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Bolivia visa for Indians

Bolivia visa for Indians

The visa for Bolivia was the easiest one to get in all my travels around the world. (well save for those countries that do not require a visa at all)

We applied for my visa to Bolivia in Cusco, Peru. Normally when you apply for a visa outside your country of residence you need to go through hell and high water just to prove that you’re not up to something funny. Not with the Bolivians, they get a A+ for being really cool! The process itself was really simple.

 

We called the consulate in Cusco and were told to bring along the following documents:

- Passport + 1 copy of the front and back
- 1 Passport size photograph
- An itinerary for travel within Bolivia (basically a word document that I wrote about when and where we are planning to go)
- A copy of a credit card
- Hotel reservations for the first point of stay in Bolivia (only for the first place we would be visiting)

 

Excellent! So armed with all these documents, we headed to the consulate in Cusco. We took a 4 sole (~ USD 1.5) taxi ride to the consulate. The lady at the reception was really nice and asked me to fill out some forms while she went inside with my passport. I wasn’t done filling the forms by the time she got back, but the visa was already stamped in my passport!

How nice! The visa for Bolivia is free for Indian citizens and I got a 30 day visa in less than 5 minutes! Excellent! Can’t wait to see the Salar de Uyuni! Bolivia, HERE WE COME! :)

Note: It is also possible for Indians to get visa on arrival at La Paz airport. We had spoken to the airport officials in March 2012 and were informed that the visa on arrival costs USD 55. However, since we were doing a land crossing we decided to get the visa in advance as it is free and takes barely 5 minutes to get.


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63 Comments

  • Wow, you’re going to the salt desert? please take a lot of photos and make a lot of videos!!!

  • Veronica Says

    Did you meet the Consul? He has been my coolest experience with authorities so far! He was in a good, friendly mood and made me watch a video about tourism in Bolivia while he was taking care of my visa :)

  • hi i am a bangladeshi so i want a tourist visa in bolivia

  • Deepa J Says

    Cool. Got it !! I posted on the other thread asking about the Bolivia visa.

  • VINOD GOYAL Says

    Can we get Chile Visa in Bolivia.

  • Pawar Says

    I am planning to travel to Bolivia I’m from India how to get visa please do assist me…

    • Zara Says

      Hi Pawar! All the details are in the article above. It’s pretty easy to get a visa.. no worries!

  • Kedar Says

    Hey,
    Me and my friends are going for the World Cup in Brazil next year in June.
    We would be going to Peru (Lima/Cusco), spending a 3-4 days there and then from there would be heading to Bolivia (most probabloy land crossing).
    What I need to know is whether we can obtain the Bolivian Visa in those 3-4 days we are there (or hopefully within a day) or should I apply for it in India itself.
    Thanks and the website looks lovely.. :)

    • Ashray Says

      Hi Kedar

      Yes, the visa usually takes a few hours. Mine was done within 15 minutes in Cusco as I mentioned in the article. Alternately you can always fly into La Paz airport and get visa on arrival. Enjoy the world cup!

  • vishnu Says

    Hey Ashray:

    I carry an Indian passport, and I was looking for some info about Bolivian visa. I talked to the consulate in Canada and they mentioned that indeed the visa is free but I need to get a yellowfever vaccination for which I have to pay about 120$ in Canada, but going through your post it suggests that its easy to get a bolivian visa in Cuzco, as I will be passing through Cuzco doing the Inca trail on my way to La Paz.

    Thanks for the great info.

    cheers,

    Vishnu

    • Parker Says

      Hey, were you able to get the visa at the airport. I was told by the embassy in New York that I would need to get it from the consulate and can’t get it from the airport. I am Indian citizen as well

  • vishnu Says

    Sorry, I forgot to ask one thing.

    Copy of the credit card?

    • Ashray Says

      Hi Vishnu

      Yeah, the bolivia visa in Cusco was absolutely painless as I described in the article. Copy of the credit card just means a photocopy. It’s sort of like “proof of financial ability”.

  • vishnu Says

    thanks Ashray

  • sid Says

    I was brought to this page while trying to figure out the Bolivian visa requirements for Indians but couldn’t help exploring more. I found your website really interesting. All the best for your future travels :)

  • Shweta Says

    Hi,

    Need urgent information.. Does anyone know what is the working hours for the Bolivia embassy at Cusco? Are the open on saturday? Thanks very much.

    • Zara Says

      Hi Shweta. We do not know.
      But here’s their phone Nr to ask directly: +518-423-1845
      Good luck!

      • saadat Says

        Hiii zara I m saadat from india I want to visit bolivia nd then visit to peru for seeing places wht is the process for it? Can I get arrival time ?

  • Kashif Says

    Is Bolivia Safe country for Indian/Foreigners? I have got a 1 year contract to work in Bolivia. I am planning to also get my wife with me. Is it safe for my family?

    • Zara Says

      Hi Kashif,
      Congrats on your job in Bolivia!
      We felt generally safe in Bolivia, but we have never lived there long-term, so maybe we’re not the best people to advice on relocating there. But we did have a positive and comfortable experience traveling around, if that’s of any help.

  • Rahul Says

    Hi Zara,Hope you are good. I am in chile since a year and got RUT card(identification card).based on this card, all finance related and things happen here. Do I further require a visa to go for Bolivia?

    • Zara Says

      Hi Rahul,
      In theory you do not need a visa when flying to Bolivia, only if you arrive by land. In any case, I don’t know about the specifics of the RUT, so it’s better to check with the Consulate in Santiago, just to make sure. Enjoy your trip!

  • Archana Says

    Hi, pardon my confusion here. But I thought Bolivia provides Visa on Arrival for Indian citizens. Is that only in case of arrival by air through La Paz airport or can it be availed just at any border crossing? WikiTravel says that Indians do NOT need a visa to enter Bolivia(could alternately mean Visa on Arrival) to stay upto 90 days. And then there is some conflicting information about “Group 2″ countries in other sites. Help!

    • Zara Says

      Hi Archana,
      As far as we know, the visa on arrival applies only when you arrive by air. If you cross into Bolivia by land, you still have to apply for the visa in advance.

  • Syed Says

    Hi..am looking for peru visa..do you guys know any travel agent who can get me a visa..i tried for visa with one agent here in India but got rejected..

    • baljit Says

      hi syed may i know wat kind of paper u submitted at peru embssy..after that i giv u som advise…

  • Hi zara you giving nice information about bolivia . I actually intersted to visit in bolivia . Am indian passport holder . Do i need any docunent like .bank balance statenent ect . What is yellow fever .

    • Zara Says

      Hi Gurpal,
      As far as we know, you do not need to present a bank balance statement to get a visa to Bolivia. But it’s already been 2 years since Ashray got his visa, so I suggest you check with your local consulate.
      Yellow Fever is a disease and, to enter some countries, you may need to have a certificate that proves that you have a vacination against it.
      All the best!

      • Immax Says

        Hai zara i wnt know about visa. I m indian if i come to bolivea in vist visa ass possibel to make rasedance or work visa

  • PRATHIMA Says

    Hi Ashray and Zara,

    Thank you for your helpful post about the Bolivian visa. Is a Yellow Fever vaccination certificate needed for entry into Bolivia?

    Happy Travels and Many Thanks

  • farooq Says

    V intresting info

  • Hey i m indian citizen…i want a plain to go bolivia as a tourist so which airport i will go in bolivia and tell me any special requirments for visa on arrival…

  • manu prathapan Says

    i am planing to travel to bolivia for visit in june 2 wat all formalities is tre ,,, and wat proof i wanna to give to got visa ,me from india tankz i am waiting for ypur feedback

  • Mr. Suhi Says

    Hi, i am Indian and i wanna come Bolivia for tourism purpose, any one can help me how can i get visa and which documents we required ?

  • manjit Singh uppal Says

    Hello I am living in Bolivia from last 8 month recently I got residence . I want to invite 2 guy to bolivia . Because I m opening my bussiness over here . Please tell how can I invite to them thanks

    • gurpreetsingh Says

      yaar bolivia which kithe ho?i m living in carrabean country trinidad and tobago,yaar je mai ana hove tan dason workpermit hojuga,,,my number 18683862767

    • Suresh Says

      Hi i am interested in getting residency in Bolivia, i am a Indian Citizen living in India. i am planning to settle in Bolivia can you please give me more information on Bolivia residency how to apply.

  • SURAJ SREEKANTA Says

    Hi guys,
    Thanks for all the information on this website. Really helpful. We are planning to fly in to Peru and then, cross over to Bolivia by road for a week and a half. Then, we plan to cross back into Peru on road before we fly out of Peru back home. But I just realized Peru gives only a single entry visa. But we will be entering Peru twice once by flight to begin our trip and then, from Bolivia. So, is this not possible to do? How does this work? Thanks in advance for all the info.

    Thanks,
    Suraj

  • David Says

    Hi guys – I am an Indian citizen and travelling to Miami via Santa Cruz (VVI) airport in Bolivia. I have a 16 hr layover in VVI airport so was wondering if I could get a visa on arrival at Santa Cruz airport to explore the city for a few hours before I hit the sack.
    Also is it worth exploring with this little time in hand?

    Regards,
    David

  • om Says

    I am NEPALESE. And I want visa for. Bolivia. I so many time wrote e mail embassy but embassy not Answer to me. So please help me getting visa.

  • pintu Says

    Can I get work visa In bolivia? I m indian.

  • Anju Says

    Hi !
    I am from india.have indian passport.till date not any visa stamp on my indian passport. This time i m living in india. Not hv been any country. Its necessary usa visa stamp on my passport for getting bolivia visa on arrival. If not than plz guide me how can i get bolivia visa on arrival.tell me abt necessary documents.so i can carry.
    I am vry confuse abt bolivia visa on arrival for my indian passport. Some consultant said tht you hv to need a visa of usa. Otherwise you cant get bolivia visa on arrival bcoz all flight fly over usa airport. That time you should have a visa of usa.plz guide me. N reply soon. I want to visit bolivia in this november.

    Regards,
    Anju…

  • Kumar Says

    Hi,
    I just picked up my Bolivia visa. The folks at the consulate were extremely nice and processed my visa in two weeks [apparently a high volume right now]. As an Indian national the visa fee was waived though the visa itself is a curiosity – single entry, valid for 30 days from date of entry. The sticker itself is 2/3 the size of the regular visa stickers and they affixed it on the page behind my Peru visa [maybe to save pages?]. Anyway I wish it was Multiple entry and valid for a slightly longer period – 6 months would have been great. I presume the visa itself is valid in perpetuity. Now onwards to Copacabana!

  • SEWA RAM KHATRI Says

    I AM GOING TO BOLIVIA NEXT MONTH. AND WILL MY FIRST TRIP ABROAD. WHICH DOCUMENTS HAVE TO PRESENT AT THE AIRPORT. ONLY WITH RESERVATION BACK I CAN ENTER. NOT EVEN KNOW HOW MANY DAYS I will BE. IF ONE OR 2 sera WEEK, SO JUST WANT TO GO WITH RESERVE FOR US NOT NEED TO PAY FOR CHANGE
      DATE.

  • hi.shinny Says

    Can you please tell me the procese for temporary residence in bolivia .as i m going there as a tourist…
    Thanks

  • bharatsriv Says

    Thanks Guys for the great Info. I stayed in south America for more than a month and the info provided in this travelogue by Ashray & Zara is amazing.

    I frequented this website a lot to get the answer about ‘DO INDIAN PASSPORT HOLDERS have VISA on ARRIVAL’ facility @ La Paz Airport…finally getting a lot of conflicting answers @ Internet , I took the chance and arrived @ la Paz without having applied VISA in advance..

    and Guess what , the good news is , that they do have VISA on ARRIVAL for Indians.

    Availed the facility @ 27th Dec 2015 …so Guys Pack your bags and explore Bolivia.

    Cheerios

    Bharat @ Dar Ba Dar

  • Sanjana Sarkar Says

    Hello guys

    I just wanted to know if I can chat with you both once about some travel plans I have for this summer. I am a bit confused about a couple of things and since both of you have amazing tips to share, I was wondering what is the best way to be in touch with you both? I am planning to go to France and then to Bolivia and Chile in July-September with my boyfriend who is French. I am of course Indian and have a million obstacles to cross on the way to getting a few visas. It would be great if you can share you email id so I can ask you a couple of things! Thank you so much for your help! Sanjana

  • Hi, could you advise me any information about Bolivia visa for Vietnamese? Any response is highly appreciated.

  • gyani Says

    Hi to everyone,
    I m Gyani I m an Indian citizen
    I m an expect in Malaysia. Last year I applied for brazil tourist visa, I provided all required documents even though they rejected my visa. Now I m planning to go Bolivia and from there hoping brazil embassy will give visa. How far is it possible that they give visa. I have my marriage in brazil I m running out of time . Looking forward help from somone thanking you in advance

  • Rahul Says

    Gyani..Did u apply for ur Brazil visa from India or Malaysia? And what are the documents you have submitted

  • The process for Bolivian visa has changed slightly now. The submission has to be online now.
    They still issue the visa from any consulate in world. Turnaround time is 24 hours. I applied and got it in Rio. And yes it is still free of cost if applied at a consulate.

  • Bharat Solanki Says

    I want to go Bolivia country from India… It’s on arrival visa?

  • MUNAWAR AHMED Says

    I want to know iam in india and citizen of india so i want to travel to boilivia in coming next month on tourist visa so its better to apply online in india to bolivian embassy rather than taking visa on arrival and i want to know the requirements of applying tourist visa to bolivia from india for indian citizen.

  • Rajendraprasad S Padhi Says

    Hello
    Good day.
    We are from India. Just 3 days back we received the Bolivian specific purpose visa from the Bolivian embassy in New Delhi.
    The Visa was issued on 18th November 2019 and on the Visa document in the Validity section the following words are printed: 
    ” Visa valid for 180 Dias/Days. A partir de su ingreso al pais/ After entry to Bolivia.

    At the time of handing over the visa, the embassy staff informed us that we have to enter Bolivia before 15th November 2019.

    We are confused as to why they are insisting on this deadline to enter bolivia when no such thing is mentioned in the Visa document?
    The embassy staff in India were very professional 

    My Bolivia friend had talked with a few people in Bolivia and they said there should be any such short deadline condition. 

      Can you help me understand if there is any such deadline?  

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