Hey All,

After travelling on my KLR650 for a year around South America, without a single document incident, I have just returned from taking my bike to Uruguay to renew the temp. permit for Argentina, and was refused entry back into Argentina because my insurance had expired.

This was an honest oversight of mine, so I returned to Paysandu (Colon) but could not buy the insurance there. My only option was to doctor my insurance document and return the 120k's to Salto (Concordia) and try again. Again I was asked for my 'seguros'. They accepted my 'doctored' document and allowed me to enter Argentina.

100k's down ruta 14, the boys in blue pulled me over and also asked for my insurance - and 1800 pesos for speeding! Yeah right. He also accepted the insurance document, and after learning I had no money, accepted a payment of 130 pesos for dirty number plate - joke!

So be warned, there may be a blitz going on for insurance - which can be bought easily anywhere in Argentina - dont' forget to renew your policy like I did - it's pretty un-nerving to present forged documents to the aduana, but hey, desperate times call for desperate measures. anything to keep the ride going.

Buena Suerte todos!

Ride On

dylan on the road

Sounds like a good trip so far!
Looks like an overwhelming response to your thread!

I was curious about getting insurance in Argentina. Could you have crossed into Argentina without your bike, walked or collectivo to nearest town,
(I think its close in Salta?) renew insurance, gone back to Uruguay with legit new policy?

Do they link you and your bike together in your passport now?

I have read about corrupt traffic cops in N. Argentina here on HUBB for a number of years. Sounds like your bargaining skill is at expert level.
Many travelers have been fleeced badly there.

What's the plan now?

Would love to see a break down of your costs/maintenance/problems/ good things on your KLR. As much as some "overbearing" mods here try to censor and suppress any sort of discussion on bikes ... I'd like to hear what you have to say. Maybe put it in Kawasaki forum or Which Bike? forum.

Dylan on the road - thank you for your post. I, too, recently was returning to Buenos Aires via Boquebus (ferry) from Uruguay and was also
asked for my Argentine insurance. I have valid insurance so I had no problem.

I am very concerned about posts that say insurance is really not necessary
in Argentina because no one ever checks. This is false data....
Frequently motorcycles are being stopped and checked for documents, at hastily created road blocks on major streets in Buenos Aires La Ciudad y La Provincia.. There was recently such a road block on Santa Fe Ave. And, as I watched from the second floor of a nearby cafe, I saw many motos scrambling down side streets to avoid the roadblock, as well as several other bikes impounded and loaded onto a truck.... by the police.

So, thanks for a real report on the need for insurance. The only caution I might add is that your doctored insurance papers might not be much help if you actually have an accident causing injury or substantial damage.

A valid moto insurance can serve as a get out of jail card in the event of a serious accident. Without insurance you might be held in jail until a judge can sort things out. This could take weeks and even months...

Moto insurance is required in Argentina even for foreign registered bikes...

xfiltrate

www.Xfiltrate.com - Professional Motorcycle Parking - Professional Motorcycle Parking Buenos Aires, Argentina

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Motorcycle Parking Buenos Aires, Argentina
www.xfiltrate.com

Sorry this is a bit long winded but below is what I wrote on my blog after having the 'seguros' experience re-entering Argentina from Paraguay in April(?) 2009...

"...At the first police checkpoint, a few hundred kilometers from the border I was stopped. This was quite unusual as I had passed countless numbers of them in other parts of the country and had rarely been stopped. When I had and they realized I was a tourist, I was sent on my way with no further questions. This time however, I was asked for my driving licence and ‘seguros’ (insurance). My heart sank. After spending the past few months in Uruguay, Brazil and Paraguay I’d forgotten all about Argentina’s requirement for seguros and it hadn’t been mentioned at the border. When I couldn’t produce seguros I was escorted to the office where the ticket and receipt books were produced and a fine of 300pesos (GBP 60 quid) demanded. Fortunately for me I’d got into the habit of keeping most of my cash tucked away with just enough left in my wallet to look like a realistic amount. I produced 125pesos and the boss just laughed and walked off. When he returned he started ranting about wanting 300 so I shrugged and pulled 15k Paraguayan pesos (10 Arg pesos) from my wallet then tipped it out to show it was empty. After more ranting he told his junior to write me a ticket and a receipt. What little of the explanation of the ticket I understood suggested I had 30 days in which to buy seguros and produce it, along with the ticket, at any police station. I couldn’t buy it that day as it was Sunday.
I rode into the next town, collected some more cash from the ATM and rolled out of town straight into another police checkpoint where I was once again stopped. “Driving Licence & Seguros” – Bollocks…here we go again! As soon as I entered the office I asked to use the toilet where I quickly redistributed the cash I’d just withdrawn about my person. In the office I produced my previous ticket for no seguros and explained about being stopped at the previous checkpoint. They read the ticket and said it was for a licence infringement and that they were going to fine me for not having seguros!! (it pays to speak/read Spanish here!!) I flatly refused to pay anything and said “You are holding my licence. What is the infringement?” They didn’t have an answer of course because there was nothing wrong with my licence. This seemed to agitate them and it seemed they wanted me to return to the previous checkpoint to get the ticket corrected. I flatly refused and pointed to the telephone on the desk at which point the two policeman started ranting in Spanish and so I started ranting in English! Suddenly, the one holding my licence handed it back and briskly lifted his chin towards the road in an Italian style ‘Go on…**** off’ gesture. So I did.
I couldn’t help but think this was all a deliberate scam to extract cash from non-Argentinians coming across the border. Ultimately though, the incorrectly completed ticket (an therefore it’s carbon copy) was for a licence infringement and negated my need to buy seguros. IF anything was ever said about the ticket I could produce my licence and say “No entiendo”!..."


- taken from Chapter 19 - The Andes Proper

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ShortWayRound - OTR RTW since 2006

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ShortWayRound/Facebook

Hi Guys,

does anyone know a good Seguros company I can use for Argentina, Im in Santiago, heading to Argentina hopefully later this week,

Is there anywhere in Osorno for Argentinian Seguros, we are heading East from there.

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Cheers
Grif

'11 KTM 450 EXC
'09 Suzuki DR650
'00 Discovery Series 2 V8
'95 Defender 90 300 Tdi Overlander
http://gipperstravels.blogspot.ca

Hi All.
I'm not posting to say one way or the other on whether insurance is required in Argentina or not. When we first entered Argentina in Oct 2009 we bought a 3 month policy for AR$160 that only covered us for Arg. We didn't know about the MercoSur policies at the time. From Oct 09 to when we had to fly home in March 10 to sort out some UK crap!!! we never got asked once for our insurance documents and we had a few police stops in Argentina and Chile!!!!
We came back to Argentina in Oct 10, after leaving the bike with a UK expat who has two Canadian registered bikes that he never insures! Taking his lead we never re-insured the bike and carried on without any problems in either Arg. or Chile.
We are now in Bolivia, and still no requirement for insurance documents. Many borders crossed and a couple of stops by the police have not required us to show any insurance documentation.
It is up to you whether you feel that you really need it, it may help legally in any altercations you might have with other road users.
It's a personal choice, IMHO I don't think there is a need unless you are forced to buy at a border. I could just be really lucky so far!!!!!!

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RTW Jan 2009 - Aug 2012. Currently in Europe waiting for the next ride
www.takingthelongwayhome.co.uk

I got my insurance from here, see below - it just gives peace of mind...

A little bit cheaper might be though: Abgefahren -


---------------- From: Roby Speiser [mailto:roby@speiserseguros.com.ar]
Sent: Montag, 27. Dezember 2010 16:11
To: xxxx
Subject: Re: Insurance bike]

Hi Philipe,
there should be no problem by providing you a 3rd party insurance for your Bike, which contains the following Countries:
Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay and Brasil.

The minimun period of time we can insure is 4 months, and the price of a 3rd party insurance with "Allianz Insure Co." for this period for a Motorcycle is around Ars$ 400,-
We can also insure for a longer period such as 6 Months or one Year.

We can arrange this by email, but the payment should be via transfer by Western Union or at any "Pago Fácil"-Office that you can find almost anywhere in Argentina. Where does your trip start?
You dont have to pay in advance, I would request for the insurancepolicy at Allianz and once its ready I would email it to you so that you can print it somewhere in an Internet Cafe.(That would be around Thursday or Friday)
If you agree please let us know the following information:

Name:
Passport:
Birthdate:
Vehicle:
Model:
Year of construction:
Chassisnumber:
and / or
Enginenumber:
Registration:
Insurance-period: from ... to... ( X Months)

Best Regards
Roby Speiser

I wouldn't do this again, but like many riders, by the time I got to the Argentinian border, I had completely forgotten about Insurance.......
So in a pinch, you can almost always show your insurance paperwork from your home country to Argentinian police and tell them it's international insurance. If they stop you, they are generally looking for any reason to ask for money, so if they see valid looking insurance documents, they will just move onto another violation. We produced our USA insurance at the border crossing from Chile too, as long as they see a valid date, few questions are ever asked, and when you are many days drive from a city, sometimes you have to lie a little.
HOWEVER if you get into an accident, you will be double screwed. So do buy Seguros in Argentina, but if you forgot.....a little white lie and your Geico/Progressive/State Farm papers will usually get usually get you to a city where you can get legal.......
Ride Safe and Legal....
Obadiah
My NYC to TDF Blog for the curious....