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Last Updated on February 14, 2025

In Bolivia, you’ll find hundreds of financial institutions, but only 12 multipurpose banks are authorized to operate by the regulatory institution, ASFI. These are called “multipurpose banks” because they offer a wide array of services, including loans, checking and savings accounts, wire transfers, and more.

Bolivia currently has 12 major multipurpose banks that provide the full range of services you’d expect from a major bank in any country, catering to both Bolivian citizens and foreigners. Each of these banks typically has dozens of branches and between 100 and 500 ATMs nationwide.

As Bolivian real estate experts who have lived in Bolivia our entire lives, we’ll provide comprehensive details about the main banks available in our country and how the banking system operates. You’ll also learn which services these banks offer to foreigners and our assessment of them as Bolivian clients.

How Does the Banking System Work in Bolivia?

There are 12 major banks currently operating in Bolivia. These are *full-service financial institutions* offering a wide range of services, such as checking and savings accounts, various types of loans, money transfers, wire transfers, insurance, access to capital markets, etc.

There are also several hundred smaller financial institutions that typically provide small loans in exchange for collateral like watches, gold, and precious metals, offer social funding for non-profit organizations, provide social assistance to specific communities, offer funding and operating capital for small businesses, and so on. However, these entities are not considered among Bolivia’s principal banks.

Both Bolivians and foreigners can access a wide range of financial services offered by Bolivia’s major banks, as discussed in the following section.

Services Bolivian Banks Offer to Foreigners

Remember that without being at least a temporary resident of Bolivia, you cannot open a bank account here, nor can you access almost any bank services *beyond using ATMs for Visa and MasterCard*. You need a Foreigner ID to access the main banking services in Bolivia, and to obtain this document, you must be at least a temporary resident, not just a tourist.

According to Bolivian law, foreigners have the same rights as Bolivian citizens in all areas, *including financial matters*. Therefore, it’s completely legal for you to access banking services in Bolivia without becoming a Bolivian citizen, *but you must be at least a temporary resident*.

As a foreigner, *after becoming a temporary or permanent resident*, you can open a checking or savings account in Bolivia. To do so, the bank employee will ask you to present your foreigner ID and, in many cases, your residence permit. You’ll also need to deposit some money into the new bank account, typically a few tens or hundreds of dollars.

Once you open a bank account in Bolivia, you can obtain a Bolivian debit or credit card, which will be supported by either Mastercard or VISA. You can use this card to make withdrawals from the bank’s own ATMs, as well as from any other ATMs within Bolivia for a small additional charge of $0.20.

Bolivian banks can provide you with various types of loans, including home, business, or consumer loans. *However, you’ll need to have at least temporary residency and a formal job or income within the country*.

You can use your foreign Mastercard or VISA card at any ATM in Bolivia.

All Major Banks Available in Bolivia (Full List)

There are *only 12 major banks in Bolivia*, and they serve nearly all Bolivians in the country:

1. Union Bank (Banco Unión)
2. Mercantile Santa Cruz Bank (Banco Mercantil Santa Cruz)
3. BNB Bank (Banco Nacional de Bolivia BNB)
4. Credit Bank (Banco de Crédito BCP)
5. Bisa Bank (Banco Bisa)
6. Fassil Bank (Banco Fassil)
7. Fie Bank (Banco Fie)
8. Ganadero Bank (Banco Ganadero)
9. Economic Bank (Banco Económico)
10. BancoSol Bank (Banco BancoSol)
11. Prodem Bank (Banco Prodem)
12. Fortaleza Bank (Banco Fortaleza)

1) Union Bank

Union Bank is the only bank *owned by the Bolivian government*, and it’s also the second largest in the country. This government bank is responsible for:

• Managing payments and accounts for public employees.
• Administering various social credit and loan programs.
• Initiating government and socio-economic projects.
• Managing accounts and funds for other public institutions.
• Serving private clients and companies in standard banking operations.

Prior to 2010, this bank was a private company, but *the Bolivian government acquired it* to improve the management of its financial resources and government projects.

This is a large bank, and one of the most important in the country, which is expected given its government backing. *However, in our experience*, this bank generally offers adequate services to both regular corporate and personal clients.

At this bank, *as a tourist*, you can:

• Use its 412 ATMs nationwide (with MasterCard or Visa).
• Send/receive money through Western Union, MoneyGram, and similar services.

At this bank, *as a resident with a foreigner ID card*, you can:

• Open a checking account.
• Open a savings account.
• Make international wire transfers.
• Obtain various types of loans.
• Get a debit or credit card (with Visa or MasterCard withdrawal support).
• Utilize its 219 physical branches across the country.
• Use its 412 ATMs nationwide.
• Send/receive money through Western Union, MoneyGram, and similar services.

Main Phone: (+591) 800102872

Secondary Phone: (+591-2) 2161717

Facebook: Fanpage

Bank app: Play Store, App Store

Santa Cruz Branch: 156 Libertad St.

La Paz Branch: 1544 “16 de Julio” Ave.

Cochabamba Branch: 725 Ballivian Ave.

List of Branches and ATMs (non-translated, translated)

2) Mercantile Santa Cruz Bank

As previously mentioned, the Mercantile Santa Cruz Bank (Banco Mercantil Santa Cruz) is the largest in Bolivia and has held this position since the America Economia ranking began tracking bank sizes in 2013.

The Mercantile Santa Cruz Bank is also rated as the second-best bank in Bolivia according to the CAMELS rating system used in the country.

It’s worth noting that *we, as a business, also use this as our primary bank* for money transfers, wire transfers, and savings accounts. Why? Because we’ve found that this bank *offers slightly lower commissions* for various services. We’ve also observed that it has a large number of ATMs available throughout most urban areas.

If you want to know how to open a bank account in Bolivia as a foreigner, visit our dedicated guide, which covers all the requirements and steps: How to open a bank account in Bolivia? A complete guide.

At this bank, *as a tourist*, you can:

• Use its 505 ATMs nationwide (with MasterCard or Visa).
• Send/receive money through Western Union, MoneyGram, and similar services.

At this bank, *as a resident with a foreigner ID card*, you can:

• Open a checking account.
• Open a savings account.
• Make international wire transfers.
• Obtain various types of loans.
• Get a debit or credit card (with Visa or MasterCard withdrawal support).
• Utilize its 180 physical branches across the country.
• Use its 505 ATMs nationwide.
• Send/receive money through Western Union, MoneyGram, and similar services.

Main Phone: (+591-2) 2114010

Secondary Phones: (+591-3) 3114010, (+591-2) 4114010

Facebook: Fanpage

Bank app: Play Store, App Store

Santa Cruz Branch: 154 Junin St.

La Paz Branch: 295 Ayacucho St.

Cochabamba Branch: E-198 Nataniel Aguirre St.

List of Branches and ATMs (non-translated, translated)

3) BNB Bank

The BNB Bank (Banco Nacional de Bolivia BNB) is also ranked *as the best bank in Bolivia* according to the CAMELS banking rating system used in the country (see the full report here: in Spanish, or translated).

BNB Bank is primarily focused on serving large private companies in Bolivia, *as well as high-income clients and formally employed individuals* who seek the best and most efficient banking services available.

Like any other bank in Bolivia, this bank offers a wide range of services, including checking and savings accounts, credit cards, business loans (*primarily for large companies*), consumer loans, various types of money transfer systems, etc.

At this bank, *as a tourist*, you can:

• Use its 379 ATMs nationwide (with MasterCard or Visa).
• Send/receive money through Western Union, MoneyGram, and similar services.

At this bank, *as a resident with a foreigner ID card*, you can:

• Open a checking account.
• Open a savings account.
• Make international wire transfers.
• Obtain various types of loans.
• Get a debit or credit card (with Visa or MasterCard withdrawal support).
• Utilize its 81 physical branches across the country.
• Use its 379 ATMs nationwide.
• Send/receive money through Western Union, MoneyGram, and similar services.

Main Phone: (+591) 78787272

Secondary Phones: (+591-2) 2313232

Facebook: Fanpage

Bank app: Play Store, App Store

Santa Cruz Branch: 258 Rene Moreno St.

La Paz Branch: 1296 Camacho Ave.

Cochabamba Branch: E-198 Nataniel Aguirre St.

List of Branches and ATMs (non-translated, translated)

4) Bisa Bank

The Bisa Bank (Banco Bisa) has nearly 60 years of history in Bolivia. It began as an industrial bank primarily serving mining and agricultural companies but later transitioned into a commercial bank serving various types of businesses and individual clients.

Bisa Bank has the following key financial metrics:

Assets: $3.296 billion

Liabilities: $3.067 billion

Equity: $229.5 million

Annual Income: $31.1 million

Loan Portfolio: $2.173 billion

Savings Deposits: $2.487 billion

Nationwide Branches: 82

Nationwide ATMs: 339

5) Credit Bank

The Credit Bank (Banco de Crédito BCP) is a subsidiary of the Peruvian Credit Bank, formed from the acquisition of a previous Bolivian bank called Popular Bank. Since then, the Credit Bank in Bolivia has grown to become one of the largest operating in the country.

The Credit Bank has also been recognized as the bank *with the best digital services* in Bolivia by Global Finance in 2020.

We’ve observed that this bank *maintains a good balance across all its client types and services*, including corporate clients, personal clients, and small and large clients. We haven’t seen it excel in any particular area or service, but it performs adequately in providing all these financial services.

At this bank, *as a tourist*, you can:

• Use its 300 ATMs nationwide (with MasterCard or Visa).
• Send/receive money through Western Union, MoneyGram, and similar services.

At this bank, *as a resident with a foreigner ID card*, you can:

• Open a checking account.
• Open a savings account.
• Make international wire transfers.
• Obtain various types of loans.
• Get a debit or credit card (with Visa or MasterCard withdrawal support).
• Utilize its 80 physical branches across the country.
• Use its 300 ATMs nationwide.
• Send/receive money through Western Union, MoneyGram, and similar services.

Main Phone: (+591) 72002244 (WhatsApp)

Secondary Phones: (+591-2) 2114141, (+591-3) 3114141, (+591-3) 4114141

Facebook: Fanpage

Bank app: Play Store, App Store

Santa Cruz Branch: 158 “24 de Septiembre” St.

La Paz Branch: 1308 Colón St.

Cochabamba Branch: S-0498 Nataniel Aguirre St.

List of Branches and ATMs (non-translated, translated)

6) Fassil Bank

This is also a major bank in the country, offering all the services you might need as a resident of Bolivia. *It’s a relatively new bank*, founded in 2014, but it has experienced rapid growth, to the point where it’s now the 165th largest bank in South America.

Fassil Bank is *not yet widely recognized* among Bolivians. As citizens, it’s not our first choice for banking; we generally prefer the banks listed earlier.

At this bank, *as a tourist*, you can:

• Use its 312 ATMs nationwide (with MasterCard or Visa).
• Send/receive money through Western Union, MoneyGram, and similar services.

At this bank, *as a resident with a foreigner ID card*, you can:

• Open a checking account.
• Open a savings account.
• Make international wire transfers.
• Obtain various types of loans.
• Get a debit or credit card (with Visa or MasterCard withdrawal support).
• Utilize its 179 physical branches across the country.
• Use its 312 ATMs nationwide.
• Send/receive money through Western Union, MoneyGram, and similar services.

Main Phone: (+591) 800123737

Secondary Phone: (+591-3) 3158000

Facebook: Fanpage

Bank app: Play Store, App Store

Santa Cruz Branch: 4210 Cristo Redentor Ave.

La Paz Branch: 2519 Arce Ave.

Cochabamba Branch: 508 Nataniel Aguirre St.

List of Branches and ATMs (non-translated, translated)

7) Fie Bank

Banco FIE is a *relatively smaller bank* in our country. It’s not a bad institution; it offers everything you might need as a Bolivian or resident. It’s a full-service bank providing the complete range of banking services.

From our experience using this bank, we’ve regularly noticed *a shortage of readily available ATMs*. We’ve often struggled to quickly locate an ATM near our location.

At this bank, *as a tourist*, you can:

• Use its 208 ATMs nationwide (with MasterCard or Visa).
• Send/receive money through Western Union, MoneyGram, and similar services.

At this bank, *as a resident with a foreigner ID card*, you can:

• Open a checking account.
• Open a savings account.
• Make international wire transfers.
• Obtain various types of loans.
• Get a debit or credit card (with Visa or MasterCard withdrawal support).
• Utilize its 145 physical branches across the country.
• Use its 218 ATMs nationwide.
• Send/receive money through Western Union, MoneyGram, and similar services.

Main Phone: (+591) 800101112

Secondary Phone: (+591) 71526237 (WhatsApp)

Facebook: Fanpage

Bank app: Play Store, App Store

Santa Cruz Branch: 31st Block, 5th Ring, Cristo Redentor and Banzer Ave.

La Paz Branch: 2652 “6 de Agosto” Ave.

Cochabamba Branch: 169 Jose de la Reza St.

List of Branches and ATMs (non-translated, translated)

8) Ganadero Bank

Banco Ganadero is another major, yet smaller, bank in Bolivia. Despite its size, it has earned a place among the 250 largest banks in South America. Additionally, JP Morgan recognized it with the “Elite Quality Recognition Award 2021” for its work supporting international trade with JP Morgan.

We’ve observed that Banco Ganadero focuses primarily on corporate clients and formally employed individuals seeking various types of loans. We’ve also noticed that its loan interest rates tend to be slightly higher. Moreover, it often lags behind in adopting innovations in financial services, and it doesn’t have a large number of ATMs.

At this bank, *as a tourist*, you can:

• Use its 160 ATMs nationwide (with MasterCard or Visa).
• Send/receive money through Western Union, MoneyGram, and similar services.

At this bank, *as a resident with a foreigner ID card*, you can:

• Open a checking account.
• Open a savings account.
• Make international wire transfers.
• Obtain various types of loans.
• Get a debit or credit card (with Visa or MasterCard withdrawal support).
• Utilize its 37 physical branches across the country.
• Use its 160 ATMs nationwide.
• Send/receive money through Western Union, MoneyGram, and similar services.

Main Phone: (+591) 800103939

Secondary Phone: (+591) 72103001 (WhatsApp)

Facebook: Fanpage

Bank app: Play Store, App Store

Santa Cruz Branch: 99 Bolivar St.

La Paz Branch: 1372 Camacho Ave.

Cochabamba Branch: 174 Ayacucho Ave.

List of Branches and ATMs (non-translated, translated)

9) Economic Bank

The Economic Bank is another significant, though smaller, multipurpose bank operating in Bolivia. This entity also doesn’t specialize in any particular financial area or service *and isn’t typically among the first choices for Bolivians* when they require financial services.

As clients, we haven’t observed any particular advantage in using this bank compared to the top-ranked banks on this list. We recall that it introduced prepaid debit cards back in 2011, being the only bank to offer this option at the time. Perhaps coincidentally, *this bank has been recognized as one of the 25 most innovative banks* in South America (Fintech Americas rating).

At this bank, *as a tourist*, you can:

• Use its 146 ATMs nationwide (with MasterCard or Visa).
• Send/receive money through Western Union, MoneyGram, and similar services.

At this bank, *as a resident with a foreigner ID card*, you can:

• Open a checking account.
• Open a savings account.
• Make international wire transfers.
• Obtain various types of loans.
• Get a debit or credit card (with Visa or MasterCard withdrawal support).
• Utilize its 47 physical branches across the country.
• Use its 146 ATMs nationwide.
• Send/receive money through Western Union, MoneyGram, and similar services.

Main Phone: (+591) 62046840 (WhatsApp)

Secondary Phones: (+591-2) 2155200, (+591-3) 3155500, (+591-4) 4155500

Facebook: Fanpage

Bank app: Play Store, App Store

Santa Cruz Branch: 166 Ayacucho St.

La Paz Branch: 296 “6 de Agosto” Ave.

Cochabamba Branch: S-0459 Nataniel Aguirre St.

List of Branches and ATMs (non-translated, translated)

10) BancoSol Bank

BancoSol is a smaller bank in Bolivia that *primarily focuses on providing loans to small businesses* and entrepreneurs (PYMEs, as they’re called in Bolivia), with total assets ranging from $10,000 to $1 million. However, it also offers the full range of services that any multipurpose bank typically provides in Bolivia.

We haven’t observed any particular advantage in using this bank compared to the top-ranked banks on this list. *If you have a small business or company in Bolivia*, this entity could be one of your primary options for obtaining a loan. As personal clients, we’ve noticed a shortage of available ATMs from this bank throughout the country.

At this bank, *as a tourist*, you can:

• Use its 202 ATMs nationwide (with MasterCard or Visa).
• Send/receive money through Western Union, MoneyGram, and similar services.

At this bank, *as a resident with a foreigner ID card*, you can:

• Open a checking account.
• Open a savings account.
• Make international wire transfers.
• Obtain various types of loans.
• Get a debit or credit card (with Visa or MasterCard withdrawal support).
• Utilize its 102 physical branches across the country.
• Use its 202 ATMs nationwide.
• Send/receive money through Western Union, MoneyGram, and similar services.

Main Phone: (+591) 800102929

Secondary Phone: (+591-2) 2176900

Facebook: Fanpage

Bank app: Play Store, App Store

Santa Cruz Branch: 36 Buenos Aires

La Paz Branch: 289 Nicolas Acosta St.

Cochabamba Branch: 631 Esteban Arze St.

List of Branches and ATMs (non-translated, translated)

11) Prodem Bank

This is a relatively new bank operating in Bolivia and is not very well-established in the minds of most Bolivians. It’s also not a highly preferred bank for them. *It’s not widely known in the country*, despite being a relatively large bank. Additionally, its online services are not the best available.

We, as Bolivians, but not as current or past clients, believe that this bank is simply a decent financial institution offering standard financial services and doesn’t excel in any specific area. Nevertheless, this entity is rapidly gaining popularity and market share.

At this bank, *as a tourist*, you can:

• Use its 178 ATMs nationwide (with MasterCard or Visa).
• Send/receive money through Western Union, MoneyGram, and similar services.

At this bank, *as a resident with a foreigner ID card*, you can:

• Open a checking account.
• Open a savings account.
• Make international wire transfers.
• Obtain various types of loans.
• Get a debit or credit card (with Visa or MasterCard withdrawal support).
• Utilize its 135 physical branches across the country.
• Use its 178 ATMs nationwide.
• Send/receive money through Western Union, MoneyGram, and similar services.

Main Phone: (+591) 800109797

Secondary Phones: (+591-2) 2126700, (+591-3) 3113689, (+591-4) 4259190

Facebook: Fanpage

Bank app: Non-existent

Santa Cruz Branch: 674 Arenales St.

La Paz Branch: 520 Belisario Salinas St.

Cochabamba Branch: 164 Calama St.

List of Branches and ATMs (non-translated, translated)

12) Fortaleza Bank

Fortaleza Bank is the smallest on this list but already has a presence in all of Bolivia’s major cities. It continues to grow and expand its market share in our country.

We have used this bank in the past, and it consistently stands out for offering significantly higher interest rates on savings accounts and fixed-term deposits compared to other banks, with rates typically ranging from 3.5% to 6.5%. However, it’s quite challenging to find an ATM for this bank throughout the cities, *and it also lacks advanced online services*.

At this bank, *as a tourist*, you can:

• Use its fewer than 100 ATMs nationwide (with MasterCard or Visa).
• Send/receive money through Western Union, MoneyGram, and similar services.

At this bank, *as a resident with a foreigner ID card*, you can:

• Open a checking account.
• Open a savings account.
• Make international wire transfers.
• Obtain various types of loans.
• Get a debit or credit card (with Visa or MasterCard withdrawal support).
• Utilize its 39 physical branches across the country.
• Use its fewer than 100 ATMs nationwide.
• Send/receive money through Western Union, MoneyGram, and similar services.

Main Phone: (+591-2) 2317211

Secondary Phone: (+591-3) 3322929

Facebook: Fanpage

Bank app: Play Store, App Store

Santa Cruz Branch: 140 Gabriel Rene Moreno Ave.

La Paz Branch: 1440 16 de Julio Ave.

Cochabamba Branch: 739 Ballivian Ave.

List of Branches and ATMs (non-translated, translated)

Foreign Banks Available in Bolivia

Currently, there are no foreign banks from developed countries operating in Bolivia. Citibank was the last bank with a branch here, *but it closed in 2010*.

Instead, we now have only one foreign bank, and it’s from another South American country:

• Banco de la Nación Argentina (from Argentina).

In Bolivia, this bank *primarily serves corporate clients* and is not open to individual accounts. It also offers a very limited range of banking services in the country.

Conclusions:

In this article about Bolivia’s most important banks, you’ve received a comprehensive list of the 12 main full-service banks operating in the country. You’ve seen detailed information about each of these financial institutions, including their contact information and our assessment of their services as Bolivian clients.

You’ve learned that each of these banks offers a wide range of services to foreigners, *but only when they are at least temporary residents and possess a foreigner ID card*. These services include opening checking and savings accounts, making money transfers, providing MasterCard and Visa debit and credit cards, and offering services at dozens of branches and several hundred ATMs throughout Bolivia.

Finally, you’ve learned that it’s possible to use a foreign Mastercard or VISA card at any ATM in Bolivia. You can also obtain a debit card after opening a checking or savings account in our country, and this card can be used at any ATM in the country, including those of other banks, for a small additional fee of around $0.20 per transaction.

We hope this information has been helpful. If you want to open a bank account in Bolivia as a foreigner and need to know all the detailed requirements and steps, please visit our dedicated guide here: How to Open a Bank Account in Bolivia as a Foreigner? A Complete Guide.

CasasenBolivia.com, information on living, working, investing, and traveling in Bolivia.