Last Updated on February 15, 2025
Buying real estate in Bolivia isn’t as straightforward as you might expect. As Bolivian real estate experts who assist many Bolivians with their real estate projects, we’ll provide you with key insights, including all the details and restrictions, for buying property in our country.
Foreigners cannot buy real estate in Bolivia as tourists. They need at least temporary residency and a Bolivian-issued foreigner ID card to purchase property. However, once these requirements are met, they can buy properties without restrictions.
Here, we’ll thoroughly discuss the restrictions, laws, and regulations that apply to foreigners purchasing various types of urban and rural real estate in Bolivia. We’ll also outline the steps you can take to acquire property in the country.
Can Foreigners Buy Real Estate in Bolivia?
Once they have at least temporary resident status, individuals from overseas have the same rights as Bolivian citizens, including the right to buy and sell real estate within the country, without any limitations.
It’s also a misconception that foreigners cannot purchase property within Bolivia’s 31.1-mile-wide frontier zone. Most can, except for individuals from neighboring countries. For instance, Peruvians cannot buy property on the Bolivia-Peru border, *but they can* purchase real estate on the Bolivia-Chile border.

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However, to be legally permitted to buy a house in Bolivia, you must be at least a temporary resident. You cannot buy a house as a tourist! To obtain temporary residency, you need a valid reason (such as work, health, study, or family purposes, among others).
As a foreigner, there are three categories of Bolivian real estate to consider in terms of purchase eligibility:
- You can buy all types of urban real estate.
- You cannot buy any type of rural real estate.
- You also cannot buy any type of real estate within Bolivia’s 31.1-mile-wide frontier zone *if you are a citizen of a neighboring country*.
After becoming at least a temporary resident, the steps and requirements for purchasing eligible real estate are largely the same as for Bolivians, except for the ID, which will be your foreigner ID.
Warning: You Cannot Buy a House as a Tourist in Bolivia
As previously stated, if you are in Bolivia solely as a tourist (holding that legal status), you are not permitted to purchase a house.
Bolivian law requires that, to possess rights and responsibilities and to be protected and governed by Bolivian law, both Bolivians and foreigners must be properly registered *and possess a Bolivian ID card*. For individuals from other countries, this document is the foreigner ID card, *and obtaining it requires at least temporary residency*.
Once you have this document, you’ll enjoy all the rights, without any limitations, that Bolivian law grants to its citizens. This includes, for example, the ability to work, open a bank account, engage in real estate transactions, invest in businesses, purchase stocks on the Bolivian stock market, and generally do almost everything a Bolivian citizen can.
Obtaining Bolivian temporary residency status is a somewhat complex process, *requiring a valid reason*. Examples include working in Bolivia, working for an embassy or similar organization, or coming for health or educational purposes.
We have a comprehensive guide on obtaining temporary and permanent residency, among other statuses, in Bolivia, here: [Link].
But after you obtain this residency status and your foreigner ID, you will be permitted to buy real estate in Bolivia without any restrictions.

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Types of Real Estate Foreigners Can and Cannot Buy
Now, we’ll discuss the three categories of real estate you can and cannot purchase in Bolivia as a properly registered foreigner, having met the requirements mentioned above.
1) Real Estate in Urban Areas
When it comes to purchasing urban real estate in Bolivia, you have the same rights as Bolivian citizens. The Bolivian Constitution and laws protect your ownership of urban property as if you were a Bolivian.
You also have the same responsibilities and obligations as Bolivian citizens. For example, you must pay taxes on the urban real estate you own, complete all necessary documents and paperwork, and potentially face the same legal challenges, risks, and possible lawsuits that may arise.
This means you can purchase any type of urban real estate, including residential properties, commercial properties, industrial properties, and similar assets. This encompasses homes, commercial galleries, warehouses, urban land, apartments, buildings, and even entire high-rises.
If you’d like to learn how to buy real estate in Bolivia, with all the details regarding paperwork and legal risks, please visit this article, where we cover this topic in depth: How to buy a house in Bolivia, a complete and detailed guide.
2) Real Estate in Rural Areas
Bolivia’s Political Constitution states that no foreign individual or entity is permitted to purchase any type of rural real estate in the country. This means that regardless of whether you are an individual or a foreign company, you cannot buy any kind of rural land, rural house or building, rural real estate for industrial purposes, etc., in Bolivia.
The only way to purchase rural property in Bolivia, without becoming a Bolivian citizen, is *through a Bolivian company*. In short, you must establish a company in Bolivia (in which you hold ownership through shares or a partnership), and this company will be permitted to purchase Bolivian rural real estate for business purposes.
Of course, if you become a Bolivian citizen, you will be permitted and able to purchase any type of real estate available in the country. [Link].
Even as a temporary or permanent resident of Bolivia, you cannot purchase rural real estate. The only ways to achieve this are either by becoming a Bolivian citizen or by purchasing rural properties through a Bolivian company that you own, but only for production purposes.
3) Real Estate Near Bolivia’s Border Regions
This is a long-standing law enacted to protect Bolivia’s sovereignty. It states that no foreign individual or entity from a neighboring country is permitted to purchase any type of urban or rural real estate within the 31.1-mile-wide frontier zone separating their country and Bolivia.
Therefore, it’s incorrect to say that *all* foreigners are prohibited from buying property near Bolivia’s border. Only Brazilians on the Bolivia-Brazil border, Argentinians on the Argentina-Bolivia border, and so on, are restricted from purchasing real estate in those specific areas.

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However, as a foreigner from, for example, North America, Europe, or Asia, you, after obtaining temporary residency, generally have no restrictions on purchasing real estate there, except for the prohibition on rural real estate.
How to Buy Urban Real Estate in Bolivia?
The steps and requirements for purchasing any type of urban real estate in Bolivia are identical for foreigners and Bolivians. In general, you’ll need to complete the following:
- Obtain Bolivian Residency: Before even considering buying a house in Bolivia, you must first obtain at least temporary residency. [Link]. After doing so, you’ll have the same rights as a Bolivian to purchase real estate.
- Preparation Stage: This involves searching for a house that meets your needs, visiting and reviewing numerous properties for sale. You’ll also need to find and hire appropriate legal and real estate professionals.
- Verification Stage: Here, you’ll need to verify the seller’s legitimacy, look for potential scams and hidden risks (real estate scams are common in Bolivia), review the property’s documents, and similar tasks.
- Negotiation Stage: In this stage, you’ll negotiate the property price with the sellers and also verify that it’s a fair price through a professional appraisal.
- Notary Public Stage: Once a deal is reached, you’ll need to register your real estate acquisition with a Bolivian notary public, with the assistance of your attorneys, by signing a public deed for the property.
- Taxes and Local Government Stage: After completing the public deed, you’ll need to pay property purchase taxes and update your name in the city’s local government records.
- Derechos Reales Stage: This is the final stage, where you register your property ownership with the official Bolivian public institution, “Derechos Reales.” *It’s crucial to remember that until you register your acquisition with Derechos Reales, the property is not legally considered yours*.
Always exercise extreme caution when buying a house or real estate in Bolivia. Numerous scams and risks need to be avoided. You’ll require the assistance of attorneys, real estate agents, and *essential knowledge about navigating this process*. Don’t be taken advantage of simply because you’re a foreigner.
We have a definitive guide on buying a house in Bolivia, covering all the risks involved and the necessary legal paperwork, in the following article: How to buy a house in Bolivia as a foreigner?.
Two Strategies for Buying Rural Real Estate
As mentioned earlier, foreign individuals or entities (even temporary or permanent residents) cannot purchase any type of rural property in Bolivia. However, there are some ways to navigate this situation, which we’ll discuss in more detail below.
1) Establish a Bolivian Company as a Foreigner
While foreign companies cannot directly purchase rural real estate, Bolivian laws and regulations do not prohibit Bolivian companies *owned by foreigners* from purchasing rural properties for production purposes.
Therefore, to gain control of rural property in Bolivia *for business and production*, you first need to establish a Bolivian company (a Bolivian legal entity). This process is relatively straightforward, and the steps *are largely the same* for foreigners and Bolivians.
You can establish Bolivian partnerships (S.R.L.) and limited liability companies (S.A.) as the most recommended options for starting a business in the country. Subsequently, you can purchase rural real estate through this Bolivian company, *always with the intention of producing goods and services*, and not for residential purposes.
We have a comprehensive guide on establishing a Bolivian company, covering everything you need to know, in the following article: [Link].
2) Become a Bolivian Citizen
The second way to gain the ability to purchase rural real estate in Bolivia is to become a Bolivian citizen. This is a relatively challenging process, and it will take a considerable amount of time.

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Generally, to become a Bolivian citizen, you’ll need to meet one of the following conditions:
- You can apply for Bolivian citizenship after residing and working in Bolivia for three consecutive years.
- You can marry a Bolivian citizen.
- You have a Bolivian mother or father.
- You *may be* granted Bolivian citizenship for providing military service to Bolivia or exceptional services in other fields.
We have a detailed guide on becoming a Bolivian citizen, outlining all the steps and restrictions, in the following article: [Link].
Conclusions:
In this article, you’ve learned that individuals from other countries can purchase any type of urban real estate property only after becoming at least temporary residents. You cannot buy properties as a tourist. After obtaining this status, you enjoy, without limitations, the right to purchase any type of urban property in the country.
You’ve also seen that foreign individuals or entities are prohibited by law from purchasing rural real estate in Bolivia, even with residency status. However, you’ve learned about two ways to circumvent this restriction: becoming a Bolivian citizen or establishing a Bolivian company and purchasing rural property through that company.
You’ve also reviewed the general steps for buying real estate and the associated risks. Remember that it’s crucial to be well-informed before purchasing real estate in our country. The risk of scams and legal issues is significantly higher than in developed countries. For more information, you can consult our detailed guide on how to buy a house in Bolivia.
CasasenBolivia.com, information on living, working, investing, and traveling in Bolivia.