Alcohol regulations in Bolivia, Plurinational State of

Licences needed

SENASAG Registro Sanitario de Empresa Elaboradora/Procesadora de Alimentos y Bebidas; Municipal Licencia de Funcionamiento; Tax registration (NIT) with Servicio de Impuestos Nacionales (SIN).

Authority

SENASAG (national level) and respective Gobierno Autónomo Municipal (local level).

Documents

Application form, company registration/NIT, proof of legal constitution, plant layout and process diagrams, Good Manufacturing Practices (BPM/GMP) manual, sanitary water supply certification, environmental clearance, and municipal zoning compliance.

Fees

Variable depending on facility scale and category under SENASAG fee schedule (Ley 830) plus municipal licensing tariffs.

Time to obtain

Approximately 30 to 60 business days depending on inspections and municipal processing times.

Who can import

Legally incorporated companies or individuals registered in the Bolivian Tax Registry (NIT) and registered as importers with Aduana Nacional de Bolivia (Padrón de Importadores).

Licences or registrations

Registro Sanitario de Empresa Importadora (SENASAG) and import clearance registration with Aduana Nacional.

Authority

SENASAG and Aduana Nacional de Bolivia.

Documents

Import entity application form, NIT certificate, warehouse architectural layout/location diagram, good storage practices dossier, commercial registration (SEPREC).

Fees

SENASAG importer registration service fee categorized by product risk level under Ley 830.

Time to obtain

Approximately 15 to 30 business days.

Required

yes

Process

Importers/producers must submit individual product technical dossiers and label designs to SENASAG to obtain product registration and a Label Approval Certificate (Certificado de Aprobación de Etiquetas) before shipment and release.

Authority

SENASAG (Jefatura Nacional de Inocuidad Alimentaria).

Documents and samples

Application form, list of ingredients and additives, official Certificate of Free Sale or Certificate of Sanitary Origin from exporting country, certified physicochemical and microbiological laboratory test reports from the origin country, draft Spanish label design, and technical product sheet.

Fees

Regulated under Ley 830 fee annex per product registration and label evaluation.

Renewal

Sanitary registrations are typically valid for 5 years and renewable subject to updated documentation and label verification.

Time to obtain

Approximately 15 to 45 business days.

Imports require an advance sanitary import permit (Permiso de Inocuidad Alimentaria de Importación) issued via SENASAG/VUCE prior to dispatch. Each shipment must include commercial invoices, packing lists, bill of lading, and certificate of sanitary origin / accredited laboratory analysis. Spirits and aguardientes are strictly required to affix physical fiscal control stamps (Timbres de Control Fiscal - TCF) issued by Aduana Nacional before release into public commerce. No state import monopoly exists.

40% ad valorem Gravamen Arancelario (GA) on CIF value for distilled spirits under HS Heading 2208 (e.g., whisky, rum, vodka, gin, liqueurs).

Impuesto a los Consumos Específicos (ICE): composed of a specific rate per liter (updated annually by Servicio de Impuestos Nacionales via RND based on UFV indexation) plus an ad valorem percentage ranging from 5% to 10% depending on spirit category (whisky, rum, vodka, singani, liqueurs). Value Added Tax (IVA): standard nominal rate of 13%.

Private retail permitted through licensed retailers (supermarkets, liquor shops, grocery stores, bars, restaurants, and hotels); retailers must hold a municipal alcohol license (Ley 259). National law prohibits sale and consumption between 03:00 AM and 09:00 AM in public establishments and clubs; municipalities define and enforce tighter operational hours within the remaining window.

allowed

Labels must be in Spanish and display: product brand and generic denomination, alcohol content by volume (% ABV), net contents, full ingredient and additive list, lot number, country of origin, importer/producer identification with NIT, SENASAG Sanitary Registry number, and mandatory health warning in prominent capital letters: 'EL CONSUMO EXCESIVO DE ALCOHOL ES DAÑINO PARA LA SALUD' and 'VENTA PROHIBIDA A MENORES DE 18 AÑOS DE EDAD'. Fiscal tax stamps (TCF) must be affixed across the bottle cap/closure.

Ley 259 restricts alcohol advertising: prohibited on broadcast media between 06:00 and 21:00; prohibited from featuring minors under 18 or cartoon characters; cannot suggest that drinking brings sexual, social, athletic, or intellectual success. All advertising must include mandatory statutory warnings. Sponsorship of youth and school events is restricted.

Regulated by technical standards issued by IBNORCA (Instituto Boliviano de Normalización y Calidad). Singani is protected by law as a national geographical denomination of origin (Law 1334) exclusively distilled from Muscat of Alexandria grapes. Generic international standards apply to rum, whisky, vodka, and neutral spirits as evaluated by SENASAG.

No nationwide dry zones, but Ley 259 bans sales on public streets/plazas without special permits and bans licenses within municipal buffer distances from schools, sports centers, and healthcare facilities. Strict temporary prohibition (Ley Seca) is enacted nationwide during general election and census days.

• Servicio de Impuestos Nacionales issued annual updates to specific ICE excise rates for spirits and alcoholic beverages (including RND 102400000037 for 2025).
• Aduana Nacional updated and tightened the administrative regulations on fiscal control stamps (Timbres de Control Fiscal - TCF) for imported alcoholic beverages under ICE oversight.

Demand exists in urban centres for premium imported distilled spirits including Scotch whisky, gin, and specialty liqueurs. However, foreign exporters must navigate high tariffs (40% GA), substantial combined ICE taxes, and strict fiscal strip-stamp compliance.

• Servicio Nacional de Sanidad Agropecuaria e Inocuidad Alimentaria (SENASAG)
• Aduana Nacional de Bolivia (ANB)
• Servicio de Impuestos Nacionales (SIN)
• Instituto Boliviano de Normalización y Calidad (IBNORCA)

1. Ley N° 259 de Control al Expendio y Consumo de Bebidas Alcohólicas
2. SENASAG - Requisitos de Registro Sanitario e Inocuidad Alimentaria de Importación
3. Aduana Nacional de Bolivia - Arancel Aduanero de Importaciones
4. Aduana Nacional de Bolivia - Reglamento de Timbres de Control Fiscal (TCF)
5. Servicio de Impuestos Nacionales - Normativa RND Alícuotas ICE