Can a British Driver Drive in Bolivia? — IDP Recommended, Right-Side Switch

Bolivia is one of South America’s most dramatic places to drive — salt flats, altiplano and roads that climb to dizzying heights — but it is not a forgiving one. For a British visitor the licence is the easy part; the altitude and the terrain deserve real respect.

Can you drive there on a UK licence?

Yes. Your British licence is accepted for tourist driving, and an International Driving Permit is recommended to carry with it. The IDP gives officials a recognised translation and helps at a rental desk. Sort it in the UK before you travel and keep it with your licence and passport.

The side switch comes first

The UK drives on the left; Bolivia drives on the right. Be deliberate at junctions and roundabouts for your first day until the new direction feels normal — easy to forget when you are also concentrating on unfamiliar mountain roads.

Altitude and terrain are the real story

This is where honesty matters more than a speed figure. Town limits are a low 40 km/h and rural roads 80 km/h — and those numbers reflect reality, because much of Bolivia sits above 3,500 m, with La Paz, the altiplano and many passes higher still. Engines lose power, you may feel the altitude yourself, and roads are frequently narrow, unpaved, edged by long drops and weather-affected. Drive slowly, avoid night driving, keep fuel topped up between towns, and do not attempt remote routes without a capable vehicle.

The drink-drive limit is 0.05, below the UK’s 0.08, so don’t drink and drive. Fuel is cheap at around $0.54 a litre, and the emergency number is 911.

Sort your paperwork with the driving permit checker, and read our overseas fines guide for how penalties work when you are driving abroad.