Bolivia

SAFETY: adequate
Although the economic, social and political situation remains difficult, there are clear signs of improvement.
The usual precautions are advisable in the major cities, even in central districts and during daylight hours.

TRANSPORT SYSTEM: poor
Only a small part of the road network is surfaced; buses and minibuses are often in a precarious state of repair. The rail network is practically non-existent. Bolivian airlines connect all the country’s main cities.

Main airports: Santa Cruz, La Paz, Sucre, Cochabamba, Tarija.
Ports: Puerto Aguirre (Paraguay/Paraná).

ACCOMMODATION: adequate
Accommodation is concentrated in the capital and along the tourist circuits, but remains acceptable in the other parts of the country too.

COUNTRY FACTS: Full name: Plurinational State of Bolivia. – Borders: bordered by Brazil to the north and east, Argentina and Paraguay to the south, and Peru and Chile to the west. – Time zone: 5 hours behind Italy; 6 hours behind when Italy is on summer time. – Area: 1,098,580 km². – Capital (constitutional): Sucre. Seat of government: La Paz– Population: 10,027,254. – Religion: 95% Catholic, with Protestant and animist minorities. – Languages: the official languages are Spanish and those of the 36 indigenous nations; of the latter, the most widely spoken are Aymara and Quechua. Units of measurement: the country uses the metric system. The pound, the arroba (11.25 kg) and the quintal (2 arrobas) are sometimes used.

CURRENCY: Boliviano (BOB). Currency and customs formalities: amounts of currency over 10,000 US dollars (or the equivalent in another currency) must be declared to customs on entry. - Credit cards: credit and debit cards are widely accepted in the big cities. Cash can be withdrawn in the main cities. Exchange: bring euros, easy to exchange.

ELECTRICITY: Voltage: 220/230 V and 50 Hz. – Sockets: types A and C, bring an adaptor.

DOCUMENTS. A passport with at least 6 months’ remaining validity on entry is required, as is a return ticket. For any changes to this rule, it is advisable to check in advance with the country’s Embassy or Consulate in Italy or with your travel agent. – Driving: 1949 Geneva Convention international model – Car insurance: third-party motor insurance is compulsory.

COMMUNICATIONS AND TELEPHONES: International dialling code: 00591, followed by the city code (2 for La Paz, 3 for Santa Cruz, 4 for Cochabamba). – Telephones: mobile coverage, voice and data: Entel GSM 1900, Nuevatel PCS De Bolivia SA GSM 1900, Telecel Bolivia GSM 850. –  Web domain: .bo.

RULES, LAWS AND CONDUCT:
Legislation on drug use and/or dealing (soft or hard): Bolivian drug law is very strict and punishes with minimum prison sentences of 8 years not only the transport but also the simple possession of cocaine, marijuana or other narcotics, even in very small quantities and for personal use. Note that exporting coca leaves or coca tea bags is not permitted.
Legislation on the use and/or possession of medicines: Italian nationals travelling to Bolivia are advised to pay particular attention to the quantity and type of medicines they bring with them.
Possession of medicines for personal use is a rather complex matter, since it is governed both by the rules of the Ministry of Health’s Unit for Medicines and Health Technologies (UNIMED) and by the Law on Coca and Controlled Substances (against drug trafficking and possession).
Tourists must carry their doctor’s prescription, a medical certificate stating the quantities the patient must take and the purchase invoice for the medicine; they must then declare the medicines and, if requested, leave them at customs and go to UNIMED to apply for their import. Alternatively, they may bring only the dose needed for the trip and, with the certificates mentioned, ask a Bolivian doctor for a new prescription and buy the medicine in Bolivia. Without the necessary authorisation from the local Ministry of Health (art. 35 of Law 1008), you may in fact be charged with possession and trafficking of narcotics, an offence that carries arrest and a minimum sentence of 8 years’ imprisonment.
Legislation on sexual abuse or violence against minors: remember that anyone who commits offences against minors abroad (sexual abuse, exploitation, prostitution) is prosecuted on their return to Italy under the laws in force in our country. In the event of problems with the local police authorities (detention or arrest), it is advisable to inform the Italian Embassy or Consulate in the country for the necessary assistance.

HEALTH CARE:
Public hospitals are, with rare exceptions, very poorly equipped; private hospitals, on the other hand, are better, at least in the main cities such as La Paz, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Cochabamba and Sucre. In these cities the most commonly used medicines can be found without great difficulty, as can some of those for specific therapies.

PUBLIC HOLIDAYS: 1 January, New Year’s Day; Saturday before Ash Wednesday, Carnaval de Oruro (Oruro); Easter week: Semana Santa; 17 July, Fair (La Paz only); 7 August, Independence Day; 16 August, Fiesta de la Virgen de Urkupiña (Cochabamba only); 17 August: Flag Day; 25 December, Christmas Day.

CLIMATE: highly varied; in winter (May – October) the climate on the Andean plateau is dry, while summer (November – April) is the rainy season. In the Amazon regions, humid heat is constant all year round.
Average annual temperatures rise progressively, from between -3 °C and 12 °C on the altiplano to between 20 °C and 28 °C, with tropical heat in the lowlands. In the intermediate valleys the temperature is mild, ranging between 15 °C and 20 °C. In the highlands there is a marked difference between day and night temperatures, while between October and April rain is frequent and can cause flooding, often followed by periods of drought.

Monthly min/max temperatures (in °C)

Average monthly rainfall (in mm)

USEFUL ADDRESSES
Italian Embassy - LA PAZ
Avda. Sanchez Bustamante n. 977, Ed. Torre Pacifico, Piso 5, Calacoto, La Paz
Tel. +591 2 2125430/32
Emergency mobile: + 591 71554805
Email: segreteria.lapaz@esteri.it
Website: https://amblapaz.esteri.it/ambasciata_lapaz/it/

CONSULATES
Italian Consular Correspondent in Santa Cruz
Pasaje Landivar 1, Edif. ZERO
Zona 3, anillo interno del Zoológico

Santa Cruz de la Sierra
Tel: +591 77006419
E-mail: gianmarco.pompeo@gmail.com

Italian Honorary Consulate in Sucre:
Calle Padilla n. 502 – Sucre
Tel/fax. +591 4 643-3038
E-Mail: consolatoitalianosucre@yahoo.it