Bolivian Border Post | Customs and Immigration

Go here only if doing Chile - Bolivia
If you want to do Bolivia - Chile you need to pass this city and go directly to Complejo Chungara.
In both cases you do not need to do the huuuuge queue of trucks, just pass them.

As foreigners (French) owning a chilean camioneta we were refused to pass the border towards Bolivia in Hito Cajon (san pedro de atacama). Here at Tambo Quemado absolutely no issues with the padron to our name.
We even forgot to show the declaracion jurada and they did not ask for it (but we would advise to of course have it available)
No check for food but thorough check of the car, motor number and chassis number.

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Exit Chile enter Bolivia. All counters are in 1 building. You get a bingo card to collect 6 stamps. The first 4 stops went really fast, 30min, most time spent on walking back and forth to the car 2 times with the officers.
Then aduana bolivia took ages. Paperwork took long, then a 3rd(!!) vehicle inspection. Thoroughly checking the chassis number on the car etc, then they said ALL our stuff (we have many camping supplies) had to go through X-ray… come on. Finally agreed that only the backpacks, the items which were most far tucked away in our car, had to go. Meaning we still had to take EVERYTHING out on the dusty windy parking place. Then walk all the way to the building with heavy luggage, trying not to get hit by the trucks racing by or to choke on dust gusts. It was terrible. All our stuff and interior of the car got covered in dust. This ‘organisation ’ is really not thought trough.

Another 15min challenge to actually leave the premises, one big chaos and traffic jam of fed-up truck drivers blocking everything.
Most messy border crossing.

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We drive to the Jancoaque border post - between Chungará in Chile and Tambo Quemado in Bolivia - at an altitude of 4,375 meters. When we leave Chile we do not see a customs office (relevant, because we have to export the camper before we can import it) and we drive for miles in no man's land. Fortunately, we read on iOverlander that both the Chilean border post and the Bolivian border post are on the Bolivian side. It is a chaos of trucks and it seems that we have to join a kilometer long queue of waiting truck drivers. After there has been no movement for a long time, we gamble and drive past the long line against the traffic. Suddenly there is a police officer who signals us to give priority and to park in front of all trucks at the customs office. That's coming along nicely. There is nothing indicated and we are first at the wrong building. Fortunately, we are soon shown the way to the right office where it is a large teeming mass of people with a lot of luggage. Apparently a bus just arrived.

We neatly join the queue for counter 1 and when it is - finally - our turn, it turns out that we should have collected a form from the last counter (logically anyway) on which all counters are signed off as soon as we have been there. Counter 1 is the Chilean PDI where they check our passport and visa (fortunately my 1 day visa is accepted). Counter 2 is the Chilean customs where we export our car. Fortunately, the previously stamped forms are in order and a friendly customs officer tries to help us in his best English. Everything is now settled for Chile.

On to Counter 3, the Bolivian Migration. Here we get our visa, as it looks like just for 3 months, because there is no end date included. Earlier we read stories that the visa can also be granted for 1 month, so you have to go to the embassy in La Paz or Santa Cruz for a visa that is valid for longer. So it seems to be working out positively for us. Also our early registration in the Dimeg/Simeg system - at least at the moment - does not seem to cause any problems. On to counter 4, the Bolivian SENASAG. Someone accompanies my friend to check the camper for prohibited goods, such as fruit and vegetables, while I have to stay behind in the office. We also pass this check, we only have to hand in a cucumber.

Finally we are at the most exciting counter, counter 5, the customs of Bolivia, where we have to enter our camper. And that's where it gets complicated, because apparently we're missing a form from the Argentinian rental company, even though we have the permits that allow us to take the camper to Bolivia. A customs officer goes with my friend to the camper to check the license plate and chassis number, among other things. Fortunately, we appear to have all the necessary information and after some grumbling, the customs officers arrange the necessary papers themselves. On site we both have to fill in another form, a sworn statement that, among other things, we don't take too much cash across the border. And while I enter my passport number for the umpteenth time today, I am relieved to hear the sound of the last stamp being applied. We can enter Bolivia! With the warning that - if the camper stays in Bolivia for longer than 3 months - it will be confiscated by the Bolivian government.

But we're not quite there yet. Because a toll road starts immediately after the customs office, we still have to get Bolivianos from somewhere (that is only possible in Bolivia itself). We ask the customs officer and he takes us outside, where a somewhat obscure Bolivian lady is sitting with a thick pile of money. Here we can exchange dollars for Bolivianos and the exchange rate is not even disappointing. Now past the police for stamp number 6, pay the toll road and we are on our way to Bolivia! All in all it took 1.5 hours.

Special enough, our yellow books and health declarations have not been checked. We have also not read anything about whether we still have to register all overnight stays in the Digemig/Sigemig system. We assume we have to, hopefully we will have internet today or tomorrow so we can complete our first registration within the mandatory 48 hours.

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Very easy border crossing.
Arrived at 4:30, not much traffic.
As a US passport holder you must apply for a Visa. Please have all the documentation needed (see photo) as well as $160 USD each in very crisp, clean bills.
Entire process took less than 2 hrs.
We were searched by Senasag (the agricultural control looking for fruit and veggies ) and then by customs. No issues at all.
The visa issued is good for 10 years and we received a 90 day entry stamp.

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para cruzar de Bolivia a Chile no hace falta para en este puesto se hace todo en el que está más adelante. No hay que esperar la fila de camiones de la carretera, ellos tienen unos trámites diferentes. aunque parezca loco hay que adelantarlos a todos por el carril contrario.

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Chile to Bolivia

Not a bad border crossing...

you do need to wiggle your way to the building past the transport trucks. recommend parking just past the building.

As you get into the building on the chile side a guy sitting at the desk will give you the "check list" put your licence plate number on it.

from there you are moving through all the windows and collecting stamps from chile immigration, chile aduana, bolivia immigration, SENAG ( they will inspect van for fruits, vegetables and pet), Bolivia Aduana ( they will spect car or new items that require duty payment)

leaving you give the stamped slip to the first window is uphigh so you may miss it. its before Peaje. Peaje is in Bolivianos only but the small shops past peaje will exchange freign currency.

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Chile to Bolivia :

We've made it ! It was not easy and we had to try twice but we are in Bolivia.

We are french and we have a Chilean car and we needed :

- to make ''Apostilla'' on our Declaracion Jurada. (You need to go to the ''Aduana Arica'' in Arica).
- have the pardon of the vehicule at our name. (If it's still at the precedent owner, you need to go to the Bolivian consulate in Arica to get a special document).
- your Chilean RUT.

With all that we were able to cross the border easily the second time. The first time the padron we're not at our name and we had to get back to Arica, even if we have the ''Autorizacion'' and all different type of documents to proof that we can leave the country with the vehicule.

All of the staff we're very nice with us the both time.

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Dreadful experience at this border. Tried it twice and got rejected by Bolivian customs twice, for different reasons. They seemed like they were looking for excuses not to let us in. We are foreigners with Chilean plates and got rejected by Chile Aduanas both times as well, but after sticking around and asking them to read the law that allows foreigners to leave if they have declaration Jura they finally let us through. First time Bolivian customs were nice enough but wouldn’t budge that the padron needed to be in my name. We stored the van in Arica and spent a month in Peru, and returned with the padron- they then said that I needed to be a resident of Chile. Super rude & complete lack of compassion from most aduanas we encountered.

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Not too bad. Everything done in one building. Took a while as I needed to get my USA visa and they weren’t too familiar with the process. Cash only. Bring all your things and extra.

Car gets checked twice. Once for goods and once for agriculture but strangely they didn’t bother to take my avocados that I showed them. I’m sure your mileage may vary.

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CHILE -> BOLIVIA
Managed to cross with my Chilean van under a tourist visa.

I only had padron under my name and declaration jurada.

Chilean side was easy. Bolivian side was a mess. You just walk back and forth between the offices AND buildings. A women asked me for 15BOL just to get a registration number for the car import paper. It seemed fishy and I'm not sure you really need to pay but I didn't bother to ask, i just wanted to get through.

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Chile side was fast but Bolivian immigration trying to give me a hard time and saying that my visa’s validity STARTED from the visa application instead of the entry to Bolivia, hence trying to reduce my 30 days to 7. After arguing and asking him to check the official website, he finally let us through

Nightmare continues with vehicle. They don’t take podors, just original vehicle papers

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Cross boarder from Chile to Bolivia at 11:45. The people are very friendly and helpful. We needed 1 h for the crossing. But he controlled our car and we lost some fruits and vegetables. In total 6 points you have to run through.

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Literally the worst border crossing I've experienced in the camper, and in general, for a long, long time. No signs anywhere. So coming from Chile to Bolivia I wasn't sure whether to stop at the first building on the right, at the border itself. I stopped and we asked a truck driver who said that we carry on to Tambo Quemado to do both exit and entry. So we did, with fingers crossed since the oncoming lane was blocked by a 2-3km de of trucks entering Chile. Obviously no extra lane. After a short distance starts the queue of trucks for about 2-3km trying to enter Bolivia. Obviously there's no extra lane so they just clog up the road here too. When you get the chance just over take them to get to the no signs whatsoever disorganised poop show at the other end. Trucks everywhere. No specific parking. Just park where you can. Then go into the building and follow steps 1-6. Make copies of all papers in advance if you can, or there's A place in a container where you can copy them before you go in. Otherwise you're in and out, maybe more than once when they send you to get copies the first time, then decide they want something else copied when you get back. Then we had the vehicle checked not once, but twice, by different people. One to tell us that we needed to take ALL of the bags to put through the scanner. The next to take our fruit and veg so he can have a nice free meal. As an afterthought He even asked if we had any drinks. He was clearly after a full on party. He got nothing. Then back inside to fill in a another form again because despite having filled it out online and given them the reference number to "ahem" speed up the process, it wasn't on the system. "problems with being at the border" apparently. Then finally through, winding the way through endless trucks to hand in the paper. Obviously the lady was in a window about 8 feet in the air so you miss her altogether because the lady who collects the toll fee is hanging out her door at eye level waving at you so that's who you notice. So you have to get out and walk back to hand in the pointless waste of paper. Then on to pay the toll fee, they obviously only accept Bolivianos, which we didn't have so then she took my driving licence while a went to get ripped off by the money changers so I could pay the fee for the toll. Obviously no signs anywhere for any of this either. Complete nonsense. May the force be with you.

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The only stop to do if you come from Chile to Bolivia. All the 5 offices in the same area. 1h30 for us for all with a french vehicule ans a dog. Bolivian aduanas and senasag was difficults ! Senasag asked us a SAG validation for our dog veterinary certificate. I saw it was not necessary... After 30 min, a vehicule control, a lot of all fotocoPies of all papers about our dog and a foto of him, it was good. Then, another aduana vehicule control and a longer establishment of paper. It was tired...mostly at 4300m altitude.

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CHILE -> BOLIVIA
2 Canadians with Chilean car (patron at our name) and tourist visa. We speak good spanish.

- Very nice and easy crossing. Took us 1h15. Everything at that location. Steps 1-5 in the same building. Step 6 about 200m further just before the exit. Can be confusing about where to park.
- Nice, professional and helpful staff on Chilean and Bolivian side when we were there.
- We had no problem at all exiting Chile with our car or exporting it to
Bolivia. The lady at the Chilean side also let us understand that it would have been ok for her too just with an authorization (if we didn’t have the padron yet).
- No fees at the border itself, but 10 bob for a legit toll just at the exit.

* the point 17.3 (the section for
Bolivia) of the law actually says that you need to be a resident to leave, but no one mentioned that when we crossed.

** We looked a long time on the internet and on Facebook groups for a copy of that “December 2018 amendment” that says it’s ok to pass but didn’t find it so don’t count too much on that, but again, everything was fine for us.

*** We also had a declaration jurada (saying that we would return to Chile) made at the Bolivian consulate, because the Aduana in Antofagasta and someone on
Facebook gave us the advice to do that, but no one asked for it.
For details, see the post named “Bolivian consulate” in Iquique under “Consulate/Embassy” category.

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we successfully crossed Chile to Bolivia at this crossing with little difficulty. The crossing is a little confusing but the Chilean Aduana gave us little grief, we had the laws and Dec 2018 amendments to the law with us but didn't need them

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Chili to Bolivia
2 french people with a chilean car we passed !!
It has been very difficult to exit Chili with our chilean car without being resident, took 4hours in total.
They first didnt want to let us exit the country but we definitely didnt want to go back. We negotiated during hours when finally a lady arrived informing her colleagues that a circular from december 2018 allows foreigners to exit Chili with a chilean car for 180 days maximum. What a relief!!
So do not go back, you have the right to leave Chile to Bolivia and Argentina according to this circular!

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attention les casarodantes :
pas de fruits pas de légumes pas de viande crue pas d'œufs crus
Papier d'importation GRATUIT ( REFUSEZ SI ON VS DEMANDE DE L'ARGENT)

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We had to do all our paperwork (chile to bolivia) at this place. Steps 1-6 in the same building when you get to the boarder. to complete the aduana they sent us 200 meters down the road to get our motos in the system. green building where the tiendas are at. there you have to pay 15 bol to the guy siting at the computer, he also makes the needed copy of your passport and vehicle document for the aduana.

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no fruit no vegetable are permitted to enter Bolivia. you have to eat everything at the border or throw them away.

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Had to walk back and forth to get all papers. Immigration only gave 30 days. Said I have to extend at city office. Otherwise quite quick as strike at Chilean side and hardly any trucks.

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Entering Bolivia. The worst border crossing ever. So chaotic, no signs, no information. You need to do Chilean migracion and aduana in Chungara (in Chile) and next 4 steps in here (you'll receive small paper for stamps in Chilean migracion)... Bolivian migracion and Sernap was fast, but aduana's checking took almost 2 hours. Guy from aduana didn't know his job, it seemed it was first day of his work. He checked our car twice (even vin and engine numbers!) and sent us to a shop to do photocopies of our passports and padron. They made a lot of problems and filled "a car visa" in wrong way...

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Entering Bolivia. Do steps 3 to 6 of the customs card (given in chile) on this side of the border. Use caution when completing step 6 - we drove to the exit booth, thinking it was the police check. It wasn't, and we had to go to the building directly adjacent to get a stamp. The policeman (who had been scoping us out from our arrival at the border) demanded payment for our 'infraction' of driving past the police building. We told him politely to get stuffed. Eventually he got bored and we left. The booth we originally drove up to is a toll point where you pay 10bob to use the road. A legitimate fee with a receipt provided.

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No border here for personnal vehicule. Ask the truck drivers because it's probably changing due to the futur aduana in construction.

I drove until lake chungara where both aduanas were.

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It looks like the customs document you get from the Aduana Nacional de Bolivia depends on where you enter the country — and there are subtle differences that you should be aware of:
- In Yacuiba (May 2016) entering from Argentina, we received a document titled "Acuerdo Boliviano-Argentino" that was divided into sections titled "Datos *Personales*", "Datos del Vehiculo", etc. It was valid for 6 months.
- In Puerto Quijarro (July 2016) entering from Brazil, we received a document titled "Ingreso y Salida de Vehiculos Turisticos" that was divided into sections titled "Datos del *Conductor* (=driver)", "Datos del Vehiculo", etc. It was valid for 1 month only.
In Santa Cruz the police hassled us for infringing the law because I was listed as the Conductor (see second case, above) while my partner was driving. If they issue the second type of document to you and you are several people driving the car, you may want to insist they list the additional drivers on that form before you sign it.

Also the police hassled us for not carrying an "Orden de Traslado", a specific permit issued by local police stations that authorizes a given foreign vehicle to drive from A to B. (N.B. This document is not a phantom, I've see Brazilian drivers carrying it!). We got away by claiming that the customs officer (aduanero) explicitly stated we were free to travel around the country and didn't need any other documents other than what he issued us with — and by standing our grounds for up to 20 minutes. Don't pay tips, bribes or fines if hassled. Be polite and show that you have infinite time to ride this one out. Never admit any law infringement unless they point you to the relevant paragraph and you understand that paragraph and you actually did do something wrong.

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Trucks can cue up here for kilometers. Just overtake them and head straight into the custom offices. Travelling to Bolivia we were not checked for any food items. Leaving the custom area you have to pay 10.- Bolivianos road toll. This border post will be replaced approx. 2017 by the new one right at the Bolivian / Chilean borderline.

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