Notarial and documentary services guide for Bolivia
Documents, certificates, and notarial services available at British Embassy in Bolivia.
Overview
The British consulate can provide a range of notarial and documentary services for British nationals in Bolivia.
Where local notaries can provide services, the British consulate will not provide them. In many cases local notaries or lawyers can provide services more cheaply, quickly and conveniently.
You must make an appointment for each service. Use the links after each service to make an appointment. Before booking, make sure you have selected the correct service and that the document will be accepted by the relevant authority. This could be the local town hall, registry office, tax authorities, immigration office or another authority either in Bolivia, the UK or a third country.
Refunds will not be given for certificates or notarial services that are not accepted by the requesting authority.
Services we provide in Bolivia
Consular staff in La Paz can:
- administer an oath, affirmation or affidavit
- witness a signature
- unite documents
- make a certified copy of a document
- prepare a document in English or Spanish
- convert a civil partnership to marriage
For information about documents relating to marriage, such as a certificate of no impediment (CNI) and same-sex marriages, see getting married abroad.
If you cannot find the service you are looking for in this page, see other services provided by the British Embassy in La Paz section at the British Embassy in La Paz
What to bring to your appointment
See the individual services below for details of supporting documents to bring. Make sure you have acceptable proof of address and identity, and payment for any fees. See the full list of consular fees
Payment
We accept payment by cash in local currency (Bolivian Bolivianos BOB) or by debit/credit card (Visa and Mastercard accepted).
Proof of address and identity
For all appointments for notarial services you will need to bring acceptable proof of your identity. Some services may require to submit proof of address.
We accept passports, driving licenses or national identity cards as proof of identity.
We accept, utility bills, bank documents, national identity cards and immigration documents as proof of address.
Administer an oath, affirmation or affidavit
This service is for people who need to swear an oath, make an affirmation or make an affidavit in front of a consular officer.
The consulate will not draft documents for you. First check with the consulate what format they need and then have the document drawn up or checked by a professional.
What you will need to bring with you:
- the oath, affirmation or affidavit that you will swear or affirm
- the correct fee – see the list of fees
- proof of identity
Book an appointment to administer an oath, affirmation or affidavit in Bolivia
Witness a signature
This service is for customers who need to sign a document and have their signature witnessed by a consular officer. The document must be prepared before your appointment as we will not draft documents for you. We do not handle wills or probate, or witness deed polls.
Please do not sign the document before your appointment.
What you will need to bring with you:
- the document that you will sign before a witness
- the correct fee – see the list of fees
- proof of identity/address
Book an appointment to witness a signature in Bolivia
Unite documents
This service joins documents together using ribbon and a seal and is usually only needed for legal reasons. What you will need to bring with you:
- the documents to be united
- the correct fee – list of fees
- proof of identity
Book an appointment to unite documents in Bolivia
Make a certified copy of a document
This service is for customers who need certified photocopies of British passports, Home Office registration/naturalisation certificates, UK educational documents (only those that have been issued in the UK by a recognised institution and are listed on the Legalisation Office website, British driving licences (both the plastic card and paper document are required) and British divorce decrees. This service is completed in one working day.
What you will need to bring with you:
- the original document that you need a certified copy of
- the correct fee – see the list of fees
- proof of identity
Book an appointment to make a certified copy in Bolivia
Prepare a document in English or the local language
This service is for customers who require a signed and stamped version of one of our standard letters. In a limited number of cases consular staff can write a statement of fact (‘preparing a certificate’) to help British nationals with various local authorities. The wording must be cleared with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in London, which means these documents will take longer to prepare.
We can only provide this service if we have proof that the wording/content you require is correct and unambiguous. This service is provided at the discretion of consular staff and we can refuse to provide it. Please contact the consulate before making an appointment. We can prepare these documents in English or in Spanish. Please ensure you select the correct service and note the difference in fees.
What you will need to bring with you:
- original written evidence to support your request for a letter from the consulate
- the correct fee – see the list of fees
- proof of identity
Book an appointment to prepare a document in English or in Spanish in Bolivia.
Convert a civil partnership to marriage
This service is for couples who wish to convert an existing civil partnership into marriage. For information on getting married or entering into a civil partnership, see getting married abroad.
You do not need to have formed your civil partnership in Bolivia, but you must have been living here for 28 days. We can convert civil partnerships formed between a British national and a partner of any nationality. Read what you need to know about converting a civil partnership and then book your appointment using the link/links below.
What you will need to bring with you:
- your passport
- your partner’s passport
- your original civil partnership certificate
- proof of residence, such as an employer’s letter, bank statement, utility bills, immigration stamps or hotel bills
- the correct fee – see the list of fees
Book an appointment to convert a civil partnership to marriage at Bolivia
Services provided elsewhere
We no longer witness life certificates for British nationals claiming a British pension abroad. Please refer to the list of people working in a recognised profession who can do this for you.
Data protection
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office holds and uses data for purposes notified to the Information Commissioner under the Data Protection Act 1998. Such personal data may be disclosed to other UK government departments and public authorities.
Disclaimer
This information is provided as a general guide and is based upon information provided to the embassy / consulate by the relevant authorities and may be subject to change at any time with little or no notice. Accordingly, the FCDO and the British embassy / consulate will not be liable for any inaccuracies in this information. For all notarial and legalisation services it is the responsibility of the customer to ascertain the precise requirements of the person requesting the notarial or legalisation service and to satisfy themselves that the service provided by the embassy/consulate will be accepted.
Last updated 6 October 2020 + show all updates
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Update on services provided
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Remove "certify a translation" from the list of services.
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Important changes to the content
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First published.