof of the pending procedure and a death certificate.
3. A legal entity attaches its registration decision, JIB certificate, the ID of its authorised person and proof of the right to use the land.
4. To receive subsidies you are also entered in the Register of Subsidy Users: attach a bank confirmation of an open transaction account or a bank card (a legal entity may attach a specimen signature card). Subsidies are paid to the account held in the Register.
5. You receive a certificate with your holding number (BPG) and subsidy user number (BK). The commercial or non-commercial status is shown on the certificate.
6. Every year by 15 May report the crops on your parcels and your livestock.

Commercial or non-commercial

A holding is commercial if it reaches at least three production units. Units are calculated by multiplying quantity (hectare, head, hive) by a coefficient from the Pravilnik. Under the 2013 text, for example: cow 1.0 per head, sheep or goat 0.1, bee colony 0.06, natural meadow 0.12 per hectare. There is no age limit for the holder. The coefficients are quoted from the 2013 text and the rulebook was amended in 2023, so check the exact calculation with APIF. The status changes at the holder's request, at most once a year, and through a software check of the conditions during the mandatory yearly update period (by 15 May).

Deadlines and amounts

• Yearly update: 1 January to 15 May.
• Reporting key changes: 30 days.
• Under the Uredba (decree) registration of the holding is free of charge. If you are asked to pay a fee at the counter, ask APIF for the legal basis.
• APIF also keeps a separate Register of natural persons providing rural hospitality services, and of providers of apartments, holiday homes and rooms for rent. That entry is not part of the farm registration and is charged: the 2026 APIF price list shows 40 KM for entry or change of data. Check the amount with APIF.
• The deadlines and conditions in this text follow the original Uredba (Službeni glasnik RS 30/13). The amendments (65/13, 20/14, 57/16) were not checked here, so confirm them with APIF before you apply.

Why registration is the condition for subsidies

The 2026 Pravilnik on cash subsidies gives the right to subsidies to those entered in the Register as commercial or non-commercial holdings. The request goes to the Agencija za agrarna plaćanja (Agency for Agrarian Payments), and the calculation uses the Register data. If the area you declare differs from the registered one, the smaller area is used. A holding in passive status cannot receive subsidies. Passive status is set for false land or livestock data, a disputed right to a parcel, or unmet obligations under contracts for subsidised inputs, loans or leases of state land. A holding passive for more than four years can be deleted.

Where to go

• The APIF unit for your place of residence. List of locations: APIF locations. For East Herzegovina the list includes offices in Trebinje and Bileća.
• Registration of agricultural holdings on the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management page: the Uredba, amendments, forms and APIF locations.
• Register of Agricultural Holdings on the APIF site.
• Agencija za agrarna plaćanja of Republika Srpska, e-mail aaprs.info@mps.vladars.net.

Laws and sources

• Uredba o upisu u Registar poljoprivrednih gazdinstava i Registar korisnika podsticajnih sredstava (Službeni glasnik RS 30/13, 65/13, 20/14 and 57/16), arts. 4 to 27
• Pravilnik o razvrstavanju porodičnih poljoprivrednih gazdinstava na komercijalna i nekomercijalna porodična poljoprivredna gazdinstva (Službeni glasnik RS 89/13 and 8/23)
• Zakon o poljoprivredi (Službeni glasnik RS 70/06, 20/07, 86/07 and 71/09)
• Pravilnik o uslovima i načinu ostvarivanja novčanih podsticaja za razvoj poljoprivrede i sela (Službeni glasnik RS 16/26, 27/26, 52/26, 65/26 and 80/26)
• APIF price list for 2026 (decision of the APIF Management Board of 16.09.2025)