Bolivia

Passport validity requirements

To enter Bolivia, your passport should have an ‘expiry date’ at least 6 months after the date you arrive and at least two blank pages. 

Check with your travel provider that your passport and other travel documents meet requirements. Renew your passport if you need to. 

You will be denied entry if you do not have a valid travel document or try to use a passport that has been reported lost or stolen.

Dual nationals

When returning to the UK, British citizens must carry a valid British passport or certificate of entitlement. See Dual Citizenship.

Checks at border control

You may need to show proof of your accommodation, for example, a hotel or hostel booking and its address, at least for your first night in Bolivia. 

Make sure you get your passport stamped.

Make sure you get an entry stamp when you arrive in Bolivia, otherwise you’ll have to pay a fine when you leave.

If you enter Bolivia overland, make sure you get your passport stamped on both sides of the border, with an exit stamp from the country you are leaving and an entry stamp on the Bolivian side.

Bolivia no longer stamps passports on the border with Argentina, but you must register your exit with Argentina’s immigration authorities (in Spanish) who pass the information to Bolivian immigration.

The British Embassy cannot intervene in immigration issues.

Visa requirements

You can visit Bolivia for up to 90 days without a visa. Border officials issue 30-day stamps, but you can stay for 90 days without any new stamp.

As a tourist, you get 90 days of visa-free travel in a one-year period. If you want to stay longer, check with the Bolivian Embassy in the UK (in Spanish) or the Department of Immigration (in Spanish).

To work or study, for business travel or for other reasons, you must meet the Bolivian government’s entry requirements (in Spanish). Requirements include a police criminal record certificate from the UK, which you can get from the ACRO Criminal Records Office. If you need any documents from the UK, get them translated into Spanish and legalised by the Legalisation Office.

Travelling with children

If only one parent or legal guardian is travelling with a child, you cannot visit Bolivia for longer than 90 days. If you stay for more than 90 days, the child will need a judicial permit to leave Bolivia with only one parent.

Vaccine requirements

To enter Bolivia, you must have a certificate to prove you’ve had a yellow fever vaccination if you’re coming from a country listed as a transmission risk.

For full details about medical entry requirements and recommended vaccinations, see TravelHealthPro’s Bolivia guide.   

Customs rules

There are strict rules about goods you can take into or out of Bolivia (in Spanish). You must declare anything that may be prohibited or subject to tax or duty. You should declare through Bolivia’s 250 declaration form (link only works in Bolivia).

Customs rules

There are strict rules about goods you can take into or out of Bolivia (in Spanish). You must declare anything that may be prohibited or subject to tax or duty. You should declare through Bolivia’s 250 declaration form (link only works in Bolivia).

Emergency services in Bolivia

Ambulance: 118

Police: 110

Fire: 119

Contact your travel provider and insurer

Contact your travel provider and your insurer if you are involved in a serious incident or emergency abroad. They will tell you if they can help and what you need to do.

Refunds and changes to travel

For refunds or changes to travel, contact your travel provider. You may also be able to make a claim through insurance. However, insurers usually require you to talk to your travel provider first.

Find out more about changing or cancelling travel plans, including:

• where to get advice if you are in a dispute with a provider
• how to access previous versions of travel advice to support a claim

Support from FCDO

FCDO has guidance on staying safe and what to do if you need help or support abroad, including:

• finding English-speaking lawyers, funeral directors and translators and interpreters in Bolivia
• dealing with a death in Bolivia
• being arrested or imprisoned in Bolivia
• getting help if you’re a victim of crime
• what to do if you’re in hospital
• if you’re affected by a crisis, such as a terrorist attack

Contacting FCDO  

Help abroad   

See how to get help from the UK government abroad including in an emergency.  

Help in the UK   

You can call FCDO in London if you need urgent help because something has happened to a friend or relative abroad.   

Telephone: 020 7008 5000 (24 hours)   

Find out about call charges 

Get travel advice updates   

Sign up to get email notifications when this travel advice is updated.   

Follow FCDO:  

• travel advice on X 

• travel advice on Facebook

Risk information for British companies

The Overseas Business Risk service offers information and advice for British companies operating in Bolivia on how to manage political, economic, and business security-related risks.

Areas where FCDO advises against travel   

FCDO advises against all but essential travel to the Chapare region of Cochabamba Department including Villa Tunari and highway routes 4 and 24 that pass through Chapare.  

Find out more about why FCDO advises against travel. 

State of Emergency

A State of Emergency has been declared in Bolivia, giving police and armed forces powers to remove roadblocks, disrupt protests and detain those not complying with the new measures for up to 8 hours without charge. Follow the advice of local authorities, be wary of unverified or unofficial information, stay alert and keep away from protests and roadblocks.

Protests and roadblocks

Do not try to cross roadblocks. The situation has the potential to deteriorate without warning. Allow extra time to reach your destination and make sure you are ready to change your plans quickly if needed.

Any British national who requires urgent consular assistance, should contact us by phone on +44 (0)20 7008 5000, selecting the option: ‘Consular services for British nationals’. If you are in Bolivia and using a phone with a local SIM, please call 2-2010020.  

Travel by Road 

Check road status updates from the Bolivian road authority (available inside Bolivia only) to see which roads are blocked. 

If you purchase a bus ticket ‘condicionado’ it means the bus company may not be able to guarantee arrival to your destination.

Before you travel

No travel can be guaranteed safe. Read all the advice in this guide. You may also find it helpful to: 

• see general advice for women travellers
• read our guide on disability and travel abroad
• see general advice for LGBT+ travellers
• read about safety for solo and independent travel
• see advice on volunteering and adventure travel abroad

Travel insurance

If you choose to travel, research your destinations and get appropriate travel insurance. Insurance should cover your itinerary, planned activities and expenses in an emergency.

About FCDO travel advice

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) provides advice about risks of travel to help you make informed decisions. Find out more about FCDO travel advice. Get travel advice updates 

Sign up to get email notifications when this travel advice is updated.  

Follow FCDO:    

• travel advice on X 

• travel advice on Facebook 

• Travel Aware on Instagram

Laws and cultural differences

Personal ID

Police and immigration officials sometimes carry out ID checks. Carry copies of the photo page from your passport and the Bolivian entry stamps. Leave the original document in a safe place.

Illegal bars

There are illegal bars in Bolivia. If the police find you at one, you may be detained for questioning, particularly if drugs are found at the premises. Legal bars close at 3am.

Illegal drugs and prison sentences

Bolivia is the world’s third largest producer of cocaine. There are harsh penalties for those caught trafficking or in possession of drugs. The minimum sentence is 8 years and prison conditions are very poor. Never leave luggage unattended when departing the country and avoid any contact with illegal drugs. Under Bolivian law carrying any amount of illegal drugs or substances is considered drug trafficking.  

All passengers on departing international flights from Bolivia will have their hold and hand baggage searched by the Police Narcotics Division, and this will include a search of your person and your bags by a sniffer dog.

Ayahuasca ceremonies

Ayahuasca is a traditional plant used in ‘spiritual cleansing’ ceremonies by indigenous communities in Bolivia, primarily in the Amazon region, but also near La Paz. At these ceremonies people consume a brew containing dimethyltryptamine (DMT), a hallucinogenic drug that is a class A substance in the UK. It is not illegal to consume this brew, but its interaction with existing medical conditions is not well understood. People have suffered serious illnesses and in some cases death after consuming it. Some Ayahuasca retreats are in remote areas, making it difficult to get medical help.

Using cameras and binoculars in remote areas

Be careful travelling with cameras and binoculars in remote areas, particularly in coca-growing areas such as the Chapare and the Yungas, where people can be suspicious of anyone taking photographs. 

Check before taking photographs of local people.

LGBT+ travellers

Same-sex sexual activity is not illegal. However, same-sex relationships are frowned on by many Bolivians, more so in the Altiplano than in Santa Cruz, where attitudes tend to be more liberal.

Read more advice for LGBT+ travellers.