Traffic regulations in South America - Bolivia

What should be considered on a motorcycle tour through Bolivia? What documents do you need to bring with you? Which special features in road traffic have to be observed. MotoGS WorldTours provides you with answers to your most important questions.
Errors and omissions excepted - all information without guarantee.

Basics:
The official name of Bolivia is Plurinational State of Bolivia.
Bolivia is a sparsely populated mountainous country in South America. For example, it is about three times the size of Germany. However, almost eight times as many people live in Germany. You should think about that.
It is the 5th largest country after Colombia and ahead of Venezuela. However, as a landlocked country, Bolivia is one of the few countries that does not have access to the sea. The neighboring countries are Peru, Chile, Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil.

Bolivia belonged to the Incas when it was conquered by the Spanish in the 16th century. The Spaniards then exploited the profitable silver mines, as they did in all other countries in South America. In 1809, Bolivia began the struggle for independence. In 1825 the country became independent.

How is the country?
The Salar de Uyuni is the largest salt flat on earth and the most famous sight in Bolivia. This region was once part of a large dry lake that left behind Lake Titicaca and numerous salt lakes.
There are two mountain ranges to the west. They reach an altitude of 6500 meters above sea level. That is significantly higher than the Alps in Europe. Between these two mountain ranges lies a highland, between 3000 and 4000 meters in altitude. More than half of all Bolivians live here.

This highland is also home to the world's largest salt lake and Lake Titicaca. Lake Titicaca is the highest lake in the world where ships can sail. About half of it belongs to Bolivia. The rest belongs to Peru. The lake is considered the heaven of gods for various cultures. There is an old legend: the sun god Inti sent the first Inca to the sunny island in the lake. It is also said that potatoes were first cultivated at the lake.

To the east of the two mountain ranges lies a medium-altitude highland, followed by the lowland. This is most of the country. Few people live there. It is tropical hot there. There are dry savannahs but also humid rainforest.

How are the people in Bolivia?
In Bolivia there are almost all types of landscapes from lowlands with tropical rainforest to high mountains.
About half of the people belong to the indigenous, for example to the original population. Almost a quarter are immigrants from Europe, a good quarter are mixed from these two groups. About four out of five people consider themselves Catholic, most of the rest are Protestant or Evangelical.

For a long time, Bolivia was the poorest country in South America. It is much better today. There is natural gas that is produced and sold. A lot of soybeans are grown and sold to neighboring countries. There is also mining and oil production. Food and alcohol are produced, tobacco for cigarettes is grown, and clothing is manufactured. As everywhere in South America, people make a lot of money from the cultivation of coca. The drug cocaine can be made from this plant.

A special treasure lies in a salt lake. There are millions of tons of lithium lying there. This is a light metal that is needed for the construction of batteries that are used in cell phones, computers and, increasingly, in electric cars.

How is Bolivia governed?
Bolivia takes its name from the independence fighter Simón Bolívar. For several countries he is the national hero. He was the first president of Bolivia, but he quickly gave up the post to his deputy, Antonio José de Sucre.

It is governed from La Paz. No other major city on earth is so high above sea level. The official capital is Sucre. However, there is nothing more to be found there than the Supreme Court. From Sucre, General Don Antonio José de Sucre began the struggle for Bolivia's independence. That's why the city got his name.

Necessary documents for entry:
Travelers from all EU countries, for example all EU citizens, as well as the USA, Canada and Australia, do not need a special visa unless you plan to spend more than 90 days (start of entry day) in Bolivia.
Multiple entries and exits are permitted.

When entering the country, an entry stamp is usually given in the passport at the airport, which entitles you to a maximum stay of 30 days. This can then be extended twice to up to 90 days. You should therefore make sure that the stamp in your passport contains the date of entry.

Almost similar requirements apply to non-EU citizens, but this always depends on your actual country of origin. Therefore, for your own safety, you should check the visa requirements for your home country to enter Bolivia at VisaHQ. This website is a very good indicator to find out easily.

The passport or better a passport copy must always be carried with you during your trip to Bolivia. And in general, the passport must be valid for at least 6 months on the day of departure.

Pay Attention:
According to Decree N° 4574, all foreigners staying in Bolivia, including tourists, must register with the Bolivian authorities. You can easily do that here.
Failure to comply with this registration will result in penalties from the Bolivian authorities.

Bolivian Customs:
For the import and export of cash between US$50,000 and US$500,000 or equivalent in any other currency requires the prior approval of the Bolivian Central Bank. It is advisable to take credit cards and US Dollars or Euros in cash with you, which can easily be exchanged for the local currency in the exchange offices.
Items for personal use can be imported duty-free, there are restrictions on the import of medicines, food or plants.
There is an unlimited export of national and foreign currency.
The export of antiques and archaeological finds is strictly prohibited, as are export restrictions on wild plants or animals and their processed products.

Security and what about crime in Bolivia?
Bolivia is, for the most part, a safe country to travel to.
The security situation in Bolivia is comparatively good and violent attacks on tourists are rather rare. Nevertheless, you should always keep in mind that a large part of the population lives far below the subsistence level. In the eyes of the poor, every foreign tourist is immeasurably rich, whether by your standards they actually are or not. Therefore, there is a widespread opinion that a small redistribution in favor of the poorer population is actually only fair.

As in almost every country in the world, there are also problems with street crime in Bolivia, ranging from minor pickpocketing to organized gangs in markets and in pedestrian zones to armed robberies at night in dark side streets or questionable neighborhoods. This is mainly due to the widespread poverty and the de facto non-existent social support from the state. People who do not have a job do not get any money either and usually live on the support of their families. If the family does not have enough money to survive, the only option is to turn to crime. Factual and true! This attitude towards life can often be found in the poor population.

There are therefore a multitude of extremely practiced and skillful pickpockets, often working in groups. There is a risk of lose of some things, especially when there are large gatherings of people, such as at markets, train stations or while traveling on the bus or train. Naturally, this is especially true in the tourist centers.

Language:
Spanish is the official language in Bolivia. 60 percent of Bolivians speak it as their mother tongue. Overall, almost 90 percent of the population speak Spanish as a first or second language. 21 percent speak Quechua and 15 percent Aymara, making them the most commonly spoken indigenous languages. A total of 36 indigenous languages are recognized in Bolivia, but some of them are already extinct, so they are no longer spoken. Incidentally, the Mennonites of German descent speak a kind of Low German.

You do not get that far with English in Bolivia. Even in tourist establishments (like hotels and better restaurants), English skills tend to be rather limited.
So if you are traveling in Bolivia and want to get in touch with the Bolivians, Spanish is essential.

A well-functioning translation program is certainly an advantage, but not very helpful when dealing with important questions or even problems.
Without a bilingual guide or without a very good basic knowledge of Spanish, your trip will be exciting.

Currency:
The currency of Bolivia is the Boliviano (BOB). When exchanging Euros or US Dollars for Bolivianos, the Oanda website is a very good source of information.

Vaccinations:
There are vaccinations that you need for almost every vacation, such as hepatitis A and hepatitis B. Diphtheria, tetanus and polio should also be boosted regularly. In addition, there are other vaccinations that you only need if you travel to these regions.
Unfortunately, preventive health care for a trip to South America or Bolivia cannot be fully covered by vaccinations. Dengue fever, for example, against which there is no vaccination, is unfortunately an issue in large parts of South America.
Depending on the specific travel route, however, it is recommend, among other things, cholera vaccination, diphtheria vaccination, yellow fever vaccination, hepatitis A vaccination, hepatitis B vaccination, polio vaccination, tetanus vaccination and possibly rabies vaccination as well as measures for malaria prophylaxis. These vaccinations are recommended, regardless of whether you are traveling to Argentina, Peru, Chile, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador or Bolivia.

Vehicle papers and other necessary documents:
Assuming that you do NOT want to bring your own motorcycle or have it brought to Bolivia, but simply rent a motorcycle on site in a much less complicated way, then the following documents must also be brought with you.
Of course you can also have your motorcycle shipped to Bolivia or generally to South America by ship or air freight for a certain period of time. Basically no problem. BUT, time-consuming, cost-intensive and always the risk in the neck, for example, everything goes according to plan at customs in the country of arrival.
Many motorcyclists and globetrotters have their own motorcycles with them, which of course has a certain charm and is understandable, but there is also a little easier way. What if your own motorcycle is totaled in an accident, for example, what if it was stolen. Always remember, the motorcycle MUST be re-shipped for customs purposes. If the motorcycle has not been demonstrably re-shipped within the prescribed time (3 to 6 months, with an extension up to 12 months), this is considered an import and this is guaranteed to cause major problems and is very expensive. Confiscation will result and enforcement action for customs fraud. That is why we are dealing here with renting a motorcycle on site.

According to Bolivian traffic law, your national motorcycle license is NOT sufficient. This applies to all nationalities. It is therefore mandatory to have an international driver's license with you (usually issued for a period of 3 years).
An IDP (International Drivers Permit) is not mandatory. But if you feel more comfortable having an IDP with you, you can apply for one in Spanish and many other languages at the International Drivers Association.

The legal driving age for general motor vehicles in Bolivia is 18 years. For foreigners, for example tourists, who want to rent a motorcycle in Bolivia, the minimum age is 21 years. In principle, the rental stations also require a minimum age of 21 years, sometimes even 25 years.
Young rider surcharges for riders under the age of 25 are often required. You should also have held a motorcycle license for at least 1 year.

Of course, you also need a credit card in order to be able to deposit a necessary deposit with the rental company.

Pay Attention:
The number or the possibilities for renting a motorcycle are currently still very small in Bolivia. But in the future there will be more and more providers and comparison portals that deal with the topic of motorcycle rental in Bolivia.

Health insurance:
In principle, all travelers to Bolivia or abroad in general, regardless of their country of origin, should take out international health insurance. This can also be done easily here via Global Rescue. Surely this type of insurance protection is a bit more expensive than other providers. However, as the name suggests, this type of coverage is built on Rescue. Therefore not comparable. However, this should not be understood as advertising, it is a simple recommendation.

Furthermore, adequate international health insurance is necessary for entering Bolivia.

Helmet obligation:
Basically, there is also a helmet requirement in Bolivia! And this just for your own safety. However, the locals don't really stick to it, but that should nut put you off.

First aid kit / warning vests:
It is always advisable to carry a high-visibility vest, a first aid kit in a dustproof package, a motorcycle warning triangle and a small warning light.

Lighting:
Outside of built-up areas, you must drive with your headlights on all year round during the day. It is therefore always advisable to take a set of spare light bulbs with you. Excluded are motorcycles equipped with LED lights.

Speed limits in Bolivia:
Speed limits in Bolivia are relatively low due to the poor condition of the country's road and road infrastructure. When riding on city streets, the speed of your vehicle must not exceed 40 km/h. You should never ride faster than 10 km/h in front of schools. The maximum speed on country roads is 80 km/h. Bolivia has no speed cameras to track the vehicles or secure evidence. But authorities will arrest riders who break speed limit rules. For the Bolivian police, there is always a way to punish a traffic violation.
It is therefore advisable to obey the speed limits when riding in Bolivia to avoid traffic accidents and apart from that you can be fined if you do not obey the speed limits and depending on the seriousness of the offence, prison roads are also possible.

Alcohol limit:
The general traffic regulations in Bolivia also determine how much blood alcohol in the blood riders are still allowed to ride a motorcycle. The general alcohol limit is 0.00‰. In the event of an accident due to the influence of alcohol and an injured person, for example a pedestrian or even your own passenger, there is a risk of a high prison sentence depending on the severity of the injury.
Since the police are very sensitive to alcohol consumption, it is advisable in Bolivia to only sit on the motorcycle WITHOUT alcohol.

Environmental zone:
A restriction of motor traffic by an environmental zone, as the environmental zones are known in Europe, is not known in Bolivia.
In other words, there is no information about an environmental zone in Bolivia.

Tired of tolls on motorways, tunnels and bridges.
The use of some road sections in Bolivia are subject to tolls and depend on the vehicle type or size. Payment is made in cash directly on site at the toll booths.

Correct behavior in the event of an accident or breakdown:
In any case, it is advisable and important to call the police, even in the case of "minor damage", because the police protocol is the basis for the settlement of the damage.
This is all the more important if, for example, the motorcycle was rented.

Fines and peculiarities in Bolivian road traffic:
Away from the main routes, most roads in Bolivia are mostly unpaved and poorly signposted. A feeling of adventure is therefore guaranteed. No matter how you want to see it. Off-road is therefore not necessary in most cases, because you can also find it on normal public roads.

Slow and patience is the motto in Bolivia:
Always keep an eye on your speed. As mentioned before, you can ride at a maximum of 40 km/h in built-up areas and 10 km/h near schools. A maximum of 80 km/h is permitted outside of town. Even if on a given day the light traffic would invite you to ride a little faster than the speed limit allows, do not. Because the next rut or the next pothole is bound to come and it is much harder to brake on gravel than on paved roads.

In some cases it is advisable to have a guide or a local as a local rider. This is particularly true for trips to remote areas, where riding and finding your way around is often difficult due to unpaved roads and inadequate signage.

Refueling in Bolivia:
Foreigners pay a different price for refueling in Bolivia than locals. As a result, some petrol stations do not sell fuel to foreigners because they do not know exactly how to calculate the costs.
It is therefore advisable to refuel as often as possible. When paying, the motorcycle license plate number and personal details are occasionally noted. Smaller gas stations outside of built-up areas are sometimes willing to sell gas at the local price.

You should definitely take this with you!
Drinking water and food - always carry a sufficient supply of drinking water and food with you so that you do not get into trouble in the event of a breakdown in a remote area, for example.
Warm clothes and a sleeping bag - in the Altiplano, the highlands of Bolivia, the nights can get noticeably cool - with temperatures around freezing point.

Attention altitude sickness!
What you should not underestimate is the altitude of Bolivia. Many highlights are between 4,000 and 5,000 meters in altitude. So it is an advantage if you have already been in the country for a few days and acclimatized. Incidentally, coca tea and coca leaves help against symptoms of altitude sickness, such as headaches and nausea.

First Aid Kit and Medicine:
Due to the vastness and poor medical care, it is important to have a first aid kit with essential medication. In addition to medication that you need anyway, painkillers, disinfectants and plasters should of course not be missing.

Do not miss this highlight!
An absolute highlight that you should not miss on your road trip is the Salar de Uyuni, the largest salt flats in the world. Of course, the surrounding national parks also have a lot to offer. Due to various factors, an independent crossing of the Salar de Uyuni is not always without danger and should therefore be carried out with a local guide if necessary.

How safe is a road trip through Bolivia?
Overall, Bolivia is a safe country. But as already mentioned, not all routes in Bolivia can be ridden super relaxed. While some routes are in very good condition, other routes are adventurous and not for the faint of heart. For example, the well-known "Death Road", the most dangerous road in the world, lives up to its name. Also note that in La Paz, roads are chronically congested and traffic is very chaotic.
Very chaotic!

Of course, the general rules also apply in Bolivia, such as not leaving any valuables in the suitcases of the motorcycles or lying around in the open. Also, beware of fake cops telling you any nonsense. Be sure to check their police IDs. You will quickly see who you are dealing with.

NEVER get into a civilian police car, because there are none in all of Bolivia.

General horns:
While everyone knows when and where to honk your horn in the city and countryside, you should also know that honking your horn on mountain roads is one of the critical points to consider when touring Bolivia. Since many mountain roads in Bolivia have blind spots, honking your horn before the bend is a useful sign to avoid collisions while riding. In other words, the use of horns is encouraged and perfectly normal in Bolivia. Not to say that the honking is actually used all the time.

Riding at night on the roads of Bolivia:
It is NOT recommended to continue riding after dark. Sometimes the road conditions are in such a bad condition and the street lighting is either insufficient or simply non-existent. Furthermore, the large trucks and buses at night also drive much faster than permitted or usual. And above all very inconsiderate towards any kind of two-wheeler. It can be said that motocyclists have no status in Bolivia.
It is therefore absolutely not advisable to do so.

If you have riding experience in other South American countries and, above all, have self-confidence in your own riding experience, you can also ride across Bolivia on a rental motorcycle.
As already mentioned, traffic rules are not observed by many road users, especially truck, bus and taxi drivers who claim the right of the strongest for themselves.
Bolivia's traffic police also have a reputation for finding an additional source of income in foreign tourists, charging foreigners with traffic violations (real AND made up) and punishing them with hefty fines. The Bolivian police are very strict and you should always bear this in mind in the event of a check or even a traffic violation.

Parking: 
You should always park the motorcycle in a secure and guarded parking lot, especially overnight, as theft of parts is widespread.

Emergency numbers in Bolivia:
Fire department: 119
Accident rescue: 118
General emergency and police: 112 or 110

As of 07/11/2023