Embassy of the United States La Paz, Bolivia

ALL applicants, unless specifically noted below, must appear in person for a visa interview. All visa interviews take place at the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy in La Paz. Due to federally mandated fingerprinting and personal interview requirements, we are no longer able to offer visa interviews at our Consular Agencies in Santa Cruz or Cochabamba.

Certain applicants applying for visas relating to official and/or diplomatic travel. Such applicants should consult with the administrator responsible for visa issues at their respective embassy, government ministry or international organization, and may direct specific inquiries to the Consular Section at consularlapaz@state.gov.

Notwithstanding the above, the consular section reserves the right to require any applicant to personally appear for his/her visa interview and/or to re-appear for follow-up interviews as necessary.

The applicant should arrive at the Embassy's Consular Section one-half hour in advance of the scheduled time. Applicants arriving late are not admitted and must reschedule their appointments. Only the applicant is admitted at the interview, unless he or she needs to be accompanied due to advanced age, inability to speak English or Spanish, or ill health. Please note that there is no waiting area in front of the Embassy for friends or relatives who are not admitted to the interview.

Each applicant, even minor children, must have his or her own passport to apply for a visa. However, minor children who possess valid visas that are included in a parent’s passport may still use such visas if they are traveling with the passport holder. Minor children whose visas are included in a parent’s passport may not travel without the passport holder. If they need to travel alone or with other family members, they need to apply for a new visa.

Please note that you may have to wait several hours for your visa interview. Cell phones are not permitted in the waiting area. Do not bring any electronic devices or metallic items to your interview. Possession of these items will delay your appointment.

• The appointment confirmation letter.
• The applicant's passport, in good condition and with a minimum validity of six months (note:  the passport validity period may be less than six months, provided that the passport will be valid for the period of the anticipated trip to the United States).
• The DS-160 confirmation page.
• The DS-156E: Nonimmigrant Treaty Trader / Investor Application ( PDF 148kb ) for E visa applicants.
• One 5x5 cm (2x2 inch) photograph. The photograph must have been taken within the last six months; the face must occupy half of the photograph; the subject must be facing the camera directly; the photo must be in color and the background must be white. Further information regarding photograph requirements may be found here.
• Proof that you have paid your nonrefundable SEVIS fee for applicants seeking F, M, and certain J-1 visas. More information on the SEVIS fee is available at Student and Exchange Visitor Program: SEVIS I-901 Fee. Payment may be made at any DHL office in Bolivia offering Western Union services or by credit card.
• All previous passports containing a previous U.S. visa or showing international travel.
• If you are in the process of applying for a U.S. visa and your previous passport with a U.S. visa was lost or stolen in the last 2 years, please be sure to bring a report of loss or theft issued by the police or Interpol to your interview. If possible attach a photocopy of the lost and stolen passport and visa.

Note: If you reported the theft or loss of your passport to a U.S. consular office in advance of your interview, be sure to bring documents to support this record along with the documents mentioned above.

This documentation must be submitted at the counter of the Consular Section when initiating the visa application process.
Information on how to proceed with the report of a lost or stolen passport available at the following link: Pasaportes Perdidos o Robados .
For information regarding what types of supporting documentation to bring to your visa interview, see Supporting Documents. Please also consult Visa Types & Requirements for specific requirements that might apply to the visa that you are applying for.

U.S. immigration law states that every applicant for a non-immigrant visa shall be presumed to be an intending immigrant, unless the consular officer is satisfied that the applicant: 1) intends a temporary stay, and 2) possesses a residence outside the United States that he or she does not intend to abandon.

Applicants may choose how to best prove sufficient ties to their country of residence and should be prepared to answer related questions from the consular officer. Additionally, applicants are welcome to submit supporting documentation which may serve as further proof of these strong ties. 

The Consular Section will not respond to inquiries about which documents could be presented during the interview as it is the applicant’s responsibility to determine what documentation demonstrates the applicant’s ties to their country of residence.

Passports with visas will be returned generally through DHL at one of several service centers around Bolivia at no extra cost to the city that you already specified and address when you make your appointment within 48 to 72 hours AFTER DHL HAS RECEIVED these passports. Applicants should allow at least 3 business days after the interview for any travel.

Emergencies / Urgent Travel

In the case of a death in the family or a medical or business emergency, please inform the interviewing Consular Officer during your interview, as it may be possible to receive your visa the same day.

Most visa denials are made under Section 214(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) because the applicant has not convinced the interviewing officer that he or she has sufficiently strong ties to Bolivia to compel his or her return after a limited visit. Click here for more information.

Refusals under Section 214(b) of the INA are not permanent. Applicants may reapply whenever they believe their circumstances have changed sufficiently, or if they have new evidence to present. People refused under Section 214(b) of the INA who wish to reapply must pay the nonrefundable visa application fee.

Some cases are refused under Section 221(g) of the INA and requested to return with additional information to assist in the adjudication. Persons refused under Section 221(g) of the INA will be given a form letter explaining what additional information is needed and if he/she needs to reappear before the consular officer or only submit documents. These applicants do not have to pay another application fee and needs to follow the instructions specified on the form letter.

How to Schedule a Follow-up Appointment

Please go to El Servicio de Visas de los Estados Unidos - Bolivia  to select a time to return for your 221(g) follow-up interview.  You will need to log onto the website using your Passport Number, Date of Birth and Nationality. When prompted to select a Trip Purpose, you will need to choose 'NIV Administrative processing' to schedule your appointment. If you are unable to access the website, you can also call the call center at 591-3-3871544 and indicate to the agent that you are required to schedule a follow-up interview at the consular section.

How to Submit Documents:

In order to submit the additional documents that have been requested, please visit: El Servicio de Visas de los Estados Unidos - Bolivia. You will need to log onto the website using your Passport Number, Date of Birth and Nationality. When prompted to select a Trip Purpose, you will need to choose 'NIV Administrative Processing' and then indicate that you need to submit additional information by courier. Please only submit the document specifically requested by the consular section. If your visa is approved, it will be returned to you by courier at no extra charge.

CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 14 applying for a nonimmigrant visa do not need to be present at the time of the interview but must be represented by at least one parent. We strongly encourage both parents to be present at the interview.  If only one parent is present, please be aware that they may be asked questions regarding custody and/or consent of the other parent to the travel of the minor.  If the interviewing Consular officer is not satisfied with the responses the interviewed parent is able to provide regarding custody and family circumstances, the absent parent may be asked to appear at the Embassy.  IT IS ALSO IMPERATIVE THAT THE MINOR'S BIRTH CERTIFICATE BE PRESENTED AT THE TIME OF THE INTERVIEW.  Children must qualify for the visa based on their parents’ documents of support and qualification.  Documents of relatives or friends inviting the children will not be accepted.

ANY APPLICANT WHOSE 14TH BIRTHDAY HAS OCCURRED ON OR PRIOR TO THE DATE OF HIS/HER VISA INTERVIEW MUST ATTEND THE VISA INTERVIEW and must be accompanied by one or both parents at the time of their interview.

Applicants 80 years old and over who wish to apply for a B1/B2 Visa may be represented by a family member or friend at the visa interview. Bolivian applicants (or legal residents of Bolivia) over 80 years of age must still make an appointment for a visa interview by following the standard procedures; however, they may be represented at the visa interview by a family member or friend since fingerprinting is not required of these kind of applicants.

If the applicant cannot come up to La Paz due to altitude health problems, it is possible to apply for a visa in Asuncion, Paraguay. Due to federally mandated fingerprinting and personal interview requirements, we are no longer able to offer visa interviews at our Consular Agencies in Santa Cruz or Cochabamba.
 
In order to do so, the applicant needs to send an email to ConsularLaPazNIV@state.gov with all the following information:

Full name:
Date and Place of birth:
Purpose of the trip:
Nationality:
Past visa refusals:
Occupation (position, company's name, working years)
List of all the applicant's properties and taxes of them (If possible, scan the documents)

The request should be supported by a medical certificate issued by a doctor accredited by the U.S. Embassy.

Currently, there is only one medical doctor in Santa Cruz and one in Cochabamba who are accredited by the U.S. Embassy:

Dr. Jorge Esteban Foianini
Centro Médico Foianini
Calle Chuquisaca #737
Santa Cruz, Bolivia
Phone: 591-3-336-2211 (office) 591-3-337-0650(fax)

Dr. Jose Marcial Macias Abasto
Clínica los Olivos
Av. Melchor Perez de Olguin # 175
Cochabamba, Bolivia
Telf. 591-4-440-6696; 591-4-440-8801

It is the applicants' responsibility to pay for the medical certificate.
The applicants will be notified by the Consular Section through an email of the date and time of their interview in Asuncion. We advice them to follow the regular procedure for local interviews in Asuncion, such as the mandatory use of the DS-160 form electronically filled and the processing fee of US$140.00 that should be paid per person in guaranties (Paraguayan official currency), at any branch of BANCO ITAU in Paraguay and not in Bolivia. Applicants should have in mind that it is a non refundable fee with a validity of a year.
 
The fact that a visa interview has been scheduled in Asuncion does not guarantee that a visa will be issued.  Every applicant must qualify for the visa in accordance with the immigration laws of the United States.  Please take this into account before you decide to start the process.

One photo 2x2 inch (5x5 cm)  photograph, glued or stapled to the application form. The photograph must have been taken within the last six months.

The applicant in the photo should not be wearing head covers, hats or dark glasses and should be facing directly to the camera.  The face, measured from the chin to the top of the head, including the hair, should not be smaller than 1'10''  (2.5 cms) and no larger than 1' 38'' (3.4 cms).  The photo must be in color with a white background.

Processing Fee

Nonimmigrant visa application processing fees are tiered, as shown in the following link: Fees for Visa Services , based on the visa category you apply for. Each applicant has to have a Banco Bisa receipt for the payment of the nonrefundable MRV fee in order to schedule and appointment. The payment must be made in cash and only in Bolivianos.

No application is accepted without this fee being paid first. If an applicant is denied a visa and wishes to reapply, the MRV processing fee must be paid again. A new receipt is required for each application.

Other payments: The fees related to open petitions for H1B and L1 visas, exemption processes or reciprocity fees for applicants from applicable countries, can be paid in cash at the Embassy.

Official Holidays 2011

• DHL Locations in Bolivia

Find locations for BISA Bank in Bolivia here.