I'm American. Do I need a travel visa to Bolivia?

by Tom C
(Ketchikan, AK)

I'll arrive Lapaz 01/03/2013 for a 12 day tourist trip. Do I need a visa? I'm a USA citizen. What else do I need to know about this trip that includes going by bus to Cuzco, and flying back to Lapaz on Aerosur. Thanks for anyone's feedback, Tom. amhsdeckhand@yahoo.com

Comments for I'm American. Do I need a travel visa to Bolivia?

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Apr 17, 2012
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Tom ,Tourist 01/03/2012
by: Tom ,tourist 01/03/2013

I'm trying to figure out the bus/ train trip to Machu Pechu in Cusco. Does the train not run to the tourist site this time of year? How important is it to make a reservation for bus or train to get up to see the site this time of year? Do I make a online reservation bus? train? now for 01-04-2013?

Apr 15, 2012
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American
by: Tom

So, my understanding so far is that I can get the tourist visa for Bolivia at the Lapaz airport upon arrival. It will cost 135.00 us dollars. The same visa will be good for going up to Cuzco, Peru in seeing the sites there. Or is this incorrect? Still don'nt know if I need a Yellow fever shot on this 9 day tourist trip. And I'll assume that Aurosur plane service will be available from Lapaz to Cuzco Jan.3, 2013. Thanks for anyones info.. Tom

Apr 11, 2012
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how the heck?
by: Anonymous

Are you sure??? By law Americans are allowed only 90 days per year in Bolivia. In fact, they don't even allow us to renew our tourist visas like they do for other countries.

You might want to check. In the US we issue Bolivians tourist visas for 5 years. But that doesn't mean they can move to the US and live there for 5 years. There is a certain number of days they are allowed to stay in the US each one of those 5 years.

Bolivia issues visas on a "reciprocity" basis with each country. This means that whatever another country allows Bolivian citizens on a tourist visa, Bolivia will allow their citizens on a tourist visa. They don't follow this to the letter with every country, but that's pretty much what the government has stated.

I know Bolivia and the US have been supposedly working on improving relations, and possibly Bolivia is going to allow the US to bring an ambassador back to Bolivia (our ambassador got kicked out of the country 3 years ago), so if there are new visa rules I'd like to know.

Apr 10, 2012
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visa for bolivia
by: jtheriot

I have purchased my visa to enter Bolivia at the airport when I arrived at ViruViru in Santa Cruz de la Sierra. It is good until my passport expires in 2016!!

Apr 06, 2012
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Thanks for info.
by: Tom

Thank you for that info. Maybe I should hold off in buying the oneway Aerosur ticket from Cuzco to Lapaz and purchase it during my time there in Cuzco, a week or so a head of taking the flight. If the airline is not in Business, I could always take the long bus ride back to LaPaz again, right? Sounds like too much bus riding though. What is the temperature in fahrenheit degrees there the 1st part of January? And, if there is a 2012 pole shift, magnetic reversal, going on during the time I'm on this trip will I still be able to get home? Thanks Tom, oh, also, do I need a yellow fever vaccination for Bolivia or Peru in visiting?.....

Apr 05, 2012
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Yes, Americans do need tourist visas to Bolivia
by: Anonymous

Yes, as an American citizen you do need a tourist visa to enter Bolivia. You can acquire it at the Bolivian consulate nearest you. The cost is $135 and it is the law that you have one.

Also keep an eye on the news about Aerosur. The company is still running all routes except for Bolivia-Madrid, but is having financial problems as the new government airline has been competing against it hard over the past couple of years. There is fear more routes may be cut so be sure you call the airline once every few weeks to make sure they are still flying, since your trip isn't until 2013 and a lot can happen by then. I'd go ahead and get some sort of guarantee in writing from them that your ticket will be honored by another airline if they go out of business.

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