Usd From Bolivian Atms?

[sarita1103]

Hi everyone,

I did a big of digging around and I can't seem to find a clear yes/no on this one….Can USD be withdrawn from Bolivian ATMs? Most frequent answer is "it depends on the ATM", but if someone has been recently to Villazon and/or Tupiza (where I will be starting a Salar de Uyuni tour) and can provide more insight, it would be much appreciated!

Thank you in advance,
Sarah

 

[French jurist]

I've not been to Bolivia and in case nobody answers, it seems that last year it was already very difficult to find such an ATM in Sucre, which is a much bigger town (link at the end).


Seems there's a tax since 2 years on the foreign currencies bought in Bolivia. So maybe can you withdraw the local currency & change it to dollars paying also a tax on the transaction? (no idea)

It's more than likely that you can't withdraw USD in smallish towns like Villazon or Tupiza.

http://www.lostiempos.com/diario/actualidad/economia/20130329/pocos-cajeros-automaticos-dejan-retirar-dolares_207396_444448.html

 

[PhilipDT]

I thought I responded to this but I guess I didn't press send.

I was able to extract USD from an ATM at a random bank I found on the street in Oruro. This was July 2012. $300 per transaction I think.

 

[sarita1103]

Thanks for your input, guys! I will let you know how it goes

 

[ARbound]

My friends and I were in Potosi and Uyuni and I got Bolivianos out of the ATMs but had no issue trading them for USD inside or at exchange houses.

If you're in Uyuni, go to the main drag and look for the Bolivan state owned bank, if you go in with your ID and a US debit visa or mc you can ask for a cash advance. Instead of the flat $5 fee you'll get charged a percentage but they'll just give you the number of dollars you want and charge your card in BOB.

Make sure to call your bank so they don't block your transactions while traveling!

 

[EdRooney]

I was in Villazón last month and the ATMs did offer a USD option, but none of them had any dollars to dispense.

On the other hand, we had no problem getting USD from ATMs in larger cities like Santa Cruz.

 

[DCexpatstudent]

In Santa Cruz and Cochabamba I had no problem getting USD from ATMS not sure about small towns but heard they are not as reliable. In Bolivia I realized that once leaving the cities the infrastructure that they do have ends...

 

[DCexpatstudent]

Just remembered but usually everywhere there will be people on the street who will exchange whichever currency to USD or Bolivianos. They are pretty safe fair rate and never had an issue

 

[sarita1103]

Update: Some ATM's had the USD options, others did not….Likewise, some currency exchange shops (at the Villazon border) offered the option to buy Bolivianos for USD, others did not. In general, if you see an ATM that will dispense USD, take out everything you can! Don't wait and assume you'll be able to find another ATM that dispenses USD…lesson learned the hard way :/

 

[DCexpatstudent]

Update: Some ATM's had the USD options, others did not….Likewise, some currency exchange shops (at the Villazon border) offered the option to buy Bolivianos for USD, others did not. In general, if you see an ATM that will dispense USD, take out everything you can! Don't wait and assume you'll be able to find another ATM that dispenses USD…lesson learned the hard way :/

Thanks for the update!!