To open a bank account in Bolivia you need an ID the rules accept, the bank's account-opening form and a signature record. Bolivian citizens use their cédula de identidad (national ID card). Foreigners need the Cédula de Identidad de Extranjero (CIE, foreigner ID card), which is issued only to legal residents; a passport alone is not on the regulator's list. A savings account in bolivianos opens for free or for a few hundred bolivianos, but a US dollar account asks for USD 5,000 to USD 10,000 in cash at the banks we checked. Deposits are insured up to UFV40,000 per person.
All dollar equivalents below use Bs11.75 per US dollar, the official exchange rate the Banco Central de Bolivia (BCB, the central bank) set for November 10, 2026. That rate changes every business day; see how Bolivia's official dollar rate works.
Which ID the rules accept
The account rules are set by ASFI (Autoridad de Supervisión del Sistema Financiero, Bolivia's financial regulator) in its Recopilación de Normas para Servicios Financieros, Book 2, Title II. For an individual opening a savings or current (checking) account, the minimum list is:
- An ID document: the Bolivian cédula de identidad, the CIE, or a Documento Especial de Identificación (the diplomatic and consular IDs issued by Bolivia's foreign ministry).
- A signature record kept by the bank.
- The bank's account-opening form.
- A tax ID (NIT, Número de Identificación Tributaria) "when applicable", for example if you run a business.
The rule defines the CIE as the ID of "foreign citizens residing" in Bolivia. Banks may ask for more documents under their "know your customer" policies, and a current account also requires that you are not on ASFI's list of accounts closed for bounced checks.
If you will bank as a sole proprietorship, add the NIT, an up-to-date commercial registration and, if someone else will run the account, a registered power of attorney. Our guide to registering a company in Bolivia covers those steps.
Foreign residents: get the CIE first
The CIE is issued by SEGIP (Servicio General de Identificación Personal, the national ID agency) after the Dirección General de Migración (DIGEMIG, the immigration office) grants you temporary or permanent residence. According to SEGIP's requirements page, checked on November 10, 2026, a first CIE requires:
- Your valid passport (or another ID document), original and copy.
- Your temporary or permanent residence and the DIGEMIG administrative resolution.
- Proof of DIGEMIG's notification and SEGIP's pre-registration form.
It costs Bs600 (about USD 51), or Bs300 for students and people with disabilities. You have 25 business days from DIGEMIG's notification to apply; after that SEGIP charges a fine of Bs10 per day. The fee is paid into a Banco Unión account; SEGIP says QR payments are not accepted for this procedure.
Returning Bolivians
Your cédula de identidad is the document that counts. Several banks validate it against SEGIP's database during online opening, and Banco Fortaleza asks for a valid card. If yours has expired, renew it first; see how to renew your ID with SEGIP (in Spanish).
Opening an account online
As of November 10, 2026, these banks offer online savings accounts on their official sites:
- Banco Fortaleza: from your phone, with facial recognition and a digital signature. It requires being 18 or older, a valid cédula de identidad and residence in Bolivia.
- Banco de Crédito de Bolivia: via app or browser with facial recognition and a code sent to your phone. You collect the debit card at a branch.
- Banco Bisa and BancoSol also advertise online opening.
None of these pages says whether a CIE works for online opening. If you are a foreign resident, ask the bank or go to a branch with your CIE.
What it costs to open and use an account
Opening amounts in three fee schedules, checked on November 10, 2026:
| Account | BNB (Oct 16, 2026) | Ganadero (Nov 4, 2026) | Económico (Sep 23, 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Savings in bolivianos, individual | Bs400 (about USD 34); Bs0 for payroll accounts | No minimum | No initial deposit |
| Savings in US dollars, individual | USD 5,000 in cash | USD 10,000 in cash | USD 10,000 in cash |
Day-to-day fees at BNB, per its schedule: a withdrawal at another bank's ATM costs Bs10 (about USD 0.85), replacing a lost debit card costs Bs50 (about USD 4), and its account protection insurance costs Bs19 a month per card, with "voluntary" enrollment. Ganadero also charges Bs10 at other banks' ATMs and Bs50 for a card replaced through your fault.
Bolivia's Financial Services Law, Ley 393, bans charging for services you did not request or accept (article 88). If an insurance add-on appears on your statement, ask for it to be removed.
Dollar accounts in 2026
All three schedules require the first dollar deposit in cash and in dollars. Ganadero's USD 10,000 equals Bs117,500 at the November 10 official rate. Interest is close to zero: Ganadero pays 0.01% a year on individual dollar savings, and Económico's basic dollar account pays 0.005% up to USD 10,000.99.
Since June 27, 2026, the official rate has been a daily figure. Under BCB board resolution RD 142/2026, it is the weighted median of the dollar purchases banks make from their customers, rounded to two decimals. You can follow it on our official dollar today tool (in Spanish).
Before opening a dollar account, ask the bank in writing how you can withdraw (cash or transfer), with what limits and at what fee. If you will receive money from abroad, see how payments to Bolivia work.
Interest on boliviano savings
Decree DS 2055 requires at least 2% a year on savings accounts. It applies only to individuals, in bolivianos, and only if your average monthly balance at that bank does not exceed Bs100,000 (about USD 8,511), per DS 5403 of 2025. It does not apply to dollar accounts.
Deposit insurance: how far it goes
The Fondo de Protección del Ahorrista (Savers' Protection Fund) covers the principal (not interest) in current, savings and fixed-term accounts up to UFV40,000 per person, regardless of how many accounts you have, their type or their currency (Ley 393, articles 536 and 537). The UFV (Unidad de Fomento de Vivienda) is an inflation-indexed unit; at the BCB's value of Bs3.37151 for November 10, 2026, the cap is about Bs134,860, roughly USD 11,477.
Three details matter for foreigners:
- Payouts are in bolivianos. Dollar deposits are converted at the official rate on the repayment date (article 538).
- You have 180 calendar days from the start of repayments to claim (article 540).
- Deposits in foreign branches of Bolivian banks are not covered (article 536).
Your rights
Under Ley 393 you can close your account whenever you want, and the bank cannot charge you for ending the contract (article 90). You also have the right to clear information and to complaint channels (article 74). Complain first at your bank's Punto de Reclamo (complaints desk). If that fails, contact ASFI's Defensoría del Consumidor Financiero (financial consumer ombudsman), toll-free from Bolivia at 800 103 103 (ASFI leaflet).
FAQ
Can a foreigner open a bank account in Bolivia? Yes, if you are a legal resident with a CIE. The ASFI rule lists the CIE as an accepted ID for individuals.
Can I open a Bolivian bank account with just my passport? The passport is not among the IDs the ASFI rule accepts for opening savings or current accounts. Ask the bank directly before you go.
Can I open a US dollar account in Bolivia? Yes. At BNB, Ganadero and Económico, the first deposit must be USD 5,000 to USD 10,000 in cash.
Is my money insured if a Bolivian bank fails? Up to UFV40,000 per person across all your accounts at that bank, about Bs134,860 on November 10, 2026, paid back in bolivianos.
Can I open an account online from abroad? Banco Fortaleza's digital account requires residence in Bolivia. Confirm the conditions with each bank before you apply.
To send money home instead, see how remittances to Bolivia work (in Spanish).
