Bolivia gives its foreign trade single window another two years to complete digitalization

By PPO Indacochea

​Bolivia has extended by another 24 months the implementation of its Foreign Trade Single Window (VUCE), giving public agencies additional time to integrate import and export procedures while expanding the platform from a document-processing system into a broader digital ecosystem for foreign trade.

Supreme Decree No. 5724, issued on September 24, 2026, amends the framework established in 2024 by Supreme Decree No. 5211. The new rules extend the period for incorporating and digitizing foreign trade procedures, require public agencies that have not yet joined the platform to identify their outstanding procedures, and seek to facilitate the exchange of information between government systems.

In September, the National Customs Administration said that the VUCE was planned to incorporate 91 processes involving 21 public entities. At that point, 20 processes, or 22%, had been implemented, while 71 remained in the integration stage. 

The VUCE's own online dashboard provides a more specific picture of what is currently operational. As of September 15, it reported 10 institutions incorporated, 20 implemented Authorizations Prior to Customs Operations (APCOs), more than 17,000 APCOs issued and more than 45,000 active users. 

Customs began developing the initiative in 2021, strengthening its technological infrastructure, and subsequently received support through the SECO-WCO Trade Facilitation Programme. In 2023, the project also benefited from technical cooperation involving Uruguay's VUCE and the Inter-American Development Bank. Supreme Decree No. 5211 formally created the VUCE in August 2024, and the platform began operations on September 30 of that year.

When it was launched, the Bolivian government envisaged a 24-month implementation period covering 22 public institutions and 116 digital procedures. The platform was designed to replace the need for operators to approach different agencies separately to obtain certificates and prior authorizations. 

The legal basis for the VUCE is also connected to Bolivia's commitments under the World Trade Organization's Trade Facilitation Agreement. Article 10.4 of the agreement calls on members to establish or maintain a single window through which traders can submit documentation and data required for importation, exportation or transit through a single entry point. The WTO describes the provision as part of a broader effort to reduce delays and improve cooperation in cross-border transactions.

Under the new framework, public entities will continue to maintain their own information systems where necessary, but they must make the technical adjustments required to achieve interoperability. The decree also removes the need for specific interinstitutional agreements for each exchange of information, a change intended to make connections between government systems easier to establish. The government body responsible for electronic government is also tasked with ensuring the platform's operational continuity and technical support.

The transition will remain gradual. Agencies that have not yet been incorporated must submit an inventory of their prior authorizations, certificates, licenses, sworn declarations and other foreign trade requirements within 10 working days. Customs has 20 working days to issue the corresponding regulations and update the implementation schedule. Physical and digital procedures may continue to coexist during the transition.