Getting A Bolivian Tourist Visa At The Border
If you are a US passport holder, you must have a tourist visa (as of June 2023) to enter Bolivia. There are a few options to obtain one: (1) Obtain from the Consulate General’s office of your region (2) Use a travel visa and passport processing service company (3) Obtain it at the border. Connecting with the Consulate General’s office could be challenging, so be sure to be in touch with them before sending your original passport. A visa processing company could not help me as the Consulate General’s office in my region required an in-person meeting (or a video meeting). So, my option was to acquire it at the border.
Here’s What I Did:
Once I realized the only way I could get a tourist visa to Bolivia was to apply for it at the border, I researched the requirements in several ways. They were generally consistent but some details were different. Instead of figuring out the “correct” way, I gathered the maximum number of documents required from various sources.
These are the documents I gathered. These requirements may change and they are different depending on the passport of your citizenship. Be sure to check exactly what you need for your trip: entry requirements
The documents MUST be printed; no digital forms were acceptable. The only original document I handed them was my passport so they could stamp the visa in it. All other documents, including the International Yellow Fever Certificate, were printed. I also color copied just so they are clear.
A printed copy of the complete Affidavit with my signature (Filled out Affidavit online)
Original passport (valid more than six months from my departure date from Bolivia)
A color copy of my passport
Two color passport photos with white background (I prepared 4 per one of the sites, but they only took 2.)
A copy of the International Yellow Fever certificate (I had the original with me, just in case.)
Professionally prepared itinerary with lodging information with clearly described route and departure date; where we are going and staying. I also had my flight schedule to show when I returned to the US.
Bank statements to show my financial solvency to cover the trip (I prepared 6 month statements, the maximum number of months stated in various sites and covered the account number.)
Cash for USD 160. These must be clean bills without scotch tape, scribbles or tears.
I had everything printed and ready to present to the officer at the border along with the cash payment. My Bolivian guide was alongside me throughout the process to ensure all went well. They kept all documents except for the passport with the visa stamp.
So you can obtain a Bolivian tourist visa at the border. I would, however, recommend obtaining it while you are in the US, if possible, to avoid the stresses of unknowns. It was very helpful to have my Bolivian guide with me who are familiar with the system.
