At the border we (Dutch) get a 1 or 3-month visa (depending on border and official’s mood), free of charge. Since the issue of needing a visa depends on the country you come from, please check your own requirements (more info on the subject of visa on Wikipedia).
We succeeded in extending our visa up to 90 days is possible at the Migraciones in La Paz (free of charge, 2010) and Cochabamba (2013). The Migraciones in Cochabamba is situated on El Prado, downtown (GPS Waypoint: -17.38456, -66.15767).
Travel Guides for Bolivia
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There is a (very old) Bolivian law stating that holders of a tourist visa can stay in the country only for a maximum of 90 days over a 12-month period. Point is, you never know if the law is enforced when you are there. In April 2010 the law was retightened. Until then it was easy to leave the country and re-enter it with a new visa. Suddenly, we could stay only 90 days per year in Bolivia.
Locals told us this happens all the time: some years they are strict about the rules, then suddenly somebody decides to be more lenient again. So, sorry, you’ll have to wait and be there to figure out what your possibilities are.
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The Bolivia Visas We Obtained at the Border
- Aug 2007, Paraguay – Bolivia (via Chaco Highway): 1-month visa, free of charge.
- Nov 2008, Chili (San Pedro de Atacama) – Bolivia Sud Lipez province: 1-month visa for 21 bolivianos pp.
- Dec 2009, Brazil – Bolivia (Guayaramerím): 3-month visa free of charge.
- Jan 2010, Chile – Bolivia (Ollagüe): 3-month visa for 21 bolivianos pp.
- June 2010, Airport La Paz: I got 3 months, Coen got 1 month. Don’t even try to figure out the logic of that one.
- Jan 2013, Brazil (Corumbá) – Bolivia, Arroyo Concepción: 1-month visa free of charge.
This information may be outdated. What are your experiences? Please share them with us in the comments below so other travelers can benefit from them as well. Thanks.
Other practical topics on Bolivia: Gas Stations, Money Matters, our Travel Budget, Car papers, Workshops.
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