If you are a U.S. citizen seeking to enter Bolivia as a tourist, you must have an entry visa.  You can apply for a Bolivian tourist visa by mail or in person at Bolivian consulates in the U.S., as well as at Bolivian ports of entry, such as at Bolivia’s international airports and at land border crossings.  Bolivian tourist visas are valid for five years from the date of issuance and allow the bearer to enter the country three times in a year for a cumulative stay of not more than ninety days.  The tourist visa costs $135.00.  You can pay the $135.00 fee in cash, by deposit to the Bolivian Consulate’s bank account, or by money order.

To apply for a Bolivian tourist visa by mail or in person at Bolivian consulates in the U.S., you may pay the $135.00 fee in cash, by deposit to the Bolivian Consulate’s bank account, or by money order.  In addition to the $135.00 visa fee, you must present a visa application form with a 4cm x 4cm color photograph, a passport with a validity of not less than 6 months, evidence of a hotel reservation or a letter of invitation in Spanish, proof of economic solvency (credit card, cash, or a current bank statement), and an International Vaccination Certificate for yellow fever.

To apply for your visa upon your arrival to Bolivia, you must pay the visa fee of $135.00 in cash to immigration authorities in Bolivia.  In addition to the $135.00 visa fee, you must present a passport with a validity of not less than 6 months beyond the date of your proposed entry, evidence of a hotel reservation or a letter of invitation in Spanish, proof of economic solvency (credit card, cash, or a current bank statement), and an International Vaccination Certificate for yellow fever.  Upon arrival at the airport, you will be given a visa application form which you need to complete.  Please be sure to have the address of where you will be staying in Bolivia handy to complete this application.

Please visit the Embassy of Bolivia web site for the most current visa information.  Bolivian consulates in the United States are located in Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, Oklahoma City, New York, and Washington, DC.

In the event of an unaccompanied minor, he/she must present an official  Parental Authorization and Consent Certificate duly provided by the appropriate authorities.

Procedures For U.S. Citizens who are Bolivians Of Origin

Bolivians of origin who have subsequently acquired U.S. nationality do not need a visa to enter Bolivia, provided that they prove their Bolivian origin with any of the following documents, whether still valid or expired:  Bolivian identification card (“cédula de identidad”), birth certificate, family history book (“libreta de familia”), military service book, Bolivian passport, Unique National Registry (“Registro Unico Nacional” or “RUN”), consular registration identification or even the applicant’s U.S. passport that shows the applicant’s place of birth as Bolivia.

Children born in the United States of Bolivian parents, pursuant to article 36 of the Bolivian Political Constitution, are Bolivians by the mere act of settling in the national territory or registering in Bolivian consulates.  For such purpose, the parents of minors up to 12 years old shall appear in person at any Bolivian consular office to proceed with the registration of the birth of the minor, attaching a legalized photocopy of the U.S. birth certificate.

Adolescents older than 12 years or adults regardless of age, who are children of Bolivian parents, and who have not registered their birth in a consulate, may not avail themselves of the above benefit.  Law N. 2616 of December 18, 2003 establishes that the registry of birth only may be realized through an administrative procedure at the Bolivian National Electoral Court – Bolivian National Civil Registry in Bolivia, after having realized the process of naturalization in Article 36 of the CPE before the National Immigration Service.