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Temporary Humanitarian Stay

BoliviaHumanitarian protection

Explore the five recorded questions, answers and sources for this pathway.

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Explore pathways in Bolivia Read the five questions ↓

What exactly is this: asylum, temporary protection, humanitarian admission, resettlement or another protection mechanism?

Humanitarian temporary stay ('permanencia temporal humanitaria') is an exceptional temporary stay under the regulation of the Migration Law (Decreto Supremo Nº 1923). It authorises foreign nationals who are in Bolivia to stay for up to one year, extendable for similar periods, on four humanitarian grounds: need of international protection covered by the principle of non-refoulement; being a victim of trafficking in persons, smuggling of migrants or other forms of exploitation; accompanying a sick person who requires medical treatment; or having been released in Bolivia during criminal proceedings or while serving a sentence. It does not count as uninterrupted residence.

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Which population, circumstances or geographic group does the mechanism cover?

Humanitarian temporary stay covers four grounds: need of international protection covered by the principle of non-refoulement; being a victim of trafficking in persons or smuggling of migrants or other forms of exploitation; accompanying a sick person who requires medical treatment; and having been released in Bolivian territory during criminal proceedings or during the serving of a sentence. The Migration Law also provides humanitarian temporary stay of one year for people who, for reasons of force majeure beyond their control and duly justified, cannot meet the ordinary requirements.

See recorded sources
  • Bolivia — Decreto Supremo N° 1923, de 12 de marzo de 2014 (Reglamentación de la Ley N° 370), Artículo 13(II)(e)
    e. Permanencia temporal humanitaria, autoriza la permanencia en el territorio boliviano hasta un (1) año a personas extranjeras que se encuentren en territorio boliviano, prorrogable por periodos similares según corresponda. Es de carácter excepcional y no constituye residencia ininterrumpida, es otorgada por las siguientes razones humanitarias: 1. Necesidad de protección internacional, amparada por el principio de no devolución; 2. Ser víctima de trata de personas o tráfico de migrantes u otras formas de explotación; 3. Ser acompañante de persona enferma que requiera tratamiento médico; 4. Haber obtenido su libertad en territorio boliviano, durante el proceso penal seguido en su contra o durante la ejecución de la pena hasta su cumplimiento.
  • Bolivia — Ley N° 370 de Migración, de 8 de mayo de 2013, Artículo 30(4)
    4. Permanencia temporal humanitaria de un (1) año, otorgado a personas migrantes extranjeras que por razones de fuerza mayor, ajenas a su voluntad y debidamente justificadas no puedan cumplir con los requisitos establecidos por la presente Ley y su reglamentación para obtener permanencia temporal.

Where can protection be requested, and is this a direct application, border/in-country request, referral or other process?

Applications are made to the Dirección General de Migración at its central office, departmental administrations or enabled border migration posts. The requirements are the sworn-statement application form, a valid passport or national identity document, a visa or transitory stay as applicable, a yellow fever or other health certificate where applicable, documentation proving the purpose of the stay, current national and international police/criminal record certificates as applicable, a medical certificate from the competent institution, and a current photograph; economic solvency and the fee are expressly waived for humanitarian temporary stay.

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What happens after the request: registration, family handling, major support and rights where officially stated?

Humanitarian temporary stay authorises up to one year in Bolivia, renewable for similar periods; it is exceptional and does not constitute uninterrupted residence, so it does not build towards definitive stay. Economic solvency and the procedure fee are waived, and people released during criminal proceedings are also exempted from the national and international criminal record certificates. Refugee stay follows a separate law, Ley N° 251, and asylum seekers and victims of trafficking and smuggling are exempt from the Migration Law's sanctions.

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Limits of the record
  • The source does not state what status, documentation or work rights apply while a humanitarian temporary stay application is still being decided, nor any decision deadline.
  • Refugee status itself is governed by Ley N° 251 de 20 de junio de 2012, which is not part of this capture.

Which competent authority, UN body or official assistance channel should the person use?

Humanitarian temporary stay is processed at the central office, departmental administrations or enabled border migration posts of the Dirección General de Migración, and the sworn-statement application form is obtained from its websites or offices. The official source does not name a UN body or other assistance channel, or give fraud warnings.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • Whether other humanitarian grounds (beyond release during criminal process/sentence execution) also qualify for this specific stay category is not established by Article 14 alone.
  • DS 1923, Art. 14 (Permanencia temporal humanitaria por razón de obtención de libertad en territorio boliviano)
    Podrán obtener permanencia temporal humanitaria de un (1) año las personas extranjeras que: Obtengan su libertad durante el proceso penal seguido en su contra, previa acreditación documentada de tal situación, emitida por autoridad competente. Podrá renovarse por periodos similares hasta la conclusión del proceso penal; Obtengan su libertad durante la ejecución de la pena hasta su cumplimiento, previa acreditación documentada de tal situación, emitida por autoridad competente. Podrá renovarse por periodos similares hasta el cumplimiento de la pena.

These are the answers currently recorded in the catalogue. A missing or partial answer is not an eligibility decision.

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