Travel Advice for Bolivia

Visa and other entry and exit conditions (such as currency, customs and quarantine regulations) change regularly. Contact the nearest Embassy or Consulate of Bolivia for the most up to date information.

Children (under 18) who are Australian/Bolivian dual nationals, and are travelling alone to Bolivia, are required upon entry into the country to present their birth certificate and written consent from both parents, translated into Spanish and certified by the nearest Bolivian embassy or consulate.

Bolivia is listed by the World Health Organization as endemic for yellow fever. Some airlines may require passengers to present a valid Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificate before being allowed to board flights out of the country. If in doubt, check with your airline.

If you have visited Bolivia in the last six days prior to your date of return to Australia, Australian Customs officials will ask you to present a valid Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificate on entry into Australia.

If you are travelling to Bolivia through the United States of America, or if you are transiting in Honolulu or other US points of entry, you are required to meet US entry/transit requirements. Make sure you check with your nearest Embassy or Consulate of the United States your visa requirements well in advance of your travel. You should also read our travel advice for the United States of America .

Make sure your passport has at least six months' validity from your planned date of return to Australia. You should carry copies of a recent passport photo with you in case you need a replacement passport while overseas.

Terrorism

Civil unrest/political tension

Crime

Money and valuables

There are limited flights within Bolivia and to neighbouring countries. Flight delays are common. Contact your airline or travel agent for further information on flight options.

Public transport can be unsafe, and you should exercise a high degree of caution when travelling on buses, trains and in taxis.

You are required to carry photographic identification at all times. A photocopy of your passport is acceptable.

Driving in rural areas of Bolivia may be hazardous as roads and vehicles are often poorly maintained. Rural roads often lack adequate lighting and signage. Drivers should maintain caution, particularly at night, as roads are often shared with pedestrians and livestock. For further advice, see our road travel page.

Drug traffickers and other criminals in the Bolivian/Brazilian border region present a serious danger to travellers crossing the border.

The safety standards that you might expect of tour operators are not always met, especially when undertaking adventure sports. Sufficient life jackets for boats, rafts and kayaks are not always provided. Check operators' credentials and safety equipment beforehand and ensure your travel insurance policy covers your planned activities.

Airline safety

When you are in Bolivia, be aware that local laws and penalties, including ones that appear harsh by Australian standards, do apply to you. If you are arrested or jailed, the Australian Government will do what it can to help you but we can't get you out of trouble or out of jail.

Information on what Australian consular officers can and cannot do to help Australians in trouble overseas is available from the Consular Services Charter .

The Bolivian drink driving laws state that there is a zero tolerance for alcohol.

Penalties for drug offences are severe and include lengthy imprisonment in local jails.

While homosexual activities are not illegal in Bolivia, homosexuality is not widely accepted in Bolivian society.

It is illegal to remove any item that the Bolivian government considers to be a national treasure (i.e. pre-Columbian artefacts, certain historical paintings, items of Spanish colonial architecture and history, some native textiles, and certain flora, fauna and fossils). Excavation or collection of fossils without prior written authorisation is also illegal.

Some Australian criminal laws, such as those relating to money, laundering, bribery of foreign public officials, terrorism, child pornography, and child sex tourism, apply to Australian overseas. Australians who commit these offences while overseas may be prosecuted in Australia.

Australian authorities are committed to combating sexual exploitation of children by Australians overseas. Australians may be prosecuted at home under Australian child sex tourism and child pornography laws. These laws provide severe penalties of up to 25 years imprisonment for Australians who engage in child sexual exploitation while outside of Australia.

Local customs

Information for dual nationals

We strongly recommend that you take out comprehensive travel insurance that will cover any overseas medical costs, including medical evacuation, before you depart. Confirm that your insurance covers you for the whole time you'll be away and check what circumstances and activities are not included in your policy. Remember, regardless of how healthy and fit you are, if you can't afford travel insurance, you can't afford to travel. The Australian Government will not pay for a traveller's medical expenses overseas or medical evacuation costs.

Your doctor or travel clinic is the best source of information about preventive measures, immunisations (including booster doses of childhood vaccinations) and disease outbreaks overseas. The World Health Organization (WHO) provides information for travellers and our Travelling Well brochure also provides useful tips for travelling with medicines and staying healthy while overseas.

The standard of medical facilities provided by private hospitals in Bolivia's major cities is reasonable. Outside of major cities, however, facilities can be very limited. Treatment at private clinics and hospitals is expensive. Hospitals often require up-front payment or confirmation of medical insurance prior to commencing treatment, including for emergency care. In the event of a serious illness or accident, medical evacuation, at considerable cost, may be necessary. Travellers who require medical evacuation from Bolivia often face difficulties as many air ambulance services cannot fly into La Paz due to the high altitude.

Malaria and dengue fever occur in areas below 2500 metres. For information on dengue fever, see the World Health Organisation's factsheet .

Other insect-borne diseases (including yellow fever and Chagas' disease) also occur. You should consult your doctor or travel clinic about prophylaxis against malaria and take measures to avoid insect bites, including using insect repellent at all times, wearing long, loose-fitting, light coloured clothing, and ensure your accommodation is mosquito proof.

Water-borne, food-borne, parasitic and other infectious diseases (including typhoid, hepatitis, tuberculosis and rabies) are prevalent with more serious outbreaks from time to time. We encourage you to consider having vaccinations before travelling. We advise you to boil all drinking water or drink bottled water, and avoid ice cubes and raw and undercooked food. Seek medical advice if you have a fever or are suffering from diarrhoea.

Travellers who ascend to altitudes greater than 2500m, particularly if the ascent is rapid, or who at higher altitudes make further rapid ascents, are at risk of developing altitude sickness. Altitude sickness can be life threatening and can affect anyone, even the physically fit. Those more at risk include people who have had altitude sickness before, who exercise or drink alcohol before adjusting (acclimatising) to the altitude, or who have health problems that affect breathing. If you plan to travel to altitude, you should see your doctor prior to travel and get advice specific to you and your situation. Many areas of Bolivia, including La Paz (3660m), Salar de Uyuni (3650m), and Lake Titicaca (3820m), are above 2500m.

The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) has confirmed cases of avian influenza in birds in a number of countries throughout the world. For a list of these countries, visit the OIE website . For information on our advice to Australians on how to reduce the risk of infection and on Australian Government precautions see our travel bulletin on avian influenza.

Australia has a Consulate in La Paz headed by an Honorary Consul. The Consulate provides limited consular assistance which does not include the issue of Australian passports. You can obtain full consular assistance from the Australian Embassy in Peru.

Natural disasters, severe weather and climate

Wildlife

For parents