Bolivia Emigration and Immigration

Online Sources

 * 1946-1971 Free Access: Africa, Asia and Europe, Passenger Lists of Displaced Persons, 1946-1971 Ancestry, free. Index and images. Passenger lists of immigrants leaving Germany and other European ports and airports between 1946-1971. The majority of the immigrants listed in this collection are displaced persons - Holocaust survivors, former concentration camp inmates and Nazi forced laborers, as well as refugees from Central and Eastern European countries and some non-European countries.

Offices and Archives to Contact
Archivo y Biblioteca Nacionales de Bolivia Calle Dalence, 4. 793 Sucre. Bolivia Tel.: (00 591 ) 46460207 E-mail: abnb@entelnet.bo Website
 * Ministerio del Interior: In 1888, this ministry took charge of the Colonisation section, thus becoming responsible for fostering foreign immigration and promoting the establishment of colonies in Bolivia.
 * Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores: Holds the census of foreign nationals from 1942 to 1953.

La Dirección General de Migración Avenida Camacho entre Bueno y Loayza La Paz, Bolivia Phone: (591-2) 2110960 Fax: (591-2) 2110955 Email: comunicacion@migracion.gob.bo
 * It has several relevant series for this topic such as the census of foreign nationals, family ties, passports, etc.

Finding the Town of Origin in Bolivia
If you are using emigration/immigration records to find the name of your ancestors' town in Bolivia, see Bolivia Finding Town of Origin for additional research strategies.

Background

 * Bolivia comparatively has experienced far less immigration than its South American neighbors. Nevertheless, small groups of Germans, Spaniards, Italians, a small Yugoslavian community, and others live in the country.
 * The Basques were a large source of Spanish and European immigration from the late 16th to early 20th centuries. Most came as shepherds and ranchers to Bolivia's vast livestock industry.
 * Similar to other Latin American nations, Bolivia has experienced a small Japanese migration. Beginning in 1899, a small migration of Japanese began that continued until the 1970s. Small Japanese communities were formed in the Bolivian department of Santa Cruz.
 * Other East Asians (Taiwanese and Chinese) and West Asians (Lebanese and Syrians) developed their own communities in Bolivia in the late 20th century.
 * During the 20th century Bolivia received a small number of Jews, mainly Ashkenazi.

Bolivia Emigration and Immigration
"Emigration" means moving out of a country. "Immigration" means moving into a country. Emigration and immigration sources list the names of people leaving (emigrating) or arriving (immigrating) in the country. These sources may be passenger lists, permissions to emigrate, or records of passports issued. The information in these records may include the emigrants’ names, ages, occupations, destinations, and places of origin or birthplaces. Sometimes they also show family groups.

For Further Reading
There are additional sources listed in the FamilySearch Catalog: