The governments of Chile and Bolivia have implemented a bilateral agreement that allows for the mutual recognition and validation of driver's licenses between the two nations. The measure, which went into effect on April 30, aims to facilitate human mobility and simplify administrative procedures for citizens residing in the neighboring country.
The agreement allows Chilean drivers to use their licenses in Bolivian territory and vice versa, enabling a direct exchange process. According to the Chilean Foreign Ministry, this progress is the result of recent high-level meetings and seeks to boost transit and economic activities within the region.
Procedures and requirements for the exchange
For citizens wishing to obtain the equivalent license in the other country, the process will not require passing new theoretical or practical exams. According to Juan Diego Tejerina, director of Bolivia's General Service of Personal Identification (Segip), interested parties can obtain the document in their country of residence by validating their original license.
For drivers with Chilean licenses, the process involves sending an email to canje.licenciasbolivia@segip.gob.bo and visiting a Segip office. Requirements include presenting a foreign national ID card issued in Bolivia and the Chilean license for verification with Chile's Undersecretariat of Transportation (Subtrans).
For Bolivian citizens, the process also requires submitting a medical and psychological certificate. For Chileans, Subtrans will require a psychotechnical exam. According to reports from BioBioChile, demand has been immediate: since last Friday, Subtrans has received at least 5,000 applications from Bolivians interested in validating their documents in Chile.
For tourism purposes, the Chilean Foreign Ministry specified that visitors may drive with their original license for a maximum of one year after entering the country. However, it clarified that drivers of international buses or trucks must carry exclusively the license from the country where the vehicle's license plate is registered.
The agreement was announced in La Paz during an event attended by Bolivia's Foreign Minister, Fernando Aramayo, and Chile's Consul General, Fernando Velasco. Aramayo emphasized that the initiative seeks to "ensure better days and a situation of well-being for Bolivians in Chile, Chileans in Bolivia, and those who travel daily" between the two territories.
For his part, Consul Velasco noted that the implementation of this agreement demonstrates that "diplomacy goes beyond rhetoric" and produces real benefits for the population. This rapprochement comes amid renewed cooperation between the governments of Rodrigo Paz and José Antonio Kast, even though both countries have not maintained diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level since 1962 due to the maritime sovereignty dispute.
