Trip checklist: Bolivia

For South African passport holders. Last checked 5 October 2026.

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Visa requirement

South Africans don't need a visa for Bolivia.

Permitted stay

You can stay up to 90 days per year.

Before you go

• Purpose of visit

  Tourism.

• Passport validity

  FCDO: at least 6 months from arrival and 2 blank pages.

• How to apply

  No visa needed since 1 Dec 2025. Make sure your passport is stamped on entry; a missing stamp leads to a fine on departure.

• Accommodation or invitation

  FCDO: you may be asked to show proof of accommodation at the border.

• Vaccinations, including yellow fever on return to South Africa

  Bolivia REQUIRES a yellow fever certificate for travellers over 1 year arriving from risk countries (WHO; FCDO). Older embassy guidance says all tourists. Get vaccinated at least 10 days before travel. WHO recommends vaccination for areas east of the Andes below 2,300 m. South Africa's own rule on return: South Africa requires a valid yellow fever certificate from all travellers over 1 year of age, South African citizens included, arriving from a yellow-fever-risk country or after more than 12 hours' airport transit in one; Bolivia is on South Africa's risk list. Without it you can be refused entry or quarantined for up to 6 days. The certificate is valid for life and only counts 10 days after vaccination.

• Extending your stay and overstaying

  Extend the 30-day stamp at Migración offices, up to 90 days a year. Missing entry stamps or overstays are fined on departure.

• Travelling with children

  FCDO: a single parent cannot stay longer than 90 days with a child; longer stays need a judicial permit for the child to leave with one parent.

• Confirm with the embassy

  Rules change. Check the official source before you book.

Where to apply

• Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de Bolivia: visa exemption for 8 countries (1 Dec 2025) https://www.cancilleria.gob.bo/mre/2025/12/01/23577/
• UK FCDO https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/bolivia/entry-requirements

Research sources

1. 1. Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de Bolivia: visa exemption for 8 countries (1 Dec 2025) (Official, cancilleria.gob.bo) https://www.cancilleria.gob.bo/mre/2025/12/01/23577/
2. 2. Embassy of Bolivia to the EU/Belgium: tourist visa (2017-2018, partly outdated) (Official, embajadadebolivia.eu) https://embajadadebolivia.eu/en/turism-visa/
3. 3. UK FCDO (Other government, gov.uk) https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/bolivia/entry-requirements
4. 4. DIRCO (South African High Commission, Canberra) (Other government, dirco.gov.za) https://dirco.gov.za/canberra/yellow-fever/
5. 5. South African National Department of Health (Other government, health.gov.za) https://www.health.gov.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/DOH-Yellow-Fever-Pamphlet-1.pdf
6. 6. World Health Organization, International Travel and Health country list (Other government, cdn.who.int) https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/documents/emergencies/travel-advice/yellow-fever-country-list-ith-travel.pdf
7. 7. Wikipedia: Visa policy of Bolivia (Reference, en.wikipedia.org) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_policy_of_Bolivia

From doineedavisa.co.za/bolivia. Always confirm with the embassy before you travel.