International Driving Permit in Bolivia

🗓 We could not independently verify the road-traffic law for Bolivia; facts here rely on official travel guidance where available. Research last updated: 30 October 2026. You may copy this information only if you provide a link back to this page.

⚠ This page is general information about driving rules, not legal advice. Rules change, and each authority applies its own — confirm your case with the relevant authority before you drive.

ℹ We are a private company. We are not a government body, a licensing or issuing authority, or a treaty organisation, and we are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting for any of them. The International Driver's Document we sell is a translation of your national driving licence: it is not a driving licence, and it is not a government-issued document.

• Driving in Bolivia: key facts
• Do you need an International Driving Permit in Bolivia?
• What side of the road does Bolivia drive on?
• How long can you drive in Bolivia with a foreign licence?
• Is Bolivia a party to the 1949 or 1968 Road Traffic Convention?
• Why acceptance of your licence varies from place to place
• Can you drive in Bolivia with your country's licence?
• Where to get an International Driving Permit
• Moving to Bolivia? Rules for new residents
• Driving rules in Bolivia tourists get fined for
• Read more about driving in Bolivia
• Sources

Driving in Bolivia: key facts

Do you need an International Driving Permit in Bolivia?

Bolivia is party to neither the 1949 Geneva nor the 1968 Vienna road-traffic Convention — it is absent from both UN Treaty Collection status lists, and the WHO 2023 road-safety profile independently records 'Adherence to one or more of the 7 UN road safety conventions: 0'. Recognition of foreign driving documents is therefore purely a matter of Bolivian domestic law, and there is a gap in it. Article 119 of the Código de Tránsito once admitted foreign driving permits on identification of the holder, but Ley N.º 145 of 27 June 2011 expressly derogated it along with articles 109-114, 116 and 117. No Bolivian text found replaces it: article 118 survives but says the international permit authorises driving abroad, and Ley N.º 145 lets the licensing service grant provisional authorisations (article 22, item 3) without saying whether a visitor can obtain one; SEGIP's licence page describes one only for drivers aged 16 and 17. The 1978 Reglamento del Código de Tránsito still speaks of driving in Bolivia on an international permit (article 328 subjects such drivers to the Code and the Regulation), but the only copy found does not include its article 326, and no text found settles whether the regulation's articles on the international permit survive the repeal of article 119. So whether a visitor may drive on a foreign licence or an IDP is not established: check with the authorities before you travel. The international permit itself is issued by SEGIP through SEGELIC under article 22, item 5, of Ley N.º 145; the Automóvil Club Boliviano takes applications in and produces the document under an interinstitutional agreement of October 2011, and the holder collects it from SEGIP. Naming either body alone is wrong: the club was the issuer named by the repealed article. No Bolivian text found names an edition of the international driving permit. Current UK FCDO travel advice states: 'You'll need to have both a 1949 international driving permit (IDP) and your UK driving licence with you in the car to drive in Bolivia.'

• Tourists and short-term visitors: Ley N.º 145 of 2011 repealed article 119 of the Código de Tránsito, which admitted foreign driving permits. No text found says whether the 1978 regulation's rules on international permits still apply, or whether a foreign licence or IDP is valid. Check with the authorities before you travel; the answer below says what is known.
• Car renters: Carry the original national licence, plus passport with entry stamp, rental contract, vehicle registration and insurance; UK government advice is to carry a 1949-format International Driving Permit with the licence. UK FCDO: 'You'll need to have both a 1949 international driving permit (IDP) and your UK driving licence with you in the car to drive in Bolivia.' Note that the DVLA's own IDP country table does not list Bolivia at all (Bolivia is not a convention party), so the IDP is carried here on UK advice, not under any Bolivian rule found to be in force — article 119 of the Código de Tránsito, which had admitted foreign permits, was derogated in 2011. It is carried as a practical document, not as a treaty entitlement.

No specific penalty for driving without the required document was verified from an authoritative source. Unofficial legal database.

What side of the road does Bolivia drive on?

Bolivia drives on the right-hand side of the road, and overtaking is done on the left. Cars in Bolivia are left-hand drive.

How long can you drive in Bolivia with a foreign licence?

The Código de Tránsito names no visitor period, and how long a visitor may drive on a foreign licence is not established: article 119, which admitted foreign permits, was repealed by Ley N.º 145 in 2011. No Bolivian text found sets a driving period for visitors. UK government advice on entry is: 'You can visit Bolivia for up to 90 days without a visa. Border officials issue 30-day stamps, but you can stay for 90 days without any new stamp. As a tourist, you get 90 days of visa-free travel in a one-year period.' That is a limit on your stay, not a rule on driving; check with the authorities before you travel. (Código de Tránsito article 119, derogated by Ley N.º 145 of 27 June 2011 (no successor period published); UK FCDO Bolivia entry requirements)

Planning to move to Bolivia? Different rules apply once you become a resident — see the residents section below.

Is Bolivia a party to the 1949 or 1968 Road Traffic Convention?

Bolivia is party to neither the 1949 Geneva Convention nor the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic. An official convention IDP cannot be issued in Bolivia, and convention rules do not bind it — licence acceptance is governed purely by local law and bilateral arrangements.

Why acceptance of your licence varies from place to place

Whether a foreign country accepts your driving licence hangs on a tangle of variables: three different road-traffic conventions signed decades apart (1926, 1949, 1968) — the oldest predates the United Nations itself, and only the latter two were concluded under it — countries at different stages of joining each (signed vs. accepted vs. ratified), licences printed in alphabets local police can't read, vehicle-category systems that don't line up between countries, document generations that may not meet a convention's format even when the country is a member, bilateral deals between individual states, and local laws that are looser in one place and stricter in the next. The same licence can be fine at one border and rejected at the next — even at the next rental desk. The International Driving Permit exists to cut through most of it: a standardized, multilingual presentation of your existing licence, with harmonized category symbols, that most officials can read at a glance. It doesn't replace your national licence or grant new rights — you carry both — and it doesn't guarantee acceptance: a handful of destinations still require a local permit alongside or instead of it, but for most it meaningfully improves your odds.

Can you drive in Bolivia with your country's licence?

This answer is for tourists and temporary visitors. Moving to Bolivia as a resident? Different rules apply — see the residents section below. Bolivia belongs to neither UN road-traffic convention — the WHO 2023 profile scores its adherence to the seven UN road-safety conventions at zero. Article 119 of the Código de Tránsito once admitted foreign driving permits on identification of the holder, but Ley N.º 145 of 27 June 2011 expressly derogated it along with articles 109-114, 116 and 117. No Bolivian text found replaces it: article 118 survives but says the international permit authorises driving abroad, and Ley N.º 145 lets the licensing service grant provisional authorisations (article 22, item 3) without saying whether a visitor can obtain one; SEGIP's licence page describes one only for drivers aged 16 and 17. The 1978 Reglamento del Código de Tránsito still speaks of driving in Bolivia on an international permit (article 328), but the only copy found does not include its article 326, and no text found settles whether the regulation's articles on the international permit survive the repeal of article 119. So whether a visitor may drive on a foreign licence or an IDP is not established for any licence: check with the authorities before you travel. UK government advice to UK licence holders is to carry both a 1949 international driving permit and the UK licence in the car; that is foreign advice, not a Bolivian rule. Rules change — confirm with official sources before you travel. Last verified: October 2026.

Legend: "1949" — Geneva Convention on Road Traffic (IDP valid up to 1 year); "1968" — Vienna Convention (IDP valid up to 3 years).

Not established — the record does not settle whether you may drive here on this licence; confirm with the destination's licensing authority before you rely on it. The answer below says what could not be confirmed.

What you need to carry — Check with local authorities before travel

Why — Ley N.º 145 of 2011 repealed article 119 of the Código de Tránsito, which admitted foreign driving permits. No text found says whether the 1978 regulation's rules on international permits still apply, or whether a foreign licence or IDP is valid. [1]

Sources and notes for the answer above

[1] Ley N.º 145 of 27 June 2011, sole repealing provision (repeals articles 109 to 114, 116, 117 and 119 of the Código de Tránsito, DL 10135 of 1973); Reglamento del Código de Tránsito (RS 187444 of 8 June 1978), arts. 326 to 328

Where to get an International Driving Permit

An International Driving Permit must be obtained before you travel, and only certain countries may issue one to you — you cannot buy an official IDP from an unrelated country. Under the 1968 Vienna Convention it may be issued only by the Contracting Party where you normally reside and which issued or recognizes your licence — by that Party's competent authority or by an association it has duly empowered. Under the 1949 Geneva Convention it is issued by the competent authority of a Contracting State, or by an association that authority has duly empowered. Which body that is varies by country: a government agency in some, an authorized motoring club in others.

• Travelling from Bolivia? Bolivia's IDPs are issued by Automovil Club Boliviano (ACB). Official site. Bolivia is party to neither road-traffic convention, so the permit is issued outside the UN convention framework and is not an official convention IDP — check that your destination accepts it.
• Travelling from another country? Ask that country's driving-licence authority which body it authorizes to issue IDPs — a government agency in some countries, an authorized motoring club in others.

Separately, IDA offers a digital International Driver's Document — a translation of your national licence that you carry alongside it. It is not an International Driving Permit issued under the 1949 or 1968 conventions by the body your country authorizes for that purpose, and it is not a certified, sworn or otherwise official translation: no authority certifies it, and where a country requires an official or certified translation by law, our document does not satisfy that requirement. It is a private translation meant to make your national licence readable at rental desks and roadside checks.

Moving to Bolivia? Rules for new residents

Foreigners legally resident in Bolivia obtain a Bolivian licence, or have a licence issued abroad homologated, through SEGIP (Servicio General de Identificación Personal): its licence page asks for a valid resident foreigner's identity card for a new licence and, for homologation, a document proving permanent or indefinite residence granted by the Dirección Nacional de Migración. Ley N.º 145 of 27 June 2011 has SEGIP run the driving-licence service until the licensing service it creates, SEGELIC, is organised. Official law publisher.

Driving rules in Bolivia tourists get fined for

• Mandatory equipment: Reglamento del Código de Tránsito Article 39 requires vehicles making journeys to carry a first-aid kit (botiquín), spare wheel, essential tools, danger signals (red warning lamps or reflective triangles), a fire extinguisher, and wheel chocks for four-wheel vehicles. This is a summary of the article's list rather than a verbatim quotation.
• Drink-driving: The blood-alcohol limit is 0.5 g/l ('cero punto cincuenta (0.50) grados en cada mil (1000) ml de sangre'), set by article 14.II of Decreto Supremo N.º 1347 of 10 September 2012. Random breath testing is carried out and all drivers are tested after a fatal crash. The sanction is not a fine. Article 34 of Ley N.º 259 of 11 July 2012 disqualifies the licence for one year on a first offence and cancels it definitively on a repeat, and article 17 of Decreto Supremo N.º 1347 adds ten hours of community service and ten hours of educational programmes.
• Speed limits: WHO records national maxima of 40 km/h urban and 80 km/h on rural roads and motorways. Local authorities may modify limits, so posted signs govern.
• Carry the original national licence, plus passport with entry stamp, rental contract, vehicle registration and insurance; UK government advice is to carry a 1949-format International Driving Permit with the licence. UK FCDO: 'You'll need to have both a 1949 international driving permit (IDP) and your UK driving licence with you in the car to drive in Bolivia.' Note that the DVLA's own IDP country table does not list Bolivia at all (Bolivia is not a convention party), so the IDP is carried here on UK advice, not under any Bolivian rule found to be in force — article 119 of the Código de Tránsito, which had admitted foreign permits, was derogated in 2011. It is carried as a practical document, not as a treaty entitlement.
• Traffic keeps to the right. WHO records national maxima of 40 km/h urban and 80 km/h on both rural roads and motorways, and confirms 'Local authorities can modify limits: Yes'.
• UK FCDO on road conditions (verbatim extracts): 'Road travel can be dangerous due to poor road conditions and low driving standards.' 'Some of Bolivia's main highways are paved but most roads are unpaved rough tracks.' In the November-March rainy season 'there is a risk of landslides and roads can be blocked', and 'Four-wheel drive vehicles are often needed'. 'Broken-down vehicles with no warning lights are a frequent hazard on roads at night'.
• Fuel supply is a live planning risk: UK FCDO records 'There are regular petrol and diesel shortages across the country', which can strand travellers by car for several days while waiting for deliveries. Plan fuel stops and carry reserves on long rural legs.
• High altitude (much of the road network sits above 3,500 m), steep unguarded mountain roads, long distances between services and periodic road blockades make self-driving demanding. Check route conditions before departure and avoid night driving on unfamiliar rural roads.

Read more about driving in Bolivia

• The World’s Most Scenic Routes: A Road Trip Guide to Breathtaking Highways
• 10 Interesting Facts About Bolivia
• Best Places to Visit in Bolivia

Watch what driving in Bolivia looks like

A few minutes of real POV footage is the fastest way to feel confident before your first drive in Bolivia:

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Sources

1. National road-traffic law
2. Código de Tránsito article 119, derogated by Ley N.º 145 of 27 June 2011 (no successor period published); UK FCDO Bolivia entry requirements
3. Resident licence conversion rule
4. Reglamento del Código de Tránsito (RS 187444, 8 Jun 1978) — Articles 39, 199, 200, 213, 327 and 328 (article 326 missing from this copy)
5. UN Treaty Collection — 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic status list (Bolivia absent)
6. UN Treaty Collection — 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic status list (Bolivia absent)
7. WHO Global status report on road safety 2023 — Bolivia profile (speeds, breath testing, 0/7 UN conventions)
8. UK FCDO Bolivia travel advice — 1949 IDP plus national licence, road and fuel risks
9. SEGIP — Bolivian identity and driving-licence authority: driving-licence page (licences and homologation for foreigners resident in Bolivia; the international permit for Bolivians)
10. Decreto Supremo N.º 1347 (10 Sep 2012), regulating Ley N.º 259 — article 14.II (blood-alcohol limit) and article 17 (community service and educational programmes)
11. Ley N.º 259 (11 Jul 2012) on the control of the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages — article 34 (licence disqualification for drink-driving)
12. Ley N.º 145 (27 Jun 2011) creating SEGIP and the driving-licence service SEGELIC — article 22 (international driving permits) and the sole repealing provision (Código de Tránsito articles 109 to 114, 116, 117 and 119)
13. Automovil Club Boliviano (ACB) — authorized IDP issuer in Bolivia
14. UN Treaty Collection — 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic
15. UN Treaty Collection — 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic