New Visa Requirements for U.S. CitizensThe Bolivian government changed the visa requirements for U.S. citizens traveling to Bolivia and you must now apply for either a tourist visa or a special purpose visa to enter Bolivia. The difference is that you can use a tourist visa if you plan to visit only. But if you plan to live and/or work in Bolivia, you need a different type of authorization to enter the country called a special purpose visa. The tourist visa is valid for 5 full years and you may enter and leave the country several times a year, as long as you don't stay more than a total of 90 days, summed between all your trips. The Bolivian government WILL NOT EXTEND this 90-day option except under very special circumstances, so it is important you be very certain which type of visa you plan to travel on. If you apply for your tourist visa (Visa de Turista) before you travel, the cost is $100. If for some reason you do not apply in advance, and you show up at any Bolivian border station, they will not turn you away. They will simply charge you $135 dollars for the tourist visa instead of $100 - so it is possible to get a visa during your travels through other countries. The special purpose visa is the option you will choose if you are planning to reside in Bolivia for a length of time greater than 90 days per year AND you plan to work here, do business, or get an education here. This visa is only valid for 30 days stay. This means that once you arrive in Bolivia you have 30 days only to initiate your application for residency. But, because applying for residency can take a long time because there are a LOT of different procedures you must follow and documents you must attach to your request, the Bolivian government DOES EXTEND or RENEW this visa to give you more time to complete your residency application process. This special purpose visa (Visa de Objeto Determinado) costs only $85. When you begin planning your travel date, take into account that you should apply for your travel visa several weeks in advance. You will be required to mail your passport and other requirements to a Bolivian Consulate near you. They will affix the visa stamp to your passport and mail it back to you. This can take anywhere from 2 to 6 weeks. They suggest on their website that you initiate this procedure 6 weeks in advance of your travel date. In either case, everyone over 12 months of age must have a Yellow Fever shot before entering Bolivia. This is one of the reasons it may be a better option to apply for your visa in advance of your travel. If you show up at the border and request a visa and don't have your yellow fever shot certificate, chances are you will not be allowed into the country. the Bolivian Consulate in Washington DC English Website It is complete with links to the application forms you must print and fill out, pricing, and other documentation you must mail in. A few personal pointers on thisNote 1: when you mail your visa in to a Bolivian consulate in the United States, you must also include a self-addressed stamped envelope for them to return your passport to you. I prefer not to do this. I called them (they won't call you) several times to find out when my visa was ready and when it was, I sent Fedex to pick it up at their office and mail it back to me. I didn't want to risk my passport getting lost in the mail.Note 2: depending where you live in the United States, it can take WEEKS to get a yellow fever shot because it's not something that is always standard or readily available in some states so take that into account. Note 3: Bolivia has consulates in several major U.S. cities (Houston, Los Angeles, Washington D.C. etc.) but I found it easier and much FASTER to just use the D.C. consulate (even though I was in California). Their personnel were much more knowledgeable, spoke English very well, and were actually pleasant!
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