Complete Guide to Bolivia: Visa, Travel, Investment & Important Facts
Bolivia is the most indigenous country in South America (over 60 % Aymara, Quechua, Guarani), the highest (La Paz at 3,650 m), and home to the largest salt flat on Earth — Salar de Uyuni. In 2025 it’s quietly launching one of the cheapest residency-by-investment programs on the continent, sits on the world’s largest lithium reserves, and still offers raw, unfiltered adventure that feels like traveling back in time. This is the honest, up-to-date guide.
The Roof of the World Meets the Mirror of the Sky
In a single trip you can stand on the world’s largest salt flat when it turns into a perfect mirror after rain, ride the world’s highest and longest urban cable car system in La Paz, cruise Lake Titicaca (the birthplace of the Inca sun god), and hike through Amazon jungle where jaguars still roam. Bolivia is raw, proud, and one of the last truly off-the-grid adventures left in South America.
Visa Policy 2025
Visa-free or visa-on-arrival for 80+ countries (USA, EU, UK, Canada, Australia — 90 days). Group 2 (e.g. China, India) need pre-approved visa. USD 160 “tourist visa” for US citizens at the border/airport.
New Residency-by-Investment Pilot (2025)
- USD 100,000+ in real estate or business → permanent residency
- Processing: 3–6 months
- No minimum stay, path to citizenship after 3 years (one of the shortest in South America)
- Launched quietly to attract lithium & eco-tourism investors
Unmissable Experiences
- Salar de Uyuni — world’s largest salt flat, mirror effect Nov–Mar
- La Paz & El Alto — highest capital, Mi Teleférico cable cars, Witches’ Market
- Lake Titicaca & Isla del Sol — birthplace of Inca empire, reed boats
- Madidi National Park — one of the most biodiverse places on Earth
- Sucre — white colonial city, constitutional capital, dinosaur footprints
- Potosi & Cerro Rico mines — “the mountain that eats men”
- Death Road bike ride — from La Paz to Coroico
- Tiwanaku ruins — pre-Inca civilization
Safety in 2025
Tourist areas (La Paz, Uyuni, Sucre, Copacabana) are safe with normal precautions. Avoid political protests in city centers. Altitude sickness is the biggest real danger — acclimatize slowly.
How to Buy SIM Card
Entel (best coverage), Tigo, or Viva at any airport or kiosk — BOB 20 starter with 10 GB. Entel works even on Salar de Uyuni.
Current President
Luis Arce (MAS) — in office since November 2020.
Getting Here
Main hubs: La Paz (LPB), Santa Cruz (VVI), Cochabamba (CBB). Direct flights from Miami, Madrid, São Paulo, Lima. Overland from Peru/Chile very common.
Final Thought
Bolivia is not easy — altitude, bumpy roads, basic infrastructure — but that’s exactly why it’s magic. Where else can you watch sunrise over an infinite mirror of salt, eat lunch on a floating island made of reeds, and still get permanent residency for the price of a small apartment in Miami? Bolivia doesn’t try to impress you. It just blows your mind and changes you forever.