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Last Updated on February 15, 2025

Renting a car in Bolivia is feasible and doesn’t require any special conditions on your part. You can rent various types of vehicles and drive them without restrictions by simply presenting the documents you used to enter and stay in Bolivia. You’ll also need to provide a monetary guarantee to the rental company, among other things.

Yes, you can rent a car in Bolivia whether you’re a tourist, resident, or Bolivian citizen, without any restrictions. To do so, you’ll need your passport, visa, your home country’s driver’s license or an international one, approximately $2,000 to $3,000 for the guarantee, and between $1,200 and $2,500 per month for rental fees.

In this guide, we’ll cover all the details, conditions, requirements, steps, costs, and paperwork timelines involved in renting a car in our country. You’ll also learn about the best company available for renting a car here. We are Bolivian real estate experts.

Yes, You Can Absolutely Rent a Car in Bolivia

In Bolivia, it’s entirely possible to rent a car, *regardless of whether you’re a tourist, a resident, or a naturalized citizen*, and drive it without limitations. You can rent a car here by providing a monetary guarantee to the rental company, typically between $2,000 and $3,000, and signing a rental agreement.

Renting a Car as a Tourist, Resident, or Citizen

You don’t need any special status to rent a car in Bolivia. Simply *with your passport, visa, and either your home country’s driver’s license or an international driver’s license*, you can rent a car and drive it throughout the country without any legal restrictions.

Steps and Requirements for Renting a Car in Bolivia

Conditions

As mentioned, you can rent a car in Bolivia and drive it anywhere in the country, whether you are:

• A tourist (allowed to drive the car until your tourist permission expires, which can be up to 90 days).
• A temporary or permanent resident (until your residency status expires, which can be between two and five years, depending on your residency type).
• A naturalized citizen (in this case, you’re treated like any other Bolivian and have no time limit for driving a car in the country).

Requirements

a) If You’re a Tourist

As a tourist, you cannot obtain a Bolivian driver’s license. *However, the documents that allow you to stay in Bolivia can serve as a driver’s license*, as explained below.

To rent a car in Bolivia as a tourist, you’ll need:

1. Your passport.
2. Your tourist visa.
3. Either your driver’s license from your home country or an international driver’s license.
4. Between $2,000 and $3,000 in cash or from your credit card, *as a guarantee for the car*.
5. At least $50 for daily rental fees or $1,400 for monthly rentals.

With these requirements, you’ll sign a contract with the car rental company. This contract, along with the three documents listed above, will serve as your driver’s license in Bolivia. Therefore, if a police officer in Bolivia asks for your driver’s license, *you’ll need to present this contract, along with these documents*, and everything will be in order.

b) If You’re a Temporary or Permanent Resident

Once you become a resident of Bolivia, *you’ll receive your foreigner ID card*, which grants you the same rights as any other Bolivian. Naturally, with this document, *you’ll be able to obtain a Bolivian driver’s license*.

To rent a car in Bolivia as either a temporary or permanent resident, you’ll need:

• Your foreigner’s ID card.
• A valid driver’s license (either Bolivian or international).
• Between $2,000 and $3,000 *as a guarantee for the car*.

c) If You’ve Become a Bolivian Citizen

After becoming a Bolivian citizen, *you’re treated like any other Bolivian*. Therefore, you’ll use your Bolivian ID card to rent a car in the country.

To rent a car in Bolivia as a naturalized Bolivian citizen, you’ll need:

• Your Bolivian ID card.
• A valid driver’s license (either Bolivian or international).
• Between $2,000 and $3,000 *as a guarantee for the car*.

Steps

After meeting all the requirements and conditions mentioned above, and depending on whether you’re a tourist, resident, or citizen, you’ll need to follow these steps to rent a car in the country:

1. Visit a car rental company available in Bolivia (we recommend using EuropCar, as it’s an international company with a presence in Bolivia’s most important cities and is the largest available here * (you can rent from this company online, from your own country)*.
2. Present all the required documents mentioned earlier, depending on your residency status (tourist, resident, or naturalized citizen).
3. Sign the contract with the car rental company. This contract will specify the conditions, the return deadline, permitted uses, and other terms.
4. Pay the guarantee to receive the rental car, which, as we said, will range from $2,000 to $3,000, depending on the vehicle’s size and the rental duration.
5. Collect all your documents and the contract. Remember not to forget any of these documents, including the contract. *Do not leave any originals with the company*. These documents will serve as your driver’s license in Bolivia.
6. Receive your rented car, get the keys, and start using it in Bolivia.
7. Return the car by the deadline. Once you’ve finished using it in Bolivia and complied with the rental contract conditions, return the car to the rental company. *Don’t forget to request a full refund of your guarantee*.
8. That’s it! You no longer have any ties or liabilities to the car rental company.

Costs

The costs of renting a car in Bolivia generally range from $1,200 to $2,500 per month, depending on two main factors:

• The duration of your rental period.
• The size of the car.

Rental Duration

If you’re renting the car for an extended period, more than just a few days, *you’ll need to provide a larger guarantee to the rental company* ($2,000 for a few days, but $3,000 for longer periods or weeks).

However, car rental companies will also offer discounts, around 10% to 20%, if you rent the car for more than one month, or perhaps three months.

Vehicle Size

For example, a compact car or personal car will cost you between $1,200 and $1,800 per month. On the other hand, a family car will cost around $2,100 per month from most car rental companies in the country.

Vehicles with more functionality, such as pickups, SUVs, etc., will, of course, be more expensive, potentially reaching $2,500 per month or even $3,000.

We have a comprehensive guide on how much a car costs in Bolivia, with all the detailed figures and situations, including purchase and rental prices, gas prices, Uber and bus fares, etc., available here: How much does a car cost in Bolivia? All you need to know.

Paperwork Timeline

Renting a car in Bolivia is actually very quick and easy, *even if you’re a tourist*. Simply visit the car rental company, present all the required documents, pay the guarantee and rental fees, receive your car, and you’re done. *This entire process can take less than an hour in the best-case scenarios*.

On average, however, expect it to take between one and two days from the time you enter a car rental company’s office to the time you receive your rented car.

Of course, you don’t need to be in the office during this entire time. They’ll contact you when everything is finalized so you can pick up your rented car.

The Best Car Rental Companies in Bolivia

There are several car rental companies available in Bolivia. You can view all the most important ones on Kayak.com, where you can compare their offers and find the most affordable options. All the companies listed there provide good-quality services.

However, the largest and most reliable is EuropCar. This company is an international brand with a presence in Bolivia’s three main cities: La Paz, Cochabamba, and Santa Cruz.

Renting from this international car rental company offers these advantages:

• You can rent online, even while still in your home country, before arriving in Bolivia.
• You can specify when and where in Bolivia you’ll pick up and return your rented car.
• You can use this car rental company’s app for greater convenience:
  • Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.clanmo.europcar
  • App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/europcar-car-van-hire/id377889715
• You can also visit their offices directly in Bolivia’s principal cities and rent your car there.

Conclusions:

In this guide on whether it’s possible and how to rent a car in Bolivia, you’ve seen that it’s entirely feasible, regardless of whether you’re a tourist, a temporary or permanent resident, or a naturalized citizen. In all these situations, you won’t face any restrictions on driving this car within the country, beyond the duration of your authorized stay, which for tourists is 90 days.

You’ve also learned that to rent a car here, you’ll need your passport, your tourist visa, and either your home country’s driver’s license or an international driver’s license. If you’re a resident, you’ll need your foreigner’s ID card, or if you’re a naturalized citizen, your regular Bolivian ID card. Additionally, you’ll need between $2,000 and $3,000 as a guarantee and between $1,200 and $2,500 per month for rental fees.

Finally, you’ve seen that in Bolivia, by far the best car rental company available is EuropCar, which has offices in the country’s principal cities. This is a well-known international company that allows you to rent a car online, from your home country, before arriving, among other services.

We hope this information has been helpful. If you’d like to know whether it’s possible for a tourist or a foreigner to buy a car in Bolivia, including all the details, conditions, requirements, and steps, please visit our dedicated guide here: [Link].

CasasenBolivia.com, information on living, working, investing, and traveling in Bolivia.