Bolivia permits dual nationality: a Bolivian who acquires another citizenship does not lose the Bolivian one, and a child born in the United States to a Bolivian father or mother is Bolivian by descent. What turns that entitlement into usable documents is the identification procedure at a consulate.
Quick facts
The consulates describe the identity number procedure as being aimed generally at minors born abroad to a Bolivian parent who hold no identity number. That is exactly the situation of most Bolivian-American families.
The sequence
| Step | What it produces | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Birth registration | Bolivian birth certificate | Two witnesses required |
| Identity number assignment | Entry in the national register | Prerequisite for everything |
| Identity card | National identification | Through the identification service |
| Passport | Travel document | Around $85 |
| Data correction | Fixes register problems | Where they appear |
Each step depends on the one before it, and skipping to the passport without a number in the register simply ends at the counter.
How to apply
- Register the child’s birth if it has not been done, with two witnesses present.
- Gather the Bolivian parent’s identity card, passport or original birth certificate.
- Prepare six photographs, 3 by 3 cm on a white background.
- Attend with both parents for a minor, or with the sworn declaration and witnesses for an adult.
- Complete the consular forms at the office, including fingerprints.
- Apply for the identity card and then the passport once the number exists.
Required documents
- Original, updated birth certificate.
- Bolivian parent’s identity card or passport, original and photocopy.
- Foreign parent’s identification where applicable.
- Photographs to the published size and quantity.
- Written request to the identification service.
- Sworn declaration with two witnesses for adults who never held a card.
Where to apply
At the consulate general covering your area, which processes these files with the identification service in Bolivia.
Consulate General of Bolivia
View details →HoustonConsulado General del Estado Plurinacional de Bolivia en Houston
View details →Los AngelesConsulado General de Bolivia en Los Angeles
View details →New YorkConsulate General of Bolivia en Nueva York
View details →WashingtonEmbassy of the Plurinational State of Bolivia
View details →WashingtonConsulate General of Bolivia
View details →Additional notes
Do it while they are children
The procedure is designed for minors and is simpler then. For an adult it requires a sworn declaration explaining why no card was ever obtained.
Military record
For men, the military service booklet appears among the supporting documents. Check the position before applying.
Travel documents
Dual nationals enter and leave Bolivia on the Bolivian passport and the United States on the U.S. one.
Allow for travel to the consulate
With a small network, families often have a long journey. Doing several procedures in one visit is worth planning.