Bolivia · Spouse visas
Bolivia Spouse of a permanent resident
Permanent Stay Extended to the Spouse of a Permanent Resident
First checked against official sources on , some details partly verifiedChange log
Key facts
Spouse of a permanent resident is a spouse visas route for Bolivia. Checked 2026-10-10 against the official source.
Time and long term
RenewalRenewable
Permanent stay has no end date, but the foreigner's identity card must be renewed every five years.
Permanent residenceTime here counts
Permanent stay is extended to the spouse of a permanent resident without the usual minimum of three years.
CitizenshipAfter 3 years of residence
Naturalisation needs more than three years of uninterrupted legal residence in Bolivia (or permanent stay) and a written request to the Ministry of Government.
Presence rulesStay rule
Permanent stay is cancelled if you spend more than two continuous years outside Bolivia without authorisation from the migration authority.
What you'll need
Who can apply2
- Spouse of a foreign migrant who holds permanent stay.
- The usual minimum of three years of stay does not apply to the spouse.
What you must show1
- Economic solvency shown by a sworn declaration backed by documents.
Documents3
- Sworn application form for permanent stay and valid passport, foreign ID or national ID.
- Certificate of no national or international criminal or police records.
- Document proving the activity carried out in Bolivia, current photograph and proof of fee payment.
After you arrive2
- The foreigner's ID card for permanent stay is renewed every five years.
- Permanent stay is cancelled after more than two continuous years outside Bolivia without authorisation.
When you become tax resident
How Bolivia decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.
- Tax residence
The tax charge follows the Bolivian source of the income rather than residence.
- Foreign-source income
Source-based
Bolivia's personal income tax (RC-IVA) applies to all income of Bolivian source whatever the domicile or residence of the taxpayer; foreign-source income is not in the base, and the tax rate is 13%.
- Special regime
Bolivia source-based personal income tax: Bolivian-source income only · 13% tax
All tax rules for Bolivia Tax records checked
Full official text
For the spouse of a foreigner who holds permanent stay in Bolivia. Permanent stay is extended to the spouse without the usual three-year minimum. 1 2
Requirements
- Spouse of a foreign migrant who holds permanent stay. 1
- The usual minimum of three years of stay does not apply to the spouse. 1
- Economic solvency shown by a sworn declaration backed by documents. 2
- Sworn application form for permanent stay and valid passport, foreign ID or national ID. 2
- Certificate of no national or international criminal or police records. 2
- Document proving the activity carried out in Bolivia, current photograph and proof of fee payment. 2
- The foreigner's ID card for permanent stay is renewed every five years. 2
- Permanent stay is cancelled after more than two continuous years outside Bolivia without authorisation. 2
Stay
- Permanent stay; the foreigner's identity card is renewed every five years.
Family
Permanent stay also extends to dependent children and parents in the holder's care.
Official sources
- Ley N° 370 de Migración (arts. 31 y 12) · Estado Plurinacional de Bolivia (texto de la ley) · checked 2026-10-11
- Decreto Supremo N° 1923, Reglamento de la Ley de Migración (arts. 12, 13 y 15) · Estado Plurinacional de Bolivia (texto del decreto) · checked 2026-10-11
- Decreto Supremo Nº 1923: Reglamento de la Ley de Migración (Ley Nº 370) · Estado Plurinacional de Bolivia (Lexivox) · checked 2026-10-10 · published 2014-03-13
Spouse of a permanent resident and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spouse of a permanent resident | – | – | – |
| Spouse of a citizen | – | 1 yr, renewable | – |
| Spouse of a citizen Mexico | – | 2 yr, renewable | Limited |
| Partner of a citizen Colombia | – | – | Yes |
| Spouse of a citizen Costa Rica | – | 1 yr, renewable | Limited |
Questions people ask
How long can I stay on the Spouse of a permanent resident?
Permanent stay; the foreigner's identity card is renewed every five years.
Can I bring my family on the Spouse of a permanent resident?
Permanent stay also extends to dependent children and parents in the holder's care.
Does the Spouse of a permanent resident lead to permanent residence in Bolivia?
Time on the Spouse of a permanent resident counts toward permanent residence in Bolivia. Time on the Spouse of a permanent resident counts toward citizenship, which the rules allow after 3 years of residence.
Is there a tax break for Spouse of a permanent resident holders in Bolivia?
Bolivia source-based personal income tax (RC-IVA): Bolivian-source income only: Bolivia's personal income tax (RC-IVA) applies to all income of Bolivian source whatever the domicile or residence of the taxpayer; foreign-source income is not in the base, and the tax rate is 13%. It's separate from the visa and has its own conditions.
Tax
Special regime
Bolivia source-based personal income tax (RC-IVA): Bolivian-source income only
13% tax
Details
- On: Income of Bolivian source of natural persons and undivided estates
- Who: Applies to natural persons and undivided estates (art. 22)
Bolivia's personal income tax (RC-IVA) applies to all income of Bolivian source whatever the domicile or residence of the taxpayer; foreign-source income is not in the base, and the tax rate is 13%.
Taxed on
Income of Bolivian source of natural persons and undivided estates (arts. 20-22 and 30 of Ley 843, Título III): income from goods located or used economically in Bolivia, from acts or activities carried out in national territory, or from events occurring inside it, whatever the nationality, domicile or residence of the holder.
Who it applies to
- Applies to natural persons and undivided estates (art. 22); no visa or registration condition for foreign-source income to fall outside the base.
Exclusions
- Fees and payments to persons not domiciled in Bolivia for work carried out in national territory are covered by the tax (art. 19 lit. h as added by Ley 1448 of 2022), except income of athletes and artists in international competitions.
- Foreign diplomats and international-organisation staff are outside the tax in the cases stated in art. 20.
Tax residence
Domicile and residence are irrelevant to the RC-IVA base under art. 20; no day-count test is applied there.
Visas
The source rule applies to all residents and non-residents regardless of immigration status.
Other taxes
Business profits tax (IUE), transactions tax (IT) and VAT are separate taxes in Ley 843. The 13% figure is the general single rate of art. 15 (VAT) and art. 30 (RC-IVA applies 13% to income determined under chapters IV and V). Employees deduct a non-taxable minimum of two national minimum wages in each tax period (art. 26).
Checked against official sources on , some details partly verifiedChange log
More in Bolivia
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How this was checked
Checked on 2026-10-10 against 3 official sources. Status: partly verified; the page marks the facts an official source does not fully confirm.
Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out.
- Ley N° 370 de Migración (arts. 31 y 12) · Estado Plurinacional de Bolivia (texto de la ley) · checked 2026-10-11
- Decreto Supremo N° 1923, Reglamento de la Ley de Migración (arts. 12, 13 y 15) · Estado Plurinacional de Bolivia (texto del decreto) · checked 2026-10-11
- Decreto Supremo Nº 1923: Reglamento de la Ley de Migración (Ley Nº 370) · Estado Plurinacional de Bolivia (Lexivox) · checked 2026-10-10
Tracked since 2026-10-10. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the changes page, and the methodology page explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email contact@stayglobe.app with a link to the official source.