We were so proud of ourselves. Having been warned about the challenges of procuring a tourist visa at the Bolivian border (thanks, Alethea!), we decided to secure them here in the US before leaving the country. The requirements for a 30-day Bolivian tourist visa – which is good for 10 years and allows for multiple entries – are more stringent than you might imagine. You’ll need:
- $160 USD
- Visa application form/sworn statement
- One recent 2″ x 2″ passport-type photo
- Original passport with at least 6 months of validity
- Proof of yellow fever vaccine
- Copy of hotel registration or invitation letter from Bolivian hosts
- Round trip ticket or copy of travel itinerary
- Bank statement showing economic solvency (at least $10,000 available)
We got our yellow fever vaccines, had (horrible) photos taken at Walgreens, printed out our hotel confirmation and bank statements, and filled out the online application form, which we had to re-start numerous times for lack of documentation, since you can’t save it and come back later. The travel itinerary was a bit of a hassle, since we are planning to enter and leave the country by bus, and the bus tickets we need can’t be purchased more than 30 days in advance. But we cobbled together a feasible itinerary and printed that, too.
It took us several weeks to gather all the documents. With only two weeks left before our departure, we were feeling the pressure to turn in our application, since it would take five days to process. Did I mention they keep your passport during the application process?
The consulate address was somewhere on Market Street, and several online sources said they were open until 3pm. So, papers and passports in hand, we headed to the 19th Street BART station in Oakland at noon to make our way to downtown SF.
“Do you know the address for the consulate?” I asked Scott.
“No, but I can look it up.”
After about 45 seconds of searching, he said, “Well, that’s interesting. According to google maps, the Bolivian Consulate in San Francisco is permanently closed. How unfortunate.”
Our train arrived then, and knowing we had dinner plans in the City with friends, I suggested we spend the afternoon in San Francisco until our friends were free. So, we had lunch (and margaritas) at Puerto Alegre on Valencia Street in the Mission, and quaffed a beer at Lucky 13 before meeting our friends for pre-dinner drinks, followed by hearty pasta at The Sausage Factory in the Castro. It turned out to be a delicious romp through our former neighborhood with friends we adore, though it did result in a hangover the next day.
So much for planning. Bolivian border blunders, here we come!