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Bolivia

Plurinational State of Bolivia

Civil law with indigenous jurisdictionUnitary presidential republicReviewed· 2026-08-02
Capital
Sucre
Population
12,400,000
Languages
Spanish, Quechua
Currency
BOB

Bolivia · Property

Property in Bolivia

What the atlas records on property in Bolivia, checked against the primary sources cited below.

Property

Derechos Reales registration with INRA agrarian titling

Reviewed· 2026-08-02

Urban property transfers are executed by notarial deed and registered in Derechos Reales, the real-rights registry under the judiciary. Rural land is separately administered by the Instituto Nacional de Reforma Agraria (INRA), which conducted a nationwide saneamiento process to clear and retitle agrarian holdings, subject to the constitutional función económica social requirement.

Key rules

  • Jurisdiction — National civil law, with INRA for rural land and municipal cadastres
  • Deadline — Ordinary acquisitive prescription: five years; extraordinary: 10 years
  • Deadline — Rural holdings must demonstrate socio-economic function on INRA verification

Governing law

  • Código Civil Boliviano
  • Ley 1715 - Servicio Nacional de Reforma Agraria, as amended by Ley 3545
  • Constitución (arts. 393-404 (land))

In practice

The dual system matters: an urban title from Derechos Reales and a rural title from INRA are different instruments with different risks, and rural land can be reverted to the state if it fails the función económica social test. The Constitution also caps new individual rural landholdings at 5,000 hectares, approved by referendum in 2009.

Sources

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Property in Bolivia | LawLegiance