Bolivian citizenship by descent: who qualifies, the law, and what it takes

Q: Can you claim Bolivian citizenship through a parent?

Likely. A child of a Bolivian parent is Bolivian. Register at a consulate; no age limit.

Q: Can you claim Bolivian citizenship through a grandparent?

Possible. Anyone born abroad to a Bolivian parent is Bolivian by birth, in every generation, so your parent registers at the consulate first and then you do.

Q: Can you claim Bolivian citizenship through a great-grandparent?

Possible. Anyone born abroad to a Bolivian parent is Bolivian by birth, in every generation, so your parent registers at the consulate first and then you do.

Through a parentLIKELYCitizen by descent Through a grandparentPOSSIBLECitizen by descent Through a great-grandparentPOSSIBLECitizen by descent

Ways to apply: Citizen by descent (Art. 141)
Dual citizenship: Kept, however you apply

Each answer assumes none of your ancestors became a citizen of another country before their child was born. Below is what changes each answer.

On this page

01Who qualifies
02Dates that matter
03Through your mother
04Keeping your citizenship
05Ways to apply
06The documents
07What it takes
08Where the records live
09Law changes
10Other options
11Sources

Who qualifies, generation by generation

LIKELY

Can you claim Bolivian citizenship through a parent?

Citizen by descent

A child of a Bolivian parent is Bolivian. Register at a consulate; no age limit.

Children of a Bolivian parent born abroad are Bolivian nationals under the cited provision. Political Constitution of the State of Bolivia (2009), Art. 141(I) (nationality by birth) and Art. 143 (no loss by acquiring another), Art. 141

POSSIBLE

Can you claim Bolivian citizenship through a grandparent?

Citizen by descent

Anyone born abroad to a Bolivian parent is Bolivian by birth, in every generation, so your parent registers at the consulate first and then you do.

What would settle itWhether your parent can be registered as a Bolivian national first; consular registration of adults has no published fee or age limit.

Persons born abroad to a Bolivian mother or father are Bolivian by birth; the Constitution sets no generation limit, and a parent born abroad to a Bolivian is Bolivian in turn. Political Constitution of the State of Bolivia (2009), Art. 141(I) (nationality by birth) and Art. 143 (no loss by acquiring another), Art. 141(I)
Bolivian nationality is not lost by acquiring another. Political Constitution of the State of Bolivia (2009), Art. 141(I) (nationality by birth) and Art. 143 (no loss by acquiring another), Art. 143(I)

POSSIBLE

Can you claim Bolivian citizenship through a great-grandparent?

Citizen by descent

Anyone born abroad to a Bolivian parent is Bolivian by birth, in every generation, so your parent registers at the consulate first and then you do.

What would settle itWhether your parent can be registered as a Bolivian national first; consular registration of adults has no published fee or age limit.

Persons born abroad to a Bolivian mother or father are Bolivian by birth; the Constitution sets no generation limit, and a parent born abroad to a Bolivian is Bolivian in turn. Political Constitution of the State of Bolivia (2009), Art. 141(I) (nationality by birth) and Art. 143 (no loss by acquiring another), Art. 141(I)
Bolivian nationality is not lost by acquiring another. Political Constitution of the State of Bolivia (2009), Art. 141(I) (nationality by birth) and Art. 143 (no loss by acquiring another), Art. 143(I)

The dates that matter

No date named in Bolivia’s rule decides who qualifies. The answers above turn on the family’s facts, not on when anyone was born or left.

Claiming through your mother or grandmother

Bolivia’s rule gives the same answer whether the line runs through a mother or a father. Where its reasons speak of mothers or fathers, they say:

Persons born abroad to a Bolivian mother or father are Bolivian by birth; the Constitution sets no generation limit, and a parent born abroad to a Bolivian is Bolivian in turn. Political Constitution of the State of Bolivia (2009), Art. 141(I) (nationality by birth) and Art. 143 (no loss by acquiring another), Art. 141(I)

Dual citizenship with your home country

You keep your citizenship.

On every open route, the rule lets a citizen of the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Argentina or South Africa keep that citizenship.

Holding this citizenship alongside another is addressed by the law cited; check the current position before relying on it. Political Constitution of the State of Bolivia (2009), Art. 141(I) (nationality by birth) and Art. 143 (no loss by acquiring another)

Every way to apply, and the law behind it

Citizen by descent

Open to you through a parent, a grandparent or a great-grandparent

LIKELY
Through a parent
POSSIBLE
Through a grandparent

The law

Children of a Bolivian parent born abroad are Bolivian nationals under the cited provision. Political Constitution of the State of Bolivia (2009), Art. 141(I) (nationality by birth) and Art. 143 (no loss by acquiring another), Art. 141
Persons born abroad to a Bolivian mother or father are Bolivian by birth; the Constitution sets no generation limit, and a parent born abroad to a Bolivian is Bolivian in turn. Political Constitution of the State of Bolivia (2009), Art. 141(I) (nationality by birth) and Art. 143 (no loss by acquiring another), Art. 141(I)
Bolivian nationality is not lost by acquiring another. Political Constitution of the State of Bolivia (2009), Art. 141(I) (nationality by birth) and Art. 143 (no loss by acquiring another), Art. 143(I)

What would settle an unsure case

Whether your parent can be registered as a Bolivian national first; consular registration of adults has no published fee or age limit.

The documents, as the rule lists them

Citizen by descent

Through a parent

Your parent’s Bolivian birth certificate or identity document
Your birth certificate, apostilled and translated

Through a grandparent or great-grandparent

Your Bolivian ancestor’s birth certificate
Birth records for each generation, each registered at the consulate in turn

Most countries also want proof that your ancestor didn’t become a citizen somewhere else before their child was born: the naturalization record with its date, or a letter saying there isn’t one.

What it takes: time, cost, the hard part, who decides

Citizen by descent

Time: A few weeks to a few months for the consular registration.
Cost: About $150–350: registration fees, apostilles and certified translations.
The hard part: None, really. Bring your parent’s Bolivian birth certificate or identity document and your apostilled U.S. birth certificate.
Who decides: The Bolivian consulate for your address, through SERECI.
The first record: Your parent’s Bolivian birth certificate or cédula de identidad, from SERECI (Servicio de Registro Cívico). Request the certificado de nacimiento through SERECI with the name and place of birth, or bring the parent’s cédula to the consulate appointment. oep.org.bo

How it’s filed

Where: The nearest Bolivian consulate general, in person. U.S. posts: New York (237 West 37th Street, Floor 13, New York, NY 10018), Washington (1718 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009), Miami (3750 NW 87th Avenue, Suite 240, Doral, FL 33178), Houston (2401 Fountain View Drive, Suite 110, Houston, TX 77057) and Los Angeles (3701 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 1065, Los Angeles, CA). office list
How: In person; you appear in person
Form: Inscripción de nacimiento en el exterior (consular civil registry)
Appointments: By phone or email with the consulate (New York: coliviannuevayork@rree.gob.bo). New York is open 9:00–15:00 on weekdays; call +1 212 687 0530 or email to book and have the file checked.
Fee: About $50
Decision: 1–9 weeks

What goes in the file (6)

The applicant’s official birth certificate from the country of birth, original or legalized copy, apostilled where required, with a Spanish translation
The applicant’s foreign ID (passport)
The Bolivian parent’s valid cédula de identidad, original (or other official proof of the parent’s Bolivian identity)
The other parent’s valid ID, original, if foreign
Two adult witnesses who are not family, with valid ID, present at the registration
Minors additionally: the medical certificate of live birth, the parents’ marriage certificate if any, and the child in person

What goes wrong (4)

USD 50 for an adult at consulates in North America, Europe, Asia, Oceania and Africa (USD 20 in South and Central America and the Caribbean); USD 15 for ages 12–18; free under 12, first certificate included.
The consulate issues a Bolivian birth certificate at registration; with it the person applies for a cédula (SEGIP) and a passport.
One generation: a grandchild files nothing until the parent is registered as Bolivian; then the parent’s new certificate supports the grandchild’s registration as the child of a Bolivian.
From AR, BR: Bolivia has many consulates in Argentina and Brazil (e.g. Buenos Aires, La Plata, São Paulo, Corumbá) with the same procedure. From CA, GB, AU, NZ, ZA: the embassy or consulate for your residence (London has an embassy).

source ↗

Fees are each office’s published fee, converted to U.S. dollars.

Where each record lives, and how to ask for it

birth
SERECI (Servicio de Registro Cívico, under the Órgano Electoral Plurinacional), which holds Bolivian civil registration
Search by name, date and place of birth, or the parent’s cédula number. The parent’s valid Bolivian cédula de identidad is usually enough for the consulate; the parent’s birth certificate is the fallback.
Ask
Through an agent, in Spanish · request page ↗
Takes
1–13 weeks
Good to know (2)
- SERECI prints duplicate certificates on the spot at its offices and the civil registry offices in Bolivia (Bs 33–51), for the person, a parent, child or sibling, or a proxy holding a notarized power. Bolivian consulates sell them too: USD 15 in North America.
- Civil registration has been compulsory in Bolivia since 1 January 1940 (Supreme Decree of 29 December 1939); earlier births are in Catholic parish registers.
source ↗

Translations

Into: Spanish
Who may translate: Any certified translator
About: $25–$60 a page

The foreign birth certificate is presented as an original or legalized copy, apostilled where required, and translated into Spanish. The consulate can legalize the signature on the translation (USD 15 for a Bolivian citizen, USD 50 for a foreigner). A U.S. certificate carries the issuing state’s apostille.

source ↗

The passport

Where: The Bolivian consulate (the electronic passport is issued by DIGEMIG through consular offices), in person, with the new birth certificate and a cédula or ID assignment.
Fee: About $85
Time: 3–9 weeks

USD 85, deposited to the account the consular section gives once it has checked the file. Passports are printed in Washington, D.C., and reach the consulate about three weeks after data capture.

source ↗

Recent and pending changes

We know of no pending bill or recent court ruling for Bolivia.

We re-read the official pages behind this guide every day. When one changes, a person checks the rule before we update anything here.

If descent doesn’t reach you

One residence program leads to Bolivia without an ancestor, each with its own law and road to citizenship.

Income or savingsPermanencia Temporal por Rentista (Visa de Objeto Determinado)
Bolivia has no separately named "rentista visa"; applications for passive-income residence are processed as a Specific Purpose Visa under Bolivia’s general Migration Law, requiring proof of foreign income.

Every source on this page

1 laws and official pages behind the answers, then the offices and pages behind the records and filing.

LawPolitical Constitution of the State of Bolivia (2009), Art. 141(I) (nationality by birth) and Art. 143 (no loss by acquiring another) · Art. 141; Art. 141(I); Art. 143(I)
RecordsSERECI (Servicio de Registro Cívico): Your parent’s Bolivian birth certificate or cédula de identidad
RecordsHow to file: Citizen by descent
RecordsInscripción de nacimiento en el exterior (consular civil registry)
RecordsBirth records: SERECI
RecordsThe passport: where, the fee and the wait

Not legal advice. Every answer comes from the country’s own laws and is tested against real cases. Where the law isn’t clear, we say “possible” rather than guess.

Who qualifies, generation by generation

LIKELY

Can you claim Bolivian citizenship through a parent?

Citizen by descent

A child of a Bolivian parent is Bolivian. Register at a consulate; no age limit.

Children of a Bolivian parent born abroad are Bolivian nationals under the cited provision. Political Constitution of the State of Bolivia (2009), Art. 141(I) (nationality by birth) and Art. 143 (no loss by acquiring another), Art. 141

POSSIBLE

Can you claim Bolivian citizenship through a grandparent?

Citizen by descent

Anyone born abroad to a Bolivian parent is Bolivian by birth, in every generation, so your parent registers at the consulate first and then you do.

What would settle itWhether your parent can be registered as a Bolivian national first; consular registration of adults has no published fee or age limit.

Persons born abroad to a Bolivian mother or father are Bolivian by birth; the Constitution sets no generation limit, and a parent born abroad to a Bolivian is Bolivian in turn. Political Constitution of the State of Bolivia (2009), Art. 141(I) (nationality by birth) and Art. 143 (no loss by acquiring another), Art. 141(I)
Bolivian nationality is not lost by acquiring another. Political Constitution of the State of Bolivia (2009), Art. 141(I) (nationality by birth) and Art. 143 (no loss by acquiring another), Art. 143(I)

POSSIBLE

Can you claim Bolivian citizenship through a great-grandparent?

Citizen by descent

Anyone born abroad to a Bolivian parent is Bolivian by birth, in every generation, so your parent registers at the consulate first and then you do.

What would settle itWhether your parent can be registered as a Bolivian national first; consular registration of adults has no published fee or age limit.

Persons born abroad to a Bolivian mother or father are Bolivian by birth; the Constitution sets no generation limit, and a parent born abroad to a Bolivian is Bolivian in turn. Political Constitution of the State of Bolivia (2009), Art. 141(I) (nationality by birth) and Art. 143 (no loss by acquiring another), Art. 141(I)
Bolivian nationality is not lost by acquiring another. Political Constitution of the State of Bolivia (2009), Art. 141(I) (nationality by birth) and Art. 143 (no loss by acquiring another), Art. 143(I)

Claiming through your mother or grandmother

Bolivia’s rule gives the same answer whether the line runs through a mother or a father. Where its reasons speak of mothers or fathers, they say:

Dual citizenship with your home country

You keep your citizenship.

On every open route, the rule lets a citizen of the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Argentina or South Africa keep that citizenship.

The documents, as the rule lists them

Citizen by descent

Through a parent

Your parent’s Bolivian birth certificate or identity document
Your birth certificate, apostilled and translated

Through a grandparent or great-grandparent

Your Bolivian ancestor’s birth certificate
Birth records for each generation, each registered at the consulate in turn

Most countries also want proof that your ancestor didn’t become a citizen somewhere else before their child was born: the naturalization record with its date, or a letter saying there isn’t one.

What it takes: time, cost, the hard part, who decides

Citizen by descent

Time: A few weeks to a few months for the consular registration.
Cost: About $150–350: registration fees, apostilles and certified translations.
The hard part: None, really. Bring your parent’s Bolivian birth certificate or identity document and your apostilled U.S. birth certificate.
Who decides: The Bolivian consulate for your address, through SERECI.
The first record: Your parent’s Bolivian birth certificate or cédula de identidad, from SERECI (Servicio de Registro Cívico). Request the certificado de nacimiento through SERECI with the name and place of birth, or bring the parent’s cédula to the consulate appointment. oep.org.bo

How it’s filed

Where: The nearest Bolivian consulate general, in person. U.S. posts: New York (237 West 37th Street, Floor 13, New York, NY 10018), Washington (1718 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009), Miami (3750 NW 87th Avenue, Suite 240, Doral, FL 33178), Houston (2401 Fountain View Drive, Suite 110, Houston, TX 77057) and Los Angeles (3701 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 1065, Los Angeles, CA). office list
How: In person; you appear in person
Form: Inscripción de nacimiento en el exterior (consular civil registry)
Appointments: By phone or email with the consulate (New York: coliviannuevayork@rree.gob.bo). New York is open 9:00–15:00 on weekdays; call +1 212 687 0530 or email to book and have the file checked.
Fee: About $50
Decision: 1–9 weeks

What goes in the file (6)

The applicant’s official birth certificate from the country of birth, original or legalized copy, apostilled where required, with a Spanish translation
The applicant’s foreign ID (passport)
The Bolivian parent’s valid cédula de identidad, original (or other official proof of the parent’s Bolivian identity)
The other parent’s valid ID, original, if foreign
Two adult witnesses who are not family, with valid ID, present at the registration
Minors additionally: the medical certificate of live birth, the parents’ marriage certificate if any, and the child in person

What goes wrong (4)

USD 50 for an adult at consulates in North America, Europe, Asia, Oceania and Africa (USD 20 in South and Central America and the Caribbean); USD 15 for ages 12–18; free under 12, first certificate included.
The consulate issues a Bolivian birth certificate at registration; with it the person applies for a cédula (SEGIP) and a passport.
One generation: a grandchild files nothing until the parent is registered as Bolivian; then the parent’s new certificate supports the grandchild’s registration as the child of a Bolivian.
From AR, BR: Bolivia has many consulates in Argentina and Brazil (e.g. Buenos Aires, La Plata, São Paulo, Corumbá) with the same procedure. From CA, GB, AU, NZ, ZA: the embassy or consulate for your residence (London has an embassy).

source ↗

Fees are each office’s published fee, converted to U.S. dollars.

Where each record lives, and how to ask for it

birth

SERECI (Servicio de Registro Cívico, under the Órgano Electoral Plurinacional), which holds Bolivian civil registration

Search by name, date and place of birth, or the parent’s cédula number. The parent’s valid Bolivian cédula de identidad is usually enough for the consulate; the parent’s birth certificate is the fallback.

Ask: Through an agent, in Spanish · request page ↗
Takes: 1–13 weeks

Good to know (2)

SERECI prints duplicate certificates on the spot at its offices and the civil registry offices in Bolivia (Bs 33–51), for the person, a parent, child or sibling, or a proxy holding a notarized power. Bolivian consulates sell them too: USD 15 in North America.
Civil registration has been compulsory in Bolivia since 1 January 1940 (Supreme Decree of 29 December 1939); earlier births are in Catholic parish registers.

source ↗

Translations

Into: Spanish
Who may translate: Any certified translator
About: $25–$60 a page

source ↗

The passport

Where: The Bolivian consulate (the electronic passport is issued by DIGEMIG through consular offices), in person, with the new birth certificate and a cédula or ID assignment.
Fee: About $85
Time: 3–9 weeks

USD 85, deposited to the account the consular section gives once it has checked the file. Passports are printed in Washington, D.C., and reach the consulate about three weeks after data capture.

source ↗

Who qualifies, generation by generation

Can you claim Bolivian citizenship through a parent?

Can you claim Bolivian citizenship through a grandparent?

Can you claim Bolivian citizenship through a great-grandparent?

The dates that matter

Claiming through your mother or grandmother

Dual citizenship with your home country

Every way to apply, and the law behind it

The law

What would settle an unsure case

The documents, as the rule lists them

Citizen by descent

What it takes: time, cost, the hard part, who decides

Citizen by descent

How it’s filed

Where each record lives, and how to ask for it

Translations

The passport

Recent and pending changes

If descent doesn’t reach you

Every source on this page

Check your family for Bolivia.

Who qualifies, generation by generation

Can you claim Bolivian citizenship through a parent?

Can you claim Bolivian citizenship through a grandparent?

Can you claim Bolivian citizenship through a great-grandparent?

The dates that matter

Claiming through your mother or grandmother

Dual citizenship with your home country

Every way to apply, and the law behind it

The law

What would settle an unsure case

The documents, as the rule lists them

Citizen by descent

What it takes: time, cost, the hard part, who decides

Citizen by descent

How it’s filed

Where each record lives, and how to ask for it

Translations

The passport

Recent and pending changes

If descent doesn’t reach you

Every source on this page

Check your family for Bolivia.