Germany visa requirements for Bolivian citizens

Embassy of Germany in La Paz, by appointment; some applicants, before the honorary consul in Santa Cruz

A Bolivian needs a Schengen visa for Germany. Residents of Bolivia whose main destination is Germany apply in person at the Embassy of Germany in La Paz, which also handles visas for Estonia. Each person, children included, needs their own appointment, booked free of charge between six months and 15 days before the trip; the embassy does not work with agencies and warns that they have no privileged access to appointments. At the appointment the documents are handed in, the fee is paid, fingerprints are taken and questions about the trip are answered. Some applicants can file before the honorary consul in Santa Cruz, with an appointment arranged with that office: those who cannot travel to La Paz for medical reasons and those who have obtained at least one Schengen visa from the embassy in the previous three years and are also close relatives of a German citizen, business executives, training participants, official guests or holders of a formal obligation letter. Processing usually takes 15 days.

Official application site →

Fee

€90

The €90 is the short-stay Schengen visa fee, set by Article 16 of the Visa Code (Regulation (EC) 810/2009) as amended by Delegated Regulation (EU) 2024/1415, in force since 11 June 2024. It is not a fee set by Germany: the same amount is paid at any Schengen consulate. Children from the age of 6 and under 12 pay €45, and children under 6 are exempt. Travellers entering without a visa pay no fee at all.

Processing time

Where the trip requires a Schengen visa, the consulate must decide within 15 calendar days of an admissible application being lodged. That period may be extended to a maximum of 45 calendar days in individual cases, particularly where the application needs closer examination; in justified urgent individual cases the decision is taken immediately (Regulation (EC) 810/2009, Art. 23). An application may not be lodged more than six months before the intended trip and, as a rule, no later than 15 calendar days before it; where the consulate requires an appointment, it is normally given within two weeks of being requested (Art. 9).

Required documents

• A valid passport or travel document, issued within the previous ten years and valid for at least three months beyond the date you plan to leave the Schengen area (Regulation (EU) 2016/399, Art. 6(1)(a))
• A valid visa, if your nationality requires one. It is not needed if you hold a valid residence permit or long-stay visa issued by a Schengen State (Art. 6(1)(b))
• Documents justifying the purpose and conditions of the intended stay: an accommodation booking or a declaration of invitation from your host, and a return or onward ticket (Art. 6(1)(c) and Art. 6(3), which points to the non-exhaustive list in Annex I)
• Proof of sufficient means of subsistence for the whole stay and for the return to your country of origin, or of being in a position to acquire such means lawfully. They are assessed according to the duration and purpose of the stay, by reference to average prices for board and lodging in budget accommodation (Art. 6(1)(c) and 6(4)). Cash, traveller's cheques, credit cards and declarations of invitation or of sponsorship all count as proof (Art. 6(4))

How much money you need to show

€45 per day if you cannot show the purpose of your trip or where you are staying

Germany sets no mandatory amount: border officers take into account the purpose and length of the trip and whether you are staying with family or friends. Besides money, a letter of guarantee from your host, a bank guarantee or a formal declaration of commitment (Verpflichtungserklärung) also count. You also need to show how you will leave, for example with a ticket.

What each Schengen country asks for →

Source: European Commission, Annex 25 to the Practical Handbook for Border Guards (reference amounts notified by each State), version of 8 June 2026. Checked on 1 November 2026.

Health insurance

Mandatory to apply for the Schengen visa: minimum coverage of €30,000, valid across the whole Schengen area and for the entire length of the stay (Regulation (EC) 810/2009, Art. 15).

Which policies meet the €30,000 requirement →

When travel insurance is mandatory → Travel insurance policies ↓

How long you can stay

Schengen rule: a maximum stay of 90 days within any 180-day period across the whole Schengen area.

Calculate your available Schengen days →

Why isn't your passport being stamped? The EES system →