Every way into Bolivia.

Nationals of Group I countries are admitted to Bolivia for tourism without a visa, receiving a transitory stay permit at the port of entry on presentation of a valid passport. The standard tourist admission is up to 90 days per calendar year, which immigration may grant as an initial 30-day period extendable in further periods up to the annual 90-day cap at a Direccion General de Migracion (DIGEMIG) office. As of 1 December 2025 Bolivia moved citizens of the United States, Israel, South Korea, South Africa, Latvia, Estonia and Romania into the visa-free group, ending the previous paid US tourist visa. Tourist status does not authorise paid or self-employed work and does not by itself lead to residence, although a visitor already in Bolivia may apply to DIGEMIG to change status to a temporary residence category.

Processing time

0 days

Max stay

90 days

Validity

90 days

Nationals of Group II countries require a tourist visa to enter Bolivia, obtained at a Bolivian consular section (issued within about 24 hours of a complete application) or, exceptionally, at the first border post for travellers with no nearby Bolivian representation. The visa authorises a 30-day entry for rest or recreation without paid or self-employed activity, and the holder may then process a transitory tourist stay at DIGEMIG for up to two further similar periods, reaching the 90-day annual cap. Group II covers a defined list of mainly Asian and African nationalities; the border-entry fee is commonly USD 52, while consular fees vary by post. Applicants must show purpose, accommodation and economic solvency.

Government fee

$52

Processing time

1 day

Max stay

90 days

Validity

30 days

Nationals of Group III countries require a tourist visa that can be issued only at a Bolivian consulate (never at the airport or border) and only after prior consultation and authorisation from the Direccion General de Migracion (DIGEMIG) in La Paz. This prior clearance typically takes around three weeks. Group III is a short list of nationalities with which Bolivia maintains limited or restricted relations. Once granted, the visa authorises a 30-day tourist entry, extendable in-country up to the 90-day annual cap. The visa does not permit work and does not lead to residence; consular fees vary by post.

Processing time

21 days

Max stay

90 days

Validity

30 days

The transit visa is for foreign nationals passing through Bolivian territory to reach a third-country destination, and is also used by ship captains, pilots and crew. It authorises a short stay of up to 15 days. Applicants must hold a passport valid for at least six months and present tickets evidencing onward travel to the third country. Group I nationals transiting for tourism generally use ordinary visa-free admission instead. The transit visa does not permit work and does not lead to residence; consular fees vary by post.

Max stay

15 days

Validity

15 days

The visa multiple is a one-year, multiple-entry visa for foreign nationals engaging in recurring investment or business activity in Bolivia, allowing repeated entries with stays of up to 90 consecutive days per entry. It is aimed at company representatives, investors and business travellers linked to a Bolivia-registered company or commercial activity. Applicants provide legalised company incorporation documents and, for Bolivia-registered firms, the company tax-ID (NIT). The visa supports business visits, negotiations and oversight of investments but is not in itself a work-and-residence authorisation; foreigners taking up local employment use the specific-purpose visa and a temporary residence permit instead. Consular fees vary by post.

Max stay

90 days

Validity

365 days

The health category of the Visa de Objeto Determinado is for foreigners travelling to Bolivia for specialised medical treatment. The consular visa authorises a 30-day entry, after which the patient regularises status at DIGEMIG; where treatment requires a longer stay, a transitory or temporary residence permit may be granted, in practice up to about 180 days for the medical purpose. Applicants present documentation of the planned treatment from the receiving facility. A medical accompaniment route also exists under the humanitarian visa for a person assisting the patient. Consular fees vary by post.

Processing time

15 days

Max stay

30 days

Validity

30 days

The student visa authorises foreign nationals to enter Bolivia to pursue studies at a primary, secondary or higher-education institution. The consular visa is valid for up to 60 days, within which the student must report to a Direccion General de Migracion (DIGEMIG) office to obtain a one-year student temporary residence, renewable annually until studies are completed. Applicants present an admission or enrolment document from the Bolivian institution (consular-legalised) and a police clearance for applicants aged 16 and over. The visa is for study; incidental work is not its purpose. Consular fees vary by post.

• Study: Full enrolment at the admitting Bolivian institution.
• Residency after 2 years

Processing time

15 days

Max stay

60 days

Validity

60 days

The Visa de Objeto Determinado (specific-purpose visa) is the consular entry visa for foreigners coming to Bolivia for a purpose other than tourism, and the work category covers those who will engage in paid or profit-generating employment. The visa authorises a 30-day entry, during which the holder must report to a Direccion General de Migracion (DIGEMIG) office to regularise status by applying for temporary residence tied to the work activity. Applicants present an employment contract or an invitation letter from the hiring company, a police clearance (age 16+) and proof of economic solvency. This visa is the gateway to a work-based temporary residence permit and, after sustained residence, to permanent residence. Consular fees vary by post.

• Work: Authorises the declared paid work once temporary residence is granted by DIGEMIG.
• Residency after 2 years

Processing time

15 days

Max stay

30 days

Validity

30 days

Bolivia does not operate a separate named pensionado or rentista visa; retirees and people of independent means obtain temporary residence through the specific-purpose (objeto determinado) route, demonstrating stable income or pension. The applicant enters on a specific-purpose visa and then files for temporary residence at the Direccion General de Migracion (DIGEMIG), which may be granted for one or two years and is renewable. Economic solvency is shown by a sworn declaration supported by bank statements or pension documentation; sources commonly cite a modest income threshold (often quoted around USD 300 per month), but DIGEMIG does not publish a single fixed figure, so this is not guaranteed. The procedure fee is 450 UFV (about Bs 1,473 in mid-2026, the UFV being Bolivia's inflation-indexed unit). After roughly two years of continuous temporary residence the holder may apply for permanent residence.

• Study: Residents may study in Bolivia.
• Residency after 2 years
• Family: Spouse and dependent children may apply for derivative residence on the relationship basis.

Government fee

BOB 1,473

Validity

730 days

The family category of the Visa de Objeto Determinado is for foreigners with family ties in Bolivia, including spouses and close relatives of Bolivian nationals or of legally resident foreigners. The consular visa authorises a 30-day entry, after which the holder regularises status at DIGEMIG for a family-based temporary residence permit. Spouses and family members of Bolivian citizens benefit from a facilitated path to residence and, in time, permanent residence. Applicants present civil-status documents (marriage or birth certificates) evidencing the relationship, duly legalised or apostilled and translated into Spanish where needed; economic-solvency proof is not required for the family purpose. Consular fees vary by post.

• Study: Resident family members may study in Bolivia.
• Residency after 2 years
• Family: Designed for spouses and close relatives of Bolivian nationals or resident foreigners.

Processing time

15 days

Max stay

30 days

Validity

30 days

The religious category of the Visa de Objeto Determinado is for missionaries and members of religious associations coming to Bolivia for religious activity. The visa authorises a 30-day entry, after which the holder regularises status at DIGEMIG for a temporary residence permit covering the religious mission. For missionaries of non-Catholic religious associations, the application requires prior approval from the Cults Unit (Unidad de Cultos) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with supporting documentation submitted in advance. Economic solvency through bank statements is not required for the religious purpose. Consular fees vary by post.

• Work: Authorises religious / missionary activity for the sponsoring association once residence is regularised.
• Residency after 2 years

Processing time

15 days

Max stay

30 days

Validity

30 days

The humanitarian visa is granted to people in need of international protection, victims of human trafficking or smuggling, and persons accompanying a patient for medical reasons. It authorises a stay of up to 30 days, within which the holder may regularise status with the Direccion General de Migracion (DIGEMIG) according to the situation. Required documentation depends on the ground: protection seekers and trafficking victims provide evidence of their situation, while a medical companion provides a certificate showing the patient requires accompaniment. The visa is needs-based rather than fee-driven.

Max stay

30 days

Validity

30 days

Under the MERCOSUR Residence Agreement (Brasilia, 6 December 2002), nationals of MERCOSUR member and associate states obtain a two-year temporary residence in Bolivia on the simple basis of nationality, without needing a job offer or specific-purpose visa. Eligible nationalities include Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and others party to the agreement. Applicants present a valid passport, national ID or consular nationality certificate, a criminal-record certificate (not required under 14) and a sworn declaration of no international criminal record before DIGEMIG. The procedure fee is 450 UFV (about Bs 1,473 in mid-2026). The agreement grants broad residence rights including access to work on equal terms, and after the two-year period the holder may convert to MERCOSUR permanent residence.

• Work: MERCOSUR residents enjoy access to work and equal labour rights with nationals.
• Study: Equal access to education.
• Residency after 2 years
• Family: Family members of the MERCOSUR national may obtain residence on the relationship basis.

Government fee

BOB 1,473

Validity

730 days

Permanent residence is granted to foreigners who have completed a continuous qualifying period of temporary residence in Bolivia, generally about two years, and who wish to settle indefinitely. The application is filed with the Direccion General de Migracion (DIGEMIG), typically within the months before the current temporary residence expires, and requires a fresh police clearance and proof of lawful means of living. Permanent residents hold full residence rights, may work, and after a further period of residence (around three years total in Bolivia under the general rule) may qualify to apply for Bolivian naturalisation. Fees are set in UFV (the 450 UFV procedure is about Bs 1,473 in mid-2026); some sources cite a higher all-in cost for the permanent-residence stage.

• Work: Permanent residents may work freely in Bolivia.
• Study: Full access to study.
• Residency: This is permanent residence; naturalisation may be sought after a further qualifying period (about three years of residence under the general rule).
• Family: Family members may hold derivative residence based on the relationship.

Government fee

BOB 1,473

MERCOSUR nationals who have completed a two-year MERCOSUR temporary residence in Bolivia may apply for permanent residence under the MERCOSUR Residence Agreement, normally within the three months before the temporary residence expires. The application requires a valid passport, national ID or consular nationality certificate, a REJAP criminal-record certificate (not required under 14), and documentation of lawful means of living such as an employment contract. The procedure fee is 450 UFV (about Bs 1,473 in mid-2026). Permanent residence confers indefinite settlement and equal treatment with nationals in access to work and education, and can lead to naturalisation after a further qualifying period of residence.

• Work: Equal access to work with Bolivian nationals.
• Study: Equal access to education.
• Residency: This is permanent residence; naturalisation may follow after a further qualifying period of residence.
• Family: Family members may hold derivative residence on the relationship basis.

Government fee

BOB 1,473