Your first weeks in Bolivia: the registrations to do after landing

Settling in Bolivia as an American involves two government bodies, and the order matters. First the Dirección General de Migración (DIGEMIG) grants you a stay permit, called permanencia temporal or permanencia definitiva. Then the Servicio General de Identificación Personal (SEGIP) issues your Cédula de Identidad de Extranjero (CIE), the foreigner identity card. SEGIP will not start your card without the DIGEMIG paperwork, and the clock on SEGIP's deadline starts when DIGEMIG notifies you. This guide walks through that sequence using the official SEGIP and Bolivian foreign ministry pages, checked on the date shown on this page.

Who issues what

Bolivia's Law 145, which created SEGIP, names it as the only state body authorized to issue the Cédula de Identidad de Extranjero to foreigners residing in Bolivia, after they present documentation from the competent authority. In practice that authority is DIGEMIG, which decides your migration status.

So the chain is:

1. A visa or entry suited to your purpose.
2. A stay permit (permanencia) from DIGEMIG.
3. The CIE from SEGIP.

Step 1: arrive on the right visa

The Bolivian foreign ministry's consular page explains that the visa de objeto determinado (specific-purpose visa) is the route for people who come to stay for a reason such as work, study, family or health, and that its validity depends on the purpose. Every visa type listed there requires a passport valid for at least 6 months.

The student example shows how the system links up: the student visa is valid for up to 60 days and lets you apply to DIGEMIG for a 1-year temporary stay permit, renewable until you finish your studies. Several visa types ask for a sworn declaration form for the temporary stay permit, downloaded from the DIGEMIG website.

Tourist visa rules for US citizens can change, so confirm the current requirement with the Bolivian consulate and the US Embassy before you book flights.

Step 2: get your permanencia from DIGEMIG

The temporary stay permit is the residency decision. DIGEMIG gives you three documents at the end of that process, and you need all of them for SEGIP:

• The permanencia itself (temporary or permanent).
• The Resolución Administrativa (administrative resolution) that grants it.
• The notification stamp or delivery record (acta de entrega).

Keep the originals safe and make copies right away. The date on the notification matters, as you will see below.

Step 3: pre-register online with SEGIP

Before you go to a SEGIP office, fill in the online pre-registration on SEGIP's foreigners system (cie.segip.gob.bo). The form is available in Spanish and English. SEGIP warns that you must create only one account for your pre-registration; otherwise your procedure will be flagged later. Do not abbreviate names: the data you enter is used to print your CIE.

Print and sign the pre-registration form, since it goes in your folder.

Step 4: pay at Banco Unión

SEGIP requires payment into its institutional account at Banco Unión, giving your full and correct name. The fees published by SEGIP for a first CIE are:

• Regular procedure: Bs. 600.
• Students and people with a certified disability: Bs. 300.

For the student rate, the DIGEMIG resolution must state that the stay is "POR ESTUDIO" (for study). People with a disability attach the original and a copy of their disability certificate.

SEGIP notes that its foreigners system does not currently accept payment by QR code, because a QR payment does not carry the transaction number needed to validate the procedure. Pay at a branch or by a method that gives you a transaction number, and bring the original receipt plus a photocopy.

Step 5: build the folder

SEGIP asks for everything in a single folder (fólder) for each procedure. For a first CIE:

1. Original and photocopy of your valid passport (main page).
2. Original and photocopy of your DIGEMIG permanencia (temporary or permanent).
3. Original of the DIGEMIG Resolución Administrativa.
4. Photocopy of the DIGEMIG notification stamp, or the original delivery record.
5. The SEGIP pre-registration form, filled in and signed.
6. Original and photocopy of the Banco Unión payment receipt.

Optional additions:

• Marital status: if you married abroad, a photocopy of the marriage certificate legalized by the Bolivian foreign ministry or endorsed by DIGEMIG. If you married in Bolivia, the original and a copy of the certificate from SERECÍ, the civil registry.
• Academic degree: a copy of your diploma, legalized by the foreign ministry or endorsed by DIGEMIG if it is from abroad.

The deadline: 25 business days

This is the rule most likely to cost you money. From the date DIGEMIG notifies you, you have 25 business days to complete the CIE procedure without a fine. After that, SEGIP charges a fine of Bs. 10 per day, counted from the date of notification. The exact amount is calculated at SEGIP's foreigners offices.

In practice, do the online pre-registration and the bank payment while you wait for DIGEMIG's decision, so you can file at SEGIP within days of being notified.

Renewals

The same 25-business-day window applies to renewals, counted from DIGEMIG's notification or from the expiry of your CIE. A renewal folder adds the original and a copy of your previous CIE. If it was lost or stolen, you fill in SEGIP's loss, theft or robbery report form. From your second permanent stay permit onward, SEGIP also asks for the original Certificado de Permanencia issued by DIGEMIG. Renewal fees are the same: Bs. 600, or Bs. 300 for qualifying students and people with a disability.

What the CIE is for

The CIE is the identity document for foreigners resident in Bolivia. Under Law 145 the Bolivian identity card is a public document sufficient on its own presentation for the purposes the law sets, and SEGIP describes the CIE as the card that lets foreigners exercise their rights in Bolivian territory. Banks, landlords and health providers each set their own document rules, so ask them directly which documents they accept, and expect your Bolivian ID number to be the reference most offices want.

Taxes

Bolivia's national tax service, the Servicio de Impuestos Nacionales, runs impuestos.gob.bo. If you plan to work for yourself or run a business in Bolivia, check its registration requirements once you hold your CIE. US citizens also keep filing US tax returns while living abroad.

A suggested order for your first weeks

1. Before you fly: confirm your visa route with the Bolivian consulate and make sure your passport has at least 6 months of validity.
2. On arrival: start the DIGEMIG permanencia procedure that matches your purpose.
3. While you wait: create one SEGIP pre-registration account and fill in the form.
4. As soon as DIGEMIG notifies you: pay at Banco Unión, assemble the folder and file at SEGIP within 25 business days.
5. Put your CIE expiry date and the next renewal window in your calendar.

Staying connected to the US side

Enroll with the US Embassy in La Paz through the State Department's Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, and keep your US passport valid, since SEGIP asks for it at every CIE procedure. The embassy's American Citizen Services section handles passport renewals for US citizens in Bolivia.

Common questions

How much does the foreigner ID card (CIE) cost in Bolivia? SEGIP lists Bs. 600 for a first CIE or a renewal, and Bs. 300 for students whose DIGEMIG resolution says POR ESTUDIO and for people with a certified disability. Payment goes to SEGIP's Banco Unión account.

What is the deadline to apply for the CIE after getting residency? SEGIP gives you 25 business days from DIGEMIG's notification. After that, a fine of Bs. 10 per day applies, counted from the notification date.

Can I apply for the CIE before DIGEMIG approves my stay? No. SEGIP requires the DIGEMIG permanencia, the administrative resolution and the notification record. You can, however, do the online pre-registration in advance.

Can I pay the SEGIP fee by QR code? No. SEGIP says its foreigners system does not accept QR payments because they do not carry the transaction number needed to validate the procedure.