In most of the countries you will find diplomatic missions, which usually refers to an embassy and/or a consulate. Diplomatic bodies represent other country’s interests in Bolivia, with the aim of strengthening international relations between the states and providing services for their citizens in Bolivia.

Embassies and consulates are considered legal territories of their home countries. They are not "foreign territory" but they are protected and considered the property of the country using them, meaning that Bolivia does not have jurisdiction over the embassy or consulate of another country.

What is the difference between Embassy and Consulate

The Vienna Convention on Consular Relations international treaty defines the diplomatic mission’s purpose and framework. The various diplomatic missions offer several services and carry out different missions. For example:

• Embassy: This is the primary diplomatic representation of a country’s government and is headed by an ambassador. An embassy is the main location for a diplomatic presence of one country in another. A country has at most one embassy in another country, and is always established in the capital city of the host country. In the absence of a consulate in a country, the embassy has also a consular section to carry out all the relevant consular services (see below).
• Consulate General: This is a diplomatic mission, headed by a consul that provides a full range of services such as: issuing passports/visas, keeping birth and marriage records, assisting expats, providing legal information, translations etc. It can be located in any major city of the host country, although often in the capital city (in certain cases, in the same building as the embassy). In major countries and large territories, you often have more than one consulate.
• Honorary Consulate: It supplements the Consulate to provide a limited range of consular services and is headed by an honorary consul. They help nationals abroad. For example, in the event of a hospital stay, missing person, death, natural disaster or another emergency. They can also issue emergency travel documents and consular declarations for which the applicant is required to appear in person.

NB: You will usually apply for a visa at the Consulate of the country you want to visit. However, if there is no such representation in Bolivia, you can apply for a visa at the embassy.

Where to find Consulates and Embassies in Bolivia

Not all countries have an Embassy and/or a Consulate as it depends on the political situation, the relationship with the host country, the size of the country, and the number of foreign citizens living there.

In some cases, countries can share representations and you can be assisted by the services of another embassy or consular service to get the information you need.

We recommend you register/contact your country’s embassy at your destination. It is a free service provided by any diplomatic mission and it will allow them to record information about your upcoming trip abroad. It can be used to assist you in case of an emergency.

Registration will also allow you to get routine information from your nearest embassy or consulate, as citizens residing abroad.

The capital of Bolivia, La Paz hosts 34 embassies*.

There are also 89 consulates and one other representation located in Bolivia.

All consulates and honorary consulates are located in La Paz, except for those countries who own an embassy in the capital of Bolivia and might have another diplomatic mission outside the capital.

You will find below a list of selected countries (the list is not exhaustive) that have a diplomatic mission in Bolivia. The list includes embassies, consulates, honorary consulates, and sometimes other official representations for you to be able to get information and services.

*La Paz is currently the seat of the executive and legislative seats of the Bolivian government, while the judicial branch remains in Sucre. Today Sucre is considered as the one and only capital of Bolivia, per the Bolivian constitution. However, it was agreed on to give La Paz more power, as two of the government branches are located there.

Embassies and Main Consulates in La Paz

China

Embassy of China in Bolivia

Address: No. 8532, Calle 1, Los Pinos, La Paz
Tel: (+591 2) 279 38 51 / 279 29 02
E-Mail: chinaemb_bo@mfa.gov.cn
Social Media: https://twitter.com/boliviaenchina

The consular section provides a range of consular services such as document authentication and legalisation processing, as well as notary certification and marriage registration, visa affairs, and consular protection to all Chinese living abroad.

Honorary Consulates: In addition to the embassy in La Paz, China has another honorary consulate in Santa Cruz (chinaconsul_sc_bo@mfa.gov.cn).

France

French Embassy in Bolivia

Address: Obrajes, Calle 8 N° 5390 between Hernando Siles and Ormachea, Zona Sur, La Paz
Tel: (+591 2) 214 99 00
E-Mail: informations.la-paz-amba@diplomatie.gouv.fr
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/AmbaFranceBolivie and https://twitter.com/FranceBolivie
Opening hours: Consular services open only between 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.

The French embassy in Bolivia provides reception of the public (consular affairs), register of French nationals established outside France, identity cards and passports, civil status: marriages, births..., other steps (legalisation of signature, driver's license...), elections, national service and assembly of French nationals abroad.

Honorary Consulates: In addition to the embassy in La Paz, France has other honorary consulates in Cochabamba (agenceconsulairecochabamba@gmail.com) , Sucre (agenceconsulairesucre@hotmail.com), Santa Cruz (agenceconsulairesantacruz@gmail.com) and Tarija. 

Germany

German Embassy in Bolivia

Address: Avenida Arce 2395 corner Calle Belisario Salinas, La Paz
Tel: (+591 2) 244 00 66 / 88
E-Mail: lapaz@hk-diplo.de
Social Media: https://twitter.com/AlemaniaBOL and https://www.instagram.com/auswaertigesamt/ and https://www.facebook.com/embajadadealemaniaLP
Opening hours:  Monday to Friday 09:00 hrs to 12:00 hrs for the embassy section

The Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Bolivia provides passports and ID cards’ services, nationality, family and inheritance matters, criminal records, visa and entry, lawyers, doctors and translators and customs service, etc.

Honorary Consulates: In addition to the embassy in La Paz, Germany has other honorary consulates in Cochabamba (cochabamba@hk-diplo.de), Santa Cruz (santa-cruz@hk-diplo.de) and Tarija (tarija@hk-diplo.de) 

Japan

Embassy of Japan in Bolivia

Address: Rosendo Gutiérrez No. 497, esquina Av. Sánchez Lima, La Paz
Tel: (+591 2) 241 91 10
E-Mail: embjpbolivia@lz.mofa.go.jp and consul.lpz@lz.mofa.go.jp for the consulate
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/emb.japon.bolivia/
Opening hours: Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and from 1:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m

The Japanese embassy provides a range of consular services such as visa and passport processing as well as document legalisation (birth certificate, marriage and death certificate, etc…) and police clearance certificate.

Honorary Consulates: In addition to the embassy in La Paz, Japan has another honorary consulate in Santa Cruz (consuladojaponscz@lz.mofa.go.jp).

Russia

Embassy of Russia in Bolivia

Russian Embassy in the Republic of Nicaragua represents Russia in the Republic of Bolivia concurrently.
For services such as issues of citizenship of the Russian Federation, visa and passport processing as well as document legalisation, it is requested to visit the Consular Section located in Managua, Nicaragua. 

Spain

Spanish Embassy in Bolivia

Address: 6 de Agosto Avenue 2827, La Paz
Tel: (+591 2) 243 35 18
E-Mail: emb.lapaz@maec.es and ofc.LaPaz@maec.es for consular services
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/ and https://www.instagram.com/emb.lapaz and https://twitter.com/EmbajadaEspLPaz

The Embassy of Spain in Bolivia, based in La Paz, offers consular services to handle the processing of passports and visas, the process of obtaining Spanish nationality, legalisation of documents, consular registration and other services.

Honorary Consulates: In addition to the embassy in La Paz, Bolivia has another honorary consulate in Santa Cruz (cog.santacruzdelasierra@maec.es). 

United Kingdom (Great Britain)

British Embassy in Bolivia

Address: Arce Avenue No. 2732, La Paz
Tel: (+591 2) 243 34 24
E-Mail: BELaPaz@fcdo.gov.uk
Social Media: https://twitter.com/UKinBolivia and https://www.facebook.com/UKinBolivia/
Opening hours: Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 12:00. Appointment required,

The British Embassy in Bolivia provides services to British nationals living and visiting the country. Some of the services are: emergency travel document replacement, notarial and documentary services, marriage, consular fees, etc.

USA (United States of America)

Embassy of the United States of America in Bolivia

Address: Arce avenue 2780, Casilla 425, La Paz
Tel: (+591 2) 216 80 00
E-Mail: ConsularLaPazACS@state.gov
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/usdos.bolivia and https://www.instagram.com/usembassybolivia/ and https://twitter.com/EmbEUAenBolivia
Opening hours: Monday through Thursday, mornings from 8:00 to 10:00; afternoons from 15:30 to 16:30 and Fridays, mornings from 8:00 to 9:00.

The US representation in Bolivia provides a range of consular services such as regular passport applications and renewals, Consular Reports of Birth Abroad (CRBA), and notarial services, assistance on death of a U.S. Citizen and emergency financial assistance, etc.

Honorary Consulates: In addition to the embassy in La Paz, the US has another honorary consulate in Santa Cruz (ConsularSantaCruz@state.gov)

Honorary Consulates in Bolivia

Contact directly the Embassy/Consulate website for more information.

For countries with no consulates or embassies in Bolivia, the Honorary Consulates are supervised by diplomatic representations located in other countries, often Lima, in Perú or Buenos Aires, in Argentina for Bolivia.

General Consulates and embassies in La Paz

• Argentina (ebolv@mrecic.gov.ar)
• Australia
• Belgium
• Brazil (brasemb.lapaz@itamaraty.gov.br)
• Canada (lapaz@international.gc.ca)
• Mexico (bolivia@sre.gob.mx)
• Switzerland (lapaz@eda.admin.ch)  

Consulates and embassies in Santa Cruz

• Argentina (cscrs@mrecic.gov.ar)
• Belgium
• Brazil (cg.santacruz@itamaraty.gov.br)
• Switzerland

Consulates and embassies in Cochabamba

• Argentina (ccoch@mrecic.gov.ar)
• Brazil
• Switzerland
• Mexico