Telephone Calls to & from Bolivia

Telephones & Phone Calls in Bolivia

Most hotels in Bolivia will offer local and long-distance telephone calls, however, international calls can be quite expensive. A good way for making telephone calls is from an ENTEL office or another phone company such as COTEL or COTAS.

Another great way is by making your calls through the internet using Skype or Magic Jack, which will most likely be the cheapest option for calling back to your home country.

Just about every single town in Bolivia has an ENTEL office that is usually located near the main plaza. From there, you can make local, long-distance and international calls from a booth and can be paid for after your call.

Also, along the major street in the larger cities and towns you'll find small street kiosks and shops that are equipped with telephones that can be used for your calling needs. These pre-paid cards can be used there.

Another option is you can buy a pre-paid phone card to make calls. Pre-paid cards come in denominations of 10, 20, 50 and 100 bolivianos. These are available at phone company offices or from kiosks and some street vendors.

You'll also find coin-operated public phones and some of them will take phone cards as well. All telephone numbers in Bolivia now have seven digits, plus a one-digit regional area code (see below).

Mobile Phones in Bolivia

Mobile phones are widely used in the major cities and towns in Bolivia. Coverage is good in the larger cities, but can be poor to non-existent in rural areas.

If you plan on bringing your own cell phone from home to Bolivia, check with your service provider about international plans and coverage areas. International calls made from Bolivia can be expensive.

Cell phones on the GSM technology, such as AT&T or T-Mobile will usually work in the larger cities of Bolivia, such as La Paz, Santa Cruz and Cochabamba.

If your carrier is on the CDMA technology (Sprint, Verizon) it may not work. Check with your carrier if your phone will work or not. If your carrier does not have an international plan or coverage that is suitable for you, there are other options.

If you have an existing phone that uses a SIM card, you may be able to purchase a compatible SIM card in Bolivia and use one of Bolivia's cell phone companies, Entel, Viva or Telecel (Tigo). Entel usually has the best coverage in Bolivia. Before leaving home make sure your phone is unlocked so that it works. Contact your service provider to find out if it is unlocked.

SIM card chips can be bought at Entel offices or at many cell phone shops. Depending on the size you need the chips will cost around 60 bolivianos.

When on the Entel network you have to buy a pre-paid card and then you can make calls. Pre-paid cards come in denominations of 10, 20 and 50 bolivianos. These are available at Entel offices or from kiosks and some street vendors.

To call internationally from Bolivia

Dial the international access code (00) + country code (see below) + area code + phone number

Country Codes
Australia - dial 61	Canada - dial 1
Ireland - dial 353	New Zealand - dial 64
United Kingdom - dial 44	United States - dial 1

Example call from Bolivia to the United States: 00 - 1 - xxx-xxx-xxxx

To call Bolivia from another country

Dial the international access code followed by the Bolivian country code (591) and the relevant Bolivian area code (see below), followed by the phone number.