Call Bolivia
Bolivia has its own particular way to divide regions into telephone codes. More than one person has felt confused when it comes time to phone and ask for those codes. Here are some simple steps for reaching the person you intend.
Steps
- Check that you have the correct number. It's possible that the number you have at hand is not correct. Phone numbers from Bolivia are composed of 7 numbers and the first digit must be a number between 2 and 8. Note that this is the local number without the region or country code.
- Identify the department you want to call. Bolivia has 9 departments (administrative divisions): Sucre, La Paz, Santa Cruz, Cochabamba, Beni, Tarija, Oruro, Potosí, and Pando. Ask the person which department you'll call to make it easier to know the region code.
- If you cannot ask the name of the department, you can determine this information from the number you were given, according to the following list.
- Chuquisaca (Sucre) —— 64xxxxx
- Cobija (Pando) —— 842xxxx
- Cochabamba —— 4xxxxxx
- La Paz —— 2xxxxxx
- Oruro —— 52xxxxx
- Potosí —— 62xxxxx
- Santa Cruz ——3xxxxxx
- Tarija —— 66xxxxx
- Trinidad (Beni)— 46xxxxx
- Verify the region code. There are only three regions in Bolivia and each region corresponds to three departments. The codes are as follows:
- La Paz, Oruro, Potosí : 2
- Santa Cruz, Benia, Pando : 3
- Cochabamba, Sucre, Tarija: 4
- Gather the information you'll use. The code for Bolivia is 591. You will have to dial 011 for international calls, then the region code (2, 3, or 4) according to the list and then the city code. For example, to call Cochabamba the number would be 011-591-4-4xxxxxx
- Choose the number of your long-distance operator. If you are calling with a card or by automated operator services, you won't need this step. The long-distance operator number is a number of one or two digits that identify each of the long-distance telephone companies. Select the carrier of your choice and get their number.
- Create the final number. The result will be 011 - yy 591 - r - xxxxxxx, where yy is the external operator number, r the region code, and xxxxxxx the number of the place you want to call.
- Use a calling card or automatic operator. For this, you simply need to introduce the preceding number without the long distance carrier code.
- Calling to a cell phone. The region code is 7. A 7-digit cell phone number may begin with 9. If using an automatic operator, dial 011-591-7-xxxxxxx.
Tips
- If you ask your local telephone operator anything, you may learn about free numbers that you can use to make collect calls.
- The best times to call Bolivia are from 11:00am GMT until 2:00 am GMT. These times correspond to 7:00am until 10:00 pm, Bolivian time. (Bolivia does not change for Daylight Saving Time.)
