Bolivia
Last update 10 March 2025Diplomatic missions
Risk index
Level 2: Increased cauion (Be informed on the current situation in the country beforehand)
2
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Bolivia
Plurinational State of Bolivia
The Republic of Bulgaria does not have a functioning embassy in Bolivia. Bolivia is serviced by the Embassy in Argentina.
Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in Argentina
Address: Sucre 1568, C1428DUT, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
Tel.:+ 54 11 4781 8644; +54 11 4786 6273
Opening hours: Mon – Fri, 09:00 – 17:30
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.mfa.bg/embassies/argentina
Bolivia does not have an Embassy accredited to Bulgaria. The Bolivian authorities advise Bulgarian citizens to contact:
Embassy of Bolivia in Rome, Italy
Address.Via Civitavecchia 1, Rome, Italy
Tel: +39068841001
E-mail: [email protected]
Embassy of Bolivia in Tehran, Iran
Address: 79 Qareh Tapehei St., Kosar Sq., Saadat Abad, Tehran
Tel: +982188686807
E-mail: [email protected]
General information
Specifics of the local legislation:
The Bolivian government imposes harsh penalties on those accused of drug trafficking or possession. The minimum sentence for drug trafficking is 8 years.
Road traffic:
The transport network covers about 68,000 km of roads in a rather poor condition. Few of them are paved and most are dirt roads or roads covered with small gravel. The rail network covers about 3,700 km and Brazil, Argentina, Peru and Chile can be reached by train. However, there are over 1,000 airport terminals for small airplanes in various regions throughout the country. Over 10,000 km of river trade routes in the Amazon, Paraguay-Paraná, and Plata regions are also used.
Practical advice:
Entrance and exit stamps are free, therefore attempts to charge should be met with a polite refusal or request for a receipt.
The passport with the visa must be carried at all times, but it is safer to carry a photocopy rather than the original.
It is best to travel in US dollars as there are sometimes difficulties with the exchange of euros. Currency can be exchanged in ‘casas de cambio’ (currency exchange offices), in some banks in larger cities, in travel agencies and some shops. ‘Cambistas’ (street exchange bureaus) operate in most cities, but they only exchange dollars and you have to watch out for counterfeit banknotes and excessively high fees.
In general, prices are slightly lower in Bolivia than in neighbouring countries, with transport costs being the highest.
Local currency:
The local currency in the Plurinational State of Bolivia is the Bolivian Boliviano (BOB).
Climatic characteristics:
The climate of the country is very diverse: from tropical in the eastern plains to arctic cold in the western Andes. Summers are hot and humid in the east and dry in the west. Major climate changes were triggered by the climatic phenomenon El Niño.
Travel papers and visas
Travel papers and visa requirements
Your passport must be valid for 6 months after the last day of your stay in the country.
A visa application can be made on arrival at the border.
Bulgarian citizens need a visa, except for transit (up to 24 hours). The tourist visa is valid for 30 days but can be extended up to 90 days. To obtain a visa for Bolivia, the following documents are required:
• two passport size photographs;
• completed application form;
• passport with at least 6 months of validity remaining;
• paid fee;
• return airline ticket or itinerary as proof of exit from the country;
• proof of yellow fever vaccination may be required;
• copy of confirmed hotel reservations;
• for visas with a specific purpose: a letter from the relevant company or institution as proof of business intentions and travel dates.
Remark: The rules and required documents change very frequently. Before travelling, it is best to request information from the Bolivian embassies mentioned above.
Immunization documents are required when visiting the tropical part of the country.
Attention!
Your passport must have at least one blank page so that the entry visa can be affixed to it. There should be no other visa stamps on the back of this page other than the border control stamps.
Consular service
Consular services
European Emergency Travel Document:
In case of emergency (lost passport), Bulgarian citizens can seek on-the-spot assistance from a diplomatic mission of an EU Member State to obtain an Emergency Travel Document.
Certifications and legalizations:
In order to be valid in Bulgaria and to be able to serve before the Bulgarian institutions all documents issued by the authorities in Bolivia to Bulgarian citizens must bear the stamp of its Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Then, they need to be certified by the Embassy of Bolivia in Brazil. The signature and certifications of the Embassy of Bolivia in Brazil are certified by the Consular Office of the Embassy of Bulgaria in the capital of Brazil.
Once the documents have been prepared in this way, they must be translated into Bulgarian by an authorized company in Bulgaria and certified by the Department of Certifications and Legalizations with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria.