Marriage of a U.S. Citizen in Bolivia

Before any civil registrar's office will permit an American to marry in Bolivia, the following documents must be presented

1. Certified copy of birth certificate translated into Spanish and authenticated by a Bolivian consul in United States. If you are in Bolivia, this could be translated into Spanish by any of the official translators and authenticated by the U.S. consul in Bolivia.

2. If applicable, certified copies of death certificates or divorce decree termination previous marriages, translated into Spanish and authenticated by a Bolivian Consul in the United States, or an American Consul in Bolivia.

3. Valid United States passport.

4. Written statement in Spanish sworn to before an American consul in Bolivia giving the applicant's marital status.

5. Proof of three months continuous residence in Bolivia by the American Applicant(s).

Bolivian Marriage Laws

Only civil marriage is recognized as legal in Bolivia and that can be performed only by a civil registry official either before of after a church ceremony. Although the age of majority in Bolivia is 21, men can marry at 16 and women at 14 with permission from parents or guardians. Exceptions can be made for pregnant minors whose parents refuse permission and for orphans (Orphans must have permission to marry from the Tribunal Tutelar del Menor y del Juez de Familia.) As in the United States, marriage is not permitted between close blood relatives and bigamy is against the law. Unlike the U.S., marriage is also forbidden to a long list of others, including the mentally ill. Finally, widows, divorcees and women who have had marriages annulled cannot remarry sooner than 300 days after the death of a husband, final decree or other legal separation notice.

United States citizens may wish to have their Bolivian marriage certificate notarized by an American Consul, previous authentication before the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

STEP 1: The process starts with the filing of the I-130 petition ("petition for Alien relative"). The instructions on that form should be followed. What is required, in addition to the U.S. citizen completing and signing the form, is:

1. The marriage certificate of the Civil Ceremony
2. The U.S. passport of the citizen filing the petition
3. Previous divorce decrees for each person, if any
4. $110.00 filing fee, payable in cash in dollars or Bolivianos

STEP 2: The second step in the IV process is called "packet 3" which is usually handed out to people once they have filed the petition. The things to be completed in packet 3 are:

1. Application for IV (Form OF-230, part1)
2. Special type of photo for the green card
3. A check list for documents which are required
4. Birth certificates of the non-U.S. citizen
5. An affidavit of financial support (I-864) to be completed by the U.S. citizen. Note that this must include the last three years of IRS 1040 forms of the U.S. citizen who is petitioning. If the citizen can not meet these requirements, then a joint sponsor may be considered. The form has complete instructions.

1. Application for IV (Form OF-230, part 2)
2. A sworn statement to be completed by the applicant, and signed by the applicant in front of the consular officer.
   Police records for the applicant from every place the applicant has resided for more than six months after the age of 16 (called "certificado de antecendes" in Spanish). Available from the police here, which the applicant must obtain him/herself. In the case of other countries, the applicant usually needs to go to the Embassy of that country and request from them such a certificate.
3. A complete medical exam of the applicant. This must be done by the panel physician, not just any doctor. There is a list of panel physicians in packet four. It is up to the applicant to schedule all medical appointments, including lab work, x-ray, vaccinations, etc. and to provide payment for such services. The panel physician will complete all the necessary forms, such as form OF-157, "Medical Exam", Vaccination form, etc.
4. IRS Form 9003, a short form to be filed if the petitioner owes back taxes

Some hints about how this process can be done as quickly as possible. The applicant should/can:

• Come to the Consular Section before the marriage and get required forms and information
• Have the applicant get his/her medical exams at the required panel physician with the required forms right away. The medical exams are good for one year.
• Have the applicant get his/her police certificates, which are also good for one year.
• Get the affidavit of support (I-864) and supporting documents (1040s) completed and notarized ASAP. Also good for a year, and in many cases, the U.S. citizen may require a joint sponsor.
• Get the green card style photos as soon as possible; they are valid for one year as well.
• Get all documents, such as birth certificates, previous divorce decrees, etc. together, even before the marriage.
• File the petition as soon as possible after the wedding. Remember, the entire process may take anywhere from one to six months after the petition is approved.