Bolivia · Work
Bolivia Work stay
First stay: 3 yrs
Temporary stay for work (permanencia temporal por trabajo)
First checked against official sources on Change log
Key facts
Work stay is a work route for Bolivia. Checked 2026-10-10 against the official source.
- First stay
- 3 yrs
Time and long term
RenewalRenewable
Temporary stays last one, two or three years, with renewals, depending on how long the activity lasts.
Permanent residenceAfter 3 years of residence
Permanent stay requires at least three years of stay in Bolivia and an express request.
Estado Plurinacional de BoliviaEstado Plurinacional de Bolivia
CitizenshipAfter 3 years of residence
Naturalisation needs more than three years of uninterrupted legal residence in Bolivia (temporary or permanent stay) and a written request to the Ministry of Government.
Where to applyAbroad or in-country
You can apply for the work visa at a Bolivian consulate, or change your status from inside Bolivia if you entered as a tourist or visitor and meet the requirements.
Presence rulesAway max 90 days
A temporary stay is cancelled if you spend more than 90 days a year outside Bolivia (in one trip or several) without authorisation from the migration authority.
What you'll need
What you must show1
- Economic solvency is shown by a sworn declaration backed by documents.
Documents6
- A sworn application form is required.
- A passport is required.
- A police record is required.
- A medical certificate is required.
- A photograph is required.
- Proof of payment of the procedure fee is required.
Steps1
- A work visa (30 days) or transitory work stay (up to 180 days) can lead to a temporary stay.
When you become tax resident
How Bolivia decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.
- Stay on this route
Up to 3 years at first, renewable
- 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
Temporary stay for foreigners performing paid or lucrative work, with or without an employment relationship, or activities under state or private agreements; work contracts are endorsed by the Ministry of Labour. 1
Requirements
- Economic solvency is shown by a sworn declaration backed by documents. 1
- A sworn application form is required. 1
- A passport is required. 1
- A police record is required. 1
- A medical certificate is required. 1
- A photograph is required. 1
- Proof of payment of the procedure fee is required. 1
- A work visa (30 days) or transitory work stay (up to 180 days) can lead to a temporary stay. 1
Stay
- One, two or three years with renewals, depending on the time of the activity.
- First stay: 12 to 36 months, decided case by case.
- Renewable, subject to the conditions in force at renewal.
Work
Paid or lucrative work in the authorised activity.
Official sources
- 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
- Ley N° 370 de Migración (arts. 31 y 12) · Estado Plurinacional de Bolivia (texto de la ley) · checked 2026-10-11
Work stay and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work stay | – | 3 yr, renewable | – |
| Job-offer residence Mexico | – | 4 yr | – |
| Internationalisation visa M Colombia | – | 3 yr | – |
| Scientist/professional permit Costa Rica | – | 2 yr, renewable | – |
| Work visa Brazil | – | 2 yr, renewable | – |
Questions people ask
How long can I stay on the Work stay?
One, two or three years with renewals, depending on the time of the activity.
Can I work on the Work stay?
Paid or lucrative work in the authorised activity.
Does the Work stay lead to permanent residence in Bolivia?
Time on the Work stay counts toward permanent residence in Bolivia, which the rules allow after 3 years of residence. Time on the Work stay counts toward citizenship, which the rules allow after 3 years of residence.
Is there a tax break for Work stay 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
Work visas elsewhere
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How this was checked
Checked on 2026-10-10 against 2 official sources. Status: verified against the official sources.
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.
- Decreto Supremo Nº 1923: Reglamento de la Ley de Migración (Ley Nº 370) · Estado Plurinacional de Bolivia (Lexivox) · checked 2026-10-10
- Ley N° 370 de Migración (arts. 31 y 12) · Estado Plurinacional de Bolivia (texto de la ley) · checked 2026-10-11
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.