Bolivia entry requirements

This post is also available in: Español

Bolivia is a wonderful country and more and more travelers are visiting it. It is also home to the largest salt flat in the world. You probably already know what we are talking about: The Salar de Uyuni, which is located very close to the border with Chile. Therefore, to make the tour to the Salar de Uyuni from Chile you have to cross it. For this reason, today we bring you the detailed information about the Bolivia entry requirements that you need. Because, even if it is a tour and then you return to Chile, you have to comply with them.

Mandatory documentation for all travelers entering Bolivia

Regardless of where you are from, you will need to carry these two documents with you in order to cross the border into Bolivia:

• COVID-19 vaccination certificate printed as they will keep a copy. We recommend you to print at least a couple of copies, just in case.
• Affidavit of health to DIGEMIN. You can bring it printed or digital.
• Yellow Fever Vaccine. If you do not carry it, you may be fined between 20 and 40 $).

Although you can take it digitally, we recommend you to take it all printed. You will not be able to print anything at the border.

Here is the direct link to complete the health affidavit. We also leave you a tutorial so you can easily understand how to complete it (It’s in spanish):

Visa to enter Bolivia

Among the Bolivia entry requirements is the Visa, but it is not mandatory for everyone. The home place is classified in diferent groups and each one of them has its own requirements:

• GROUP I: they do not need visa.
• GROUP II: they do need visa, but they do not need previous consultation to the National Service of Migration. So they can process it directly at the Bolivian border with the necessary documents.
• GROUP III: they do need a visa, but they must apply for it from their home country because they require prior consultation with the National Immigration Service. It cannot be processed at the border.

In which group is my country?

As we said, the Bolivia entry requirements depend on your home country. For this reason, here you can see which group your country is in:

GROUP I

The following countries do not need a tourist visa and can freely enter Bolivia.

GROUP III

Group III countries also require a visa and in this case, prior consultation with the National Immigration Service (through the Bolivian consular office or diplomatic mission) is required. For this purpose, it is necessary to carry out the procedure from the home country.

The length of stay in Bolivia for Group III countries is also 30 days. In the case of the United States, the time can be up to 90 days.

Requirements for visa processing at the border (GROUP II)

If your country belongs to group III, you must bring the visa processed from your place of origin. However, as we said before, if you belong to group II, you will be able to process it at the border. To do so, you will need the following documents:

• 3×3 cm photographs
• 1 photocopy of passport
• 1 photocopy of the yellow fever vaccination certificate
• 1 photocopy of your bank statement
• Itinerary of your trip
• Visa form (as we mentioned in the previous section, you can take it if you pick it up at the office in San Pedro de Atacama and you will not have to wait so long at the border).

The visa must be paid in cash in US dollars. Moreover, we recommend you to bring the dollars in perfect condition, since the immigration police are usually a bit… “complicated”. If you follow our advice and arrive with your visa, you will not need any of these documents, only your passport.

It seems like a lot of bureaucracy, but don’t worry, once you understand the paperwork, you will see that the Bolivia entry requirements are not that complicated. We hope this information has helped you to have a better understanding of what you need. Besides, the destination is really worth it, because visiting the Salar de Uyuni is an experience that you have to live at least once in your life.