Rules for overlanding in Bolivia

Our summary of the country advice published by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Viaggiare Sicuri) on 13 August 2026.

Which licence you need

All vehicles — What the ministry lists is an International Driving Permit on the 1949 Geneva convention model, and there is no reciprocity agreement for Italian licences. Check what applies to the licence you hold.

An International Driving Permit states the categories it covers: check yours covers what you will actually drive. A car licence does not cover a motorcycle, and a heavy camper or a truck can need a higher category.

At the wheel

Insurance — Third-party motor cover, known locally as SOAT, is compulsory.
Mostly unpaved roads — Only a small part of the road network is surfaced. If you are hiring, take a 4x4, and drive with real caution.
Buses and minibuses — The ministry advises against travelling on intercity coaches and minibuses, common as they are here. Serious crashes are frequent, down to the state of the roads, poor maintenance of the vehicles, the absence of checks and drivers ignoring traffic rules.
Taxis — Use only authorised taxis, booked through your hotel or by phone. City websites and apps list the safe companies and the official fares, and some services send you the car and driver details in advance.
Rainy season — Heavy rain from November to April brings a high risk of landslides, floods and rivers bursting their banks throughout the country. Take care even moving around inside La Paz and in the national parks, and keep off routes that follow rivers.

What catches travellers out

Drugs and coca leaves — Bolivian drug law is severe: not just transporting but simply holding cocaine, marijuana or other drugs carries a minimum of eight years, even in tiny amounts for personal use. Taking coca leaves or coca tea bags out of the country is also not allowed.
Medicines count as drugs — Substances that are ordinary medicines elsewhere appear on the Bolivian controlled list, and without authorisation from the health ministry you can be charged with possession and trafficking, which means arrest and a minimum of eight years. Carry your prescription, a doctor's certificate stating the dose and the purchase invoice, declare the medicines at customs if asked, and bring only what the trip requires.
Ask for 90 days — No visa is needed for stays of up to three months, but border officers routinely stamp 30 days unless you say otherwise. If you plan to stay longer than a month, say so as you enter.
Form 250 on entry — On arrival you fill in Form 250, the sworn declaration of accompanied baggage and of currency in and out. Amounts over USD 10,000 or the equivalent have to be declared on it.

Before you rely on this

This is our summary of advice written by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Italian travellers, published on 13 August 2026. We summarise in good faith, but we cannot guarantee it is accurate, current or complete, and we take no responsibility for decisions made on the basis of it. Rules change without notice and are applied by officials at the border, not by websites. Always read the original source and the travel advice your own government publishes for Bolivia before you travel. GuideMeet has no way of checking whether an individual guide meets any standard mentioned here — ask them directly.

Source: Viaggiare Sicuri — Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, updated 13 August 2026. Last checked by GuideMeet on 2026-09-20.