Does Avis require an IDP in Bolivia?
Avis in Bolivia: the policy in plain terms
Asks for a licence translation where the national licence is not in the Roman alphabet or where local rules call for one. Long-established global brand operating in 165+ countries.
Bolivia drives on the right and signs the 1968 Vienna Convention; an IDP is advised with your licence for its high-altitude and mountain roads.
In Bolivia specifically, many rental companies and local authorities in Bolivia ask foreign drivers to present a translation of their licence alongside the original, so Avis will typically ask for it at the counter. La Paz desks request an IDP; 4x4 advised for altiplano and mountain routes.
Avis runs a global network; at its Bolivia desks, foreign renters are asked for an International Driving Permit in the 1968 Vienna Convention format alongside the original licence. Bolivia drives on the right, uses the BOB, and sets a minimum driving age of 18, so an IDP is the document that removes any doubt at the counter.
What to bring to the Avis counter in Bolivia
- Your original national driving licence (the IDP never replaces it).
- Your International Driving Permit in the 1968 Vienna Convention format.
- Your passport and a payment card in the main driver's name.
- Local payment for the BOB deposit; Bolivia drives on the right with a young-driver surcharge under 25.
Driving rules in Bolivia Avis renters should know
- Drive on the right.
- High altitude affects engine and driver performance.
- 0.07% alcohol limit.
- Carry passport, IDP and home licence.
Avis's rental terms that affect your IDP booking
Avis's standard minimum rental age is 25, though it rents to drivers as young as 21 in most US states/provinces (some locations require 25 by local law); renters aged 21-24 pay a young-driver surcharge of roughly $25 per day in the US (about $35/day in Canada).
Avis requires an Avis-honored credit or charge card (Visa, Mastercard, Amex, etc.) and places an authorization hold covering the estimated charges plus a security amount; Visa/Mastercard debit cards are accepted at most US locations but are subject to stricter checks, and the card must be in the renter's name.
Additional drivers must be at least 25 (or meet the underage rules) with a valid licence and typically cost about $13 per day, capped near $65 per rental; in California the fee is waived for a spouse, parent, sibling or child of the renter. Avis requires a valid driver's licence held for the entire rental period that is not suspended, expired, revoked, cancelled or surrendered; it does not publish a fixed minimum holding period in the US, though some international locations require the licence to have been held for 1-2 years.
Avis generally permits US-to-Canada travel if the renting location is notified in advance, but driving into Mexico is restricted (typically corporate accounts only, no one-way, and Mexican insurance purchased through Avis from border states); one-way rentals are offered with a drop-off charge that may apply on certain rates.
Avis states that "International Driver's Permits are valid only if presented with the original local license. An International Driver's Permit is not acceptable by itself." Foreign licences are accepted if the issuing country participated in the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic or has a reciprocal agreement with the US; non-Roman-alphabet licences effectively require an IDP, and renters with a foreign licence may need to present a passport.
Once you collect the keys in Bolivia
Most major intercity highways have toll plazas (peajes) operated by ABC and local administrations; charges are modest (a few bolivianos to ~20 Bs) and must be paid in cash, as cards are rarely accepted.
In central La Paz and Santa Cruz, paid on-street parking is managed by municipal zones and parqueo attendants; illegal or double-parked cars in congested centres can be wheel-clamped or towed, so use guarded lots (playas de estacionamiento).
Fines for speeding, no seatbelt or using a phone are issued by transit police, often expected on the spot in cash; rental firms pass on any camera or unpaid fines by charging the card on file plus an admin fee.
Call the Policia Nacional on 110 (or 911 in some cities) and the ambulance on 118; do not move vehicles until the transit police arrive and a report is filed, as the official accident report is required for any insurance or rental claim.
Full driving guide for Bolivia →