RHD vehicle
 

Infomation mainly to anyone driving a RHD vehicle through central america.

We are in the middle of our drive from Alaska to South America and Costa rica has put a stop to it, with a rule that you cannot drive a RHD on the roads in Costa Rica!:mad2: It was indicated that maybe for $200 you could get the insurance, but then you would have to pay further additional fee's to the police. Once in Costa Rica any police checks would entail further payments. No doubt the police would notifiy colleagues at a check point down the road to our situation and be ready to collect!

El Savador, Bolivia and Chile have similar rules.

We are now looking to ship in a container from a more northerly Central American country. Has anyone shipped from a Central American country to South America?

Stephen

A similar issue exists in the Middle East with Right Hand Drive vehicles. I am working in Qatar and had looked previously of importing my RHD Land Rover Defender, but was told by the Traffic Police that it would be too much of an accident risk and would not be allowed.

Hmmm!
 

We are hoping to do a similar journey next year with a right hand drive, I've spoken to other overlanders whom have managed this crossing within the last couple of years with RHD vehicles - is it possible that the rule only applies to vehicles residing permanently as opposed to the 90 day temporary import?

Maybe the following contact can help.. was just digging around and found this info..

It would be great to know how you get on if possible! Thanks..


Right hand drive vehicles are permitted without problem.
One person had a problem in early 2014, which has been followed up with this: below is the response from Kenneth Waugh, GM of Land Rover in Costa Rica and President of the British Costa Rican Chamber of Commerce. The El Salvador LR Club will gladly assist any RHD overlander with a permit to drive through El Salvador, just write us with enough notice.
"I have confirmed that there is no restriction for RHD vehicles to be accepted temporarily and to be driven within the tourism access time (less than 90 days) on Costa Rican territory. I am requesting the Ministry of Transportation to issue the written statement and also requesting the National Insurance Company to issue the written clarification that there is no restriction to insure this vehicles during their passage. As well I am doing the written question to AIVEMA as an extra assurance that this vehicles are only temporary."
So RHD vehicles should be fine.


Overland Costa Rica Travel - WikiOverland

website for the above text.

Perhaps but while there are very occasional stories concerning these three countries, in practice it isn't an issue. The chief of Police in Villarica towed me and our RHD with his little Suzuki through the town with the assistance of a squad car running interference at intersections to the police station for safety and so a friend of his could come and fix the problem. RHD wasn't raised then, nor with any police manning road blocks who obviously knew which side the steering wheel was on because they had to change direction and come around to the other side to talk to me..

Trouble is, the fact that that vehicle had been across all of the countries in C and C America multiple times without any RH/LH concerns doesn't mean you won't have heaps of problems when you do it.

We drove through El Salvador and all the countries that theoretically do not allow RHD inc Bolivia, Chile etc without problem. Have you actually been stopped at the frontier or by the police in Costa Rica for driving a RHD?
As Tony says, it may effect you but I would suggest everything is fluid and if you get turned away at a border one day, come back the next at a different time or go to a different border if possible. We spent a year in C America and now in S America. We have been stopped countless times in countries where RHD is not permitted but the local police do not bother with this, or know about the law. I would say it is about your confidence and smile in most situations. Dont let it slow you down.