Looking forward to work in bolivia

by Arun
(Singapore)

Hi there. This site looks really amazing keep up the good work folks. I am a mechanical engineering grad from Singapore now working for a major MNC currently. I would like to move to Bolivia and work there!

In reference to that, do I need a job offer to enter Bolivia or can I just arrive in Bolivia and look for jobs? I am learning Spanish now so are mechanical field jobs easy to get??? How much would basic pay be???

Thanks alot in advance

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Feb 12, 2014
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Job Inquiry
by: Anonymous

If i reach bolivia with the travel visa.. would i able to work there and get a job

Apr 06, 2011
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My opinion
by: Tyler B

Almost every person I met in La Paz had a similar technical degree, but they were working in coffee shops. Biologists, Petroleum engineers, chemists etc.

La Paz needs people who know how to run a business or organization way more than an extra hand to help with theirs. If you can take a good idea, and ask people for the details you need to make it a success, and build a team of people that believe in your ideas, then you will do well in La Paz.

I would not count on working for a company. I would count on making a company. Tell an idea to a NGO and maybe they will sponsor you.

Dec 19, 2010
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Dont ever come to Bolivia
by: Anonymous

Hi there, Thanks for your interest in Bolivia. I do my best to keep myself positive, but I have to be honest with you. Living and finding work in Bolivia can be very difficult.

I'm Bolivian myself and lived in the UK for about three years. I have a British degree in Science and also a Bolivian degree which I finished with distinction. Fluent in English, and Spanish is my mother tongue. Yes, I also have 5 years of working experience, hard worker and loads of good qualities top employers will look for. The fact is that most Bolivian employer really dont care about this qualities.

Unfortunately, nepotism is a common practice over here, and landing into your dream job, or even a bad paid job has been difficult for me. If you want to get a job, be promoted you have to know top people and/or have good relations.

I have been working with my career adviser from the UK, and it seems very hard to get a job.

Salaries are miserable too. I started on $500 several years ago because an uncle recommended me. Now, I want to do it for myself and they were so miserable that offered me $300. It was really a joke! You can live on $300 but it will be in extremely poverty!

If you want to live in South America, I would strongly recommend to look for a neighbour country like: Argentina, Chile, or Central American countries. They will appreciate having an employee like you. The value of people as an important asset doesnt really matter in this country!

Best of luck!

Sep 20, 2010
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Applying for Residency in Bolivia
by: BoliviaBella

"...so according to what u say is i can land in Bolivia and apply for this Specific purpose visa and then find a job within 30 days and apply for residence permit is that right???"

No, the specific purpose visa is a travel visa only. You must obtain it at a Bolivian consulate near you PRIOR to traveling. It is what allows you to enter Bolivia. It shows authorities at the airport that you will be entering Bolivia with the specific purpose or objective of requesting residency so you can live and work in Bolivia (ie, you are not a tourist). Read all about visas in our Bolivia Visa Forum here

As of the day you enter Bolivia, you have 30 days to apply for residency. This means you must go to Immigration and get all the forms and a list of requirements and begin the residency application process which involves quite a lot of work on your part as well as some payments, visits to several institutions, etc. and you must turn in your residency application within those 30 days.

The problem is that one of the requirements to apply for residency is that you have to show how you will sustain yourself economically and where your income will come from while you live in Bolivia. This usually means you have to show the authorities that you have a job here, however if you have a monthly income from another source that you will continue to receive while you live in Bolivia, you could mention that. For example, retired persons do that. They plan to live here, but not work here. But they can show an income source. If you don't have another source of income, and you do not already have a job waiting for you in Bolivia, you'd have to find a job within a very short time after arriving, so that you could show, on your residency application, that you have an income.

Getting a job in Bolivia with no knowledge of Spanish would be very difficult but not impossible. There are very few cases where you'd get a job without knowledge of the language, unless, for example, you found a job with an English-speaking NGO or at one of the English-speaking schools, or something similar.

"...lets say if i want to survive for a month or 2 looking for a job how much should i stand by in USD ??? lodging, food, drinks etc...???
are there lot of english speaking community there?

Living costs vary quite a bit between regions. Your most expensive cost would be rent so depending on the type of lifestyle you want, you could spend anywhere from $300 to several thousand a month on an apartment or house rental.

You can see more regarding living costs in our Living in Bolivia Forum where there are several threads about cost of living, importing your goods, etc.

Bolivia's three major cities all have large English-speaking communities. Good places to begin meeting people are the English schools, churches, and Embassies.

Sep 13, 2010
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Thanks Bella
by: Anonymous

wow that was a fast responce.
Infact My main intention is to work in Bolivia and expand my knowledge in spanish & Latin culture
i dont have any idea which city i should land even!!

so according to what u say is i can land in Bolivia and apply for this Specific purpose visa and then find a job within 30 days and apply for residence permit is that right???

but how likely for me to find a job in bolivia with my basic spanish knowledge.
and to get this specific purpose visa do i need to show any money requirements???

lets say if i want to survive for a month or 2 looking for a job how much should i stand by in USD ??? lodging ,food ,drinks etc...???
are there lot of english speking community there ?

Sep 13, 2010
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Looking for jobs in Bolivia
by: BoliviaBella

You don't actually HAVE to have a job waiting for you in Bolivia, but it helps. Because in order to gain an entry visa to Bolivia, you have to demonstrate how you will support yourself and where your income will come from. If you have an income to rely on until you find a job you might get an entry visa. If not, you'd have to have a job lined up and waiting for you.

In addition, if you plan to live in Bolivia and work in Bolivia (in other words, you plan to request residency) you will have to enter Bolivia on a SPECIFIC PURPOSE VISA (not a tourist visa). The specific purpose visa, called a "visa de objeto determinado" in Spanish, only gives you 30 days to process your application for residency - and you can't request residency if you can't prove how you will earn your living - so you'd have to practically find a job in Bolivia within the first few days after arriving (which is not impossible, but not likely). You can read more about BOLIVIA VISAS here.

You might try looking at our BOLIVIA JOB SEARCH PAGE. It lists jobs that are available all over Bolivia right now. It updates automatically when new jobs are posted.

I've seen some announcements for electrical engineers and civil engineers. Even though this is not your field, you might consider contacting them JUST to get an idea of the type of salary the engineering fields might be offering - or at least you'd come up with a range of salaries to give you an idea.

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