Bolivia: arrival and transport
How do you get to Bolivia?
You can usually get to Bolivia from Europe by plane. International airports are located in La Paz and Sucre, among others.
Travel in the country
Air connections
Bolivia has 16 airports with paved runways. The companies AeroXpress, LAB and TAM dominate the domestic flight market. Significant delays are more the rule than the exception.
Bus
The road network in Bolivia is particularly backward, not least because of the lack of paved roads. Long-distance buses cover long distances at night. Despite everything, they are the most popular means of transport between cities.
There have been some major bus accidents between La Paz and Oruro in recent years. Old Yungas Street is one of the most dangerous in the world.
Railway
The country’s railway network covers around 3,520 km. The western rail network, the Red Occidental operated by Empresa Ferroviaria Andina SA, is clear but also somewhat disorganized. The eastern railway network of Empresa Ferroviaria Oriental SA The Red Orientalist railway line is extremely confusing and good travel planning is almost impossible. The trains only run at a snail’s pace.
Roads, rental cars
The road network of Bolivia (highways) covers approx. 60,280 km. 3,980 km of this are paved.
The rest are gravel roads and dirt roads with a few bridges.
Radio taxis are reliable. The rainy season is between November and March, when driving on the roads is even more dangerous than usual.
You must be more than 25 years old to drive a rental car and an international driver’s license is required.
Ferry connections
The country includes waterways with a length of around 10,000 km.
There are numerous boats, for example, on the rivers in the Amazon region: Ichilo, Mamoré, Beni, Madre de Dios and Guaporé.
Carpooling
If you are a little adventurous, you should look for a carpool on one of the numerous trucks. Trucks are the most popular means of transport for the rural population. The mostly uncomfortable journey with the “Camion” is cheap and you are guaranteed to get to know the landscape and the people.
Traffic rules
Right-hand traffic prevails in Bolivia. In order to avoid trouble with the police or even the courts, one should strictly adhere to the traffic rules applicable in the country. The maximum speeds shown can of course be reduced or increased by traffic signs. Regardless of the information given here, it is advisable to obtain detailed information from the ADAC, the AvD or the traffic clubs in the country concerned.
Maximum speeds
In addition to the general speed limits shown, the speed limits indicated by signs must be strictly observed.
- Urban: in built-up areas there is a speed limit of 40 km/h
- In the vicinity of schools there is a speed limit of 10 km/h
- Outside of built-up areas, the speed limit is 80 km/h
International license plate
The international license plate of Bolivia is:
| BOL |
Bolivia: entry and exit requirements
Formalities, visas
Tourists are only allowed to enter the country if they have a return ticket and sufficient financial resources to finance their stay in the country themselves. Travelers from Germany, Austria and Switzerland need a passport that is still valid for six months for a stay of up to 90 days. Proof of return or onward travel documents or other evidence that the country will be left again may have to be presented. It is advisable to keep a certified copy of the ID separately, as a loss of passport often leads to difficulties with the authorities.
Issuing of visas in Germany
Embassy of the Republic of Bolivia
Wiechmannstr. 5-6
10787 Berlin
Tel: 0049 – (0) 30 – 2639150
Fax: 0049 – (0) 30 – 26291515
Issuing of visas in Austria and Switzerland
See under Representations of Bolivia in Austria and Representations of Bolivia in Switzerland.
Import and export of foreign currency
- Unlimited local currency
- Unlimited foreign currencies
Departure fee
In Bolivia, a fee of 25 US dollars must be paid when leaving the country or 15 Bolivianos for a domestic flight. This fee does not apply to small children or travelers in transit.
Import and export of goods The import and export of weapons, ammunition or explosives is strictly prohibited. In addition, the import and export of plants and animals protected under the Washington Species Protection Act is prohibited. Violation can result in severe penalties .
If loose or packaged coca tea is imported, the goods will be confiscated by German customs (also applies to small quantities).
Entry with pets
For the owners of dogs and other animals, when traveling abroad, the question arises whether they can even take their animals with them to the chosen travel destination, and if that is possible, then of course the question of the respective applicable conditions arises. Here with us you will find all the important information on this topic, carefully researched at the embassies or the Foreign Office:
There are some rules to be observed when entering Bolivia with pets. The animals must have an international vaccination certificate. This must contain a health certificate and proof of a rabies vaccination. The rabies vaccination must not be more than a year ago at the time of entry into Bolivia and must have taken place at least three months before entry.
All certificates must be translated into Spanish and certified by the Bolivian consulate.
Bolivia: Travel Medicine, Vaccinations, and Warnings
Infectious Diseases
In Bolivia, the following infectious diseases are to be expected in Germany and Central and Northern Europe:
- Malaria, there is a year-round risk of infection with the exception of the larger cities and the provinces of Oruro and Potosi in the south-west of the country. About 20% of the infections occur with the very dangerous malaria tropica, the rest with malaria tertiana. There is no risk of malaria infection in areas above 2,500 m
- Amoebic dysentery
- Bacterial agitation
- Chagas disease
- cholera
- Dengue fever disease
- Intestinal infections caused by contaminated food or water, including amoebas, lamblia, salmonella, shigella, worm infestation and all kinds of viruses and bacteria
- Yellow fever
- Hepatitis A and B
- Kala Azar, isolated occurrence in the La Paz Valley
- Lambliasis
- Leishmaniasis Disease
- Polio, polio
- Plague, only in some regions
- tetanus
- rabies
- typhus
Warning
In La Paz and other high altitudes in the country, altitude sickness can be expected.
Recommended vaccinations
when traveling to Bolivia, the following vaccinations recommended:
- Diphtheria, a vaccination against diphtheria should always exist in your home country
- Yellow fever
- Hepatitis A and B, vaccination against hepatitis A and B should always exist, also in the home country.
- Polio, polio, a vaccination against polio should always exist, also in the home country
- Tetanus, a vaccination against tetanus should always exist in the home country
- Rabies, but only in high-risk travelers who can come into contact with the vector animals
- Typhoid, but only in travelers who may come into contact with polluted water or contaminated food
Compulsory vaccination
As already mentioned above, there is a compulsory vaccination against an illness with yellow fever for all persons older than 1 year and coming from a yellow fever infection area designated by the WHO.
Yellow fever vaccination for children
In most of the countries where yellow fever vaccination is mandatory, this also applies to children over 1 year of age, in some countries even from 6 months. It should be noted that vaccination against yellow fever had a number of side effects, such as encephalitis. Around two thirds of those affected were children under 6 months. Therefore, under no circumstances should children under this age be vaccinated. But children under one year of age should also not be vaccinated if possible. If in doubt, yellow fever infection areas must then be avoided.
A vaccination against yellow fever may only be carried out in specially authorized yellow fever vaccination centers!
Malaria prophylaxis
When traveling in the country it is advisable to undergo malaria prophylaxis. If the side effects seem questionable to you, you should at least have a “stand-by product” with you.
Who pays for vaccinations in Germany?
Most children in Germany are vaccinated against a number of infectious diseases at an early age. However, the vaccination protection only lasts up to 10 years, in some cases even shorter. Therefore, before traveling abroad, you should carefully consider against which infectious diseases a vaccination is necessary or useful in the country concerned and whether the vaccination protection, if applicable, was not too long ago.
Most statutory health insurances have been reimbursing the costs for the following vaccinations since June 2007.
There is even no 10 € practice fee – but the insured usually have to pay the statutory additional payment, which is 10% of the vaccine price – that is at least 5 € and a maximum of 10 €. Under these conditions, the following vaccinations are free of charge:
- cholera
- diphtheria
- Early summer meningoencephalitis (TBE)
- Yellow fever
- Hepatitis A and B
- Meningococcal meningitis
- Pneumococci
- Polyo (polio)
- Tetanus (tetanus)
- rabies
- typhus
Some health insurance companies also reimburse the cost of malaria prophylaxis.
As a rule, private health insurance companies (inquire beforehand) also cover the costs mentioned.
Current warnings
Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany
Citizens’ Service
Telephone: 0049 – (0) 30 – 5000 – 2000
Fax: 0049 – (0) 30 – 5000 – 51000
www.auswaertiges-amt.de
Bolivia: currency, shopping and exchange rate
The national currency of Bolivia is: Boliviano (colloquial: Peso) = 100 Centavos (BOL)
The following banknotes are valid and in circulation in the country:
- 200
- 100
- 50
- 20th
- 10
Withdrawal of local currency (soles) and US dollars with EC cards at over 300 ATMs, provided they bear the MAESTRO logo, is becoming increasingly popular. The US dollar is accepted as a method of payment alongside the boliviano. Credit cards are only accepted in the big cities.
Exchange rate
With the following currency converter you can easily get the current exchange rate:
http://www.bankenverband.de/html/reisekasse/waehrungsrechner.asp
Bank opening times
- Monday: 8.30 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. and 2.30 p.m. to 6.30 p.m.
- Tuesday: 8.30 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. and 2.30 p.m. to 6.30 p.m.
- Wednesday: 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
- Thursday: 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
- Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
- Saturday: closed
- Sunday: closed
Shop
Shop opening times
- Monday: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. (supermarkets), others until 9 p.m.
- Saturday: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
There are also shops that are open longer
Cheap or country-specific goods, souvenirs,
hats, capes and similar goods from artisanal, traditional production, silver goods.
Bolivia: Embassies and Consulates
Representations of Bolivia in Germany
The Bolivian embassy is located on the ground floor of a five-story modern purpose-built building. In addition to the Bolivian embassy, the Panamanian embassy is located on the first floor of the building – next to lawyers and a practice for psychotherapy, which are also based here, along with others.
Wichmannstraße is located in the Tiergarten district of Berlin-Mitte and is a cross street of Keithstraße, which in turn crosses Kurfürstenstraße.
Embassy of the Plurinational State of Bolivia in Berlin
Wichmannstr. 5-6
10787 Berlin
Tel: 0049 – (0) 30 – 26 39 15 0
Fax: 0049 – (0) 30 – 26 29 15 15
Email: embajada.bolivia@berlin.de
Web: www.bolivia.de
Honorary Consulate General in Bremen
Ludwig-Erhard-Strasse 7
28197 Hamburg
Tel: 0049 – (0) 421 – 52 23 248
Fax: 0049 – (0) 421 – 52 23 348
Email: colivian-bremen@hellmann.de
Honorary Consulate General in Hamburg
Heimhuderstraße 33 a
20148 Hamburg
Tel: 0049 – (0) 40 – 35 89 75 3
0049 – (0) 40 – 41 35 53 64
Fax: 0049 – (0) 40 – 34 28 56
Email: conbolhamb @ aol. com
Honorary Consulate General in Munich
Maximiliansplatz 18
80333 Munich
Tel: 0049 – (0) 89 – 22 06 95
Fax: 0049 – (0) 89 – 22 06 98
Email: konsulat.bolivien@t-online.de
Honorary Consulate General in Schlossborn
Butznickelstrasse 9-11
61479 Schlossborn
Tel: 0049 – (0) 700 – 26 54 84 36
Fax: 0049 – (0) 700 – 26 54 84 23 29
Email: bolivia-frankfurt@bergerem.de
German representations in Bolivia
Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in La Paz
Avenida Arce No. 2395
La Paz
Tel: 00591 – (0) 2 – 244 00 66
00591 – (0) 2 – 244 11 66
00591 – (0) 2 – 244 06 06
00591 – (0) 2 – 244 11 33
00591 – (0) 2 – 244 00 88
Fax: 00591 – (0) 2 – 244 14 41
Email: info@la-paz.diplo.de
Web: www.la-paz.diplo.de
Honorary consulates can be found in Cochabamba, Santa Cruz de la Sierra , Sucre and Tarija.
Austrian representations in Bolivia
Embassy
The embassy in Lima/Peru is responsible.
Honorary Consulate General in La Paz (with passport authorization)
Calle Montevideo 130, Edificio Requima, Piso 6
La Paz
Tel: 00591 – (0) 2 – 244 20 94
00 591 – (0) 2 – 244 20 75
00 591 – (0) 2 – 211 65 09
Fax: 00591 – (0) 2 – 244 20 35
Email: austroko@acelerate.com
Honorary Consulate General in Santa Cruz de la Sierra
Calle Taperas 27
Santa Cruz
Tel: 00591 – (0) 3 – 334 44 02
Email: peterjessen@correascenter.com
Representations of Bolivia in Austria
Embassy of the Plurinational State of Bolivia in Vienna
Waaggasse 10/4
1040 Vienna
Tel: 0043 – (0) 1 – 587 46 75
Fax: 0043 – (0) 1 – 586 68 80
Email: embolaustria@of-viena.at
Consulates
Honorary Consulate of the Republic of Bolivia in Salzburg
Dr. Viehauserstrasse 8a
5020 Salzburg
Tel: 0043 – (0) 662 – 82 25 82
Fax: 0043 – (0) 664 – 210 09 21
Email: colivian-salzburg@sbg.at
Honorary Consulate of the Republic of Bolivia in Vienna
Aslangasse 91-93
1190 Vienna
Tel: 0043 – (0) 1 – 328 65 66
Fax: 0043 – (0) 1 – 328 65 66 26
Email: colivian-viena@viktorbauer.com
Honorary Consulate of the Republic of Bolivia Altenberg
Niederbairingerstrasse 36
4203 Altenberg near Linz
Tel: 0043 – (0) 7230 – 87 77
Fax: 0043 – (0) 7230 – 87 77
Email: colivien_linz@hotmail.com
Swiss representations in Bolivia
Embassy of Switzerland in La Paz
Calle 13, No. 455, Esquina 14 de Septiembre, Obrajes
La Paz
Tel: 00591 – (0) 2 – 275 12 25
Fax: 00591 – (0) 2 – 214 08 85
Email: paz.vertretung@eda.admin.ch
Web: www.eda.admin.ch/lapaz
Consulate Santa Cruz
Consulado de Suiza
Calle Los Gomeros No. 98, Barrio Sirari
Santa Cruz
Tel: 00591 – (0) 3 – 3 43 55 40
Fax: 00591 – (0) 3 – 3 43 73 75
Email: santacruz@honorarvertretung.ch
Representations of Bolivia in Switzerland
Embassy
The embassy in Berlin/Germany () is responsible.
Consulat de la République de Bolivie
Sevogelplatz 2
4052 Bâle
Tel: 0041 – (0) 61 – 312 44 45
Fax: 0041 – (0) 61 – 312 50 31
