Shipping to Bolivia: Landlocked Routing via Chile & Peru Explained

Bolivia is one of South America's two landlocked markets, which makes routing — not just duty — the defining factor in cost and transit time. Get the gateway and overland leg right and Bolivia is very accessible; get it wrong and cargo sits.

How cargo reaches Bolivia

There is no Bolivian seaport. Imports route through Pacific gateways and then overland:

• Arica or Iquique (Chile) then overland across the Andes
• Ilo (Peru) as an alternative Pacific gateway
• The Iquique free zone (ZOFRI) is a common staging hub — goods sit duty/VAT-free in the zone before the final leg into Bolivia

A typical lane runs Savannah to Arica/Iquique, then overland to Bolivia — around 30-45 days all in.

Duty and VAT

Source: Aduana Nacional de Bolivia, last verified June 2026. Estimate the VAT portion in the Import Duty & Tax Estimator.

Used-vehicle rule

Used vehicles must generally be under 5 years old. Because of the overland leg, plan for Andean pass conditions (winter weather June-August can affect mountain routes).

Getting it right

• Choose the gateway (Arica, Iquique, or Ilo) based on your final destination in Bolivia and current border conditions.
• Use ZOFRI staging where it helps with consolidation and duty deferral.
• For machinery and project cargo, the Chile guide and ZOFRI route are closely linked — see also our Chile import guide.

Full detail is in the Bolivia shipping guide. To plan a multimodal move, request a quote with your destination city.