The big trip - import into Argentina or Chile?
 

Hi everyone - just about to kick off the big SOuth America trip, BA > TDF > Cartagena (THE WRONG WAY DOWN)

Both Bikes get aired from Sydney in 1 weeks time, but customs formalities in BUenos Aires are very sketchy, have been trying to straighten them out for last 3 months

I have 2 bikes registered in Australia in my name
I will use one, my mate will use the other
I have a document in Spanish notorised, stamped etc giving him legal permission to ride one of the bikes through all MERCOSUR countries (CHile, Arg etc)

Argentine brokers / customs offficials saying 2 bikes in my name, could be big problem. But no firm reason why. Temporary Import vs Tourist Vehicle permission...every avenue seems to have its compliactions. I am using CLover Logistics in BA, as Dakar Motos said 6 weeks ago it would be tricky for them to do.

Very hard for me to say if this is an impossible problem, or if its just a way of them playing me for a $$$ service fee. Tentative to send the bikes until we know we can clear them in BA

Has anyone had similar experiences? If its a few $$$ then my wallet is open and im all up for greasing the wheels of bureaucracy, but if there is major hassle ahead then if anyone has good contacts or experience of similar in SANTIAGO as a less hassle alternative, please let me know ASAP!!!

Desperate for any feedback you guys have on this one...

Hi Barnaby

I’m sorry, I guess you misunderstand as and just to make clear some things as we told your mate Pierpaolo:

Apply for a Tourist Vehicle Permission it’s the same than a Temporary import. It’s only one manner that a vehicle from a tourist can be in Argentina.
Sandra confirms that with some good contacts she have at the Airport Customs.
Maybe you can pay a bribe and clear the bikes yourself but maybe not, don’t ask us to do it, because then any biker who will clear a bike with us will need to pay extra, because we work with the law and not broking it, and because we can’t tell you in advance if even paying will be possible.

We aren’t playing for nothing ($$$ or whatever). Even more, we reject the work as we believe is not possible to do and don’t wont to rip-off you…..

Regards

Hi Javier and Sandra

To anyone reading this -Javier and Sandra have been terrific to us, I trust them 100% and they have been absolutely awesome in their assistance. I only mention them as Javier points out they said our situation was not exactly straight forward and thus could not be processed in the normal way they do.

We really appreciate the work they did and the $$$ comment was definitely not aimed at Dakar Motos!!! We know how good you guys are and how much you help out all the other long distance bike dudes...we know that our situation was a little bit weird - our frustration is totally with the customs contacts who cannot give us a straight answer to our questions, despite all of our efforts.

We are more than happy to pay service fee for people to help us get the bikes clear from customs. I really really hope that we have this opportunity in a few weeks!!

We are just a bit nervous to put the things in crates without having a 100% confirmation that the bikes will clear. This is by no means a bad comment for Dakar Motos, just a reality of shipping bikes overseas.

Apologies for any confusion my posting may have caused

Barney

Title Both Bikes in Both Names....
 

ozlambretta,

If my understanding of your situation is correct, here are some considerations:

1. Only one Temporary Vehicle Import Permit is issued to a foreign tourist entering Argentina on a 3 month tourist card.

2. Since you and your mate will be traveling together you might consider adding his name to each of your 2 Australian motorcycle titles.

3. He will be then authorized a Temporary Vehicle Import Permit for the bike he will be riding and your will be issued a Temporary Import Permit for the bike you will be riding.

4. You can also be listed as an authorized operator on the Temporary Vehicle Import Permit issued to your friend and he can also be listed as an authorized operator on the Temporary Vehicle Import Permit issued to you.

By doing this each of you can operate either of the 2 bikes while in Argentina, and crossing out of Argentina should be no problem.

On the Argentine Temporary Vehicle Import Permit, there is a space for "other" authorized operator.

5. One day has passed since your post, your bikes are flying out in less than a week. The real questions are: are you willing to include your mate on the title of each of your 2 bikes and is there enough time to do this, reorganize with your "despachante" import broker in less than a week.

6. You might need to show proof of Argentine motorcycle insurance on each bike before your bikes are released from the Airport here. Please verify with your "despachante" import broker.

7. It might be best to request the full 8 months allowed on your Temporary Vehicle Import Permits, as this gives you time more time, in the event you need to sort out any problems occurring in Argentina. You can always renew your 3 month tourist card by taking the ferry from Buenos Aires to Uruguay and back, without your bikes, or obtain an additional 3 month tourist card by going through official channels in Buenos Aires.

I have recently posted information about Argentine Temporary Vehicle Import Permits on my thread: "Buy new or used in Argentina and legally tour all of South America" Forum South and Central America and Mexico.

Double check legality with your Airline Representative there. I believe you will have no problem if each of you only requests a Temporary Vehicle Import Permit for one motorcycle/ as prescribed by the laws of Argentina. Best to you and your mate. xfiltrate

One bike one permission
 

Both Bikes get aired from Sydney in 1 weeks time, but customs formalities in BUenos Aires are very sketchy, have been trying to straighten them out for last 3 months

I have 2 bikes registered in Australia in my name
I will use one, my mate will use the other
I have a document in Spanish notorised, stamped etc giving him legal permission to ride one

Hi guys
After reding twice your post i understand this:
1)you have two bikes at your name and one is notirized to be riden by third person.
2)Bikes are still in AU?
3)Argies will not let you enter both bikes as one owner.

If bikes are still in AU just change title name to one of them.Do a propper bill of ladding for each bike! I am sure Sandra(dakarmotos)has explain you this.
To my knoledge you can enter as turist only one vehicle in temporary mode.
Now as working visa or resident this could change.But is not your case.

Again as Javier requested do all paperwork as the law invites to do.Now if container is on the sea and papers are done as you tried......may be very dificult(not imposible)......
CU

First to Barney, the confusion is solved and we really hope you don’t have problems and can come to visit us.

Ed/Xfiltrate and everybody
I’m not trying to start and argument, really this post is to put something in clear and finish with this story.
The forum is to help travellers that ask for that. So, I think what we should offer is exactly that, help and information.
Anyway, the most important thing to clarify is that we (Sandra and Me) only know you trough your posts, I met you briefly on HU Meeting Viedma ‘07 (and we didn’t talk too much). Sandra only met you by coincidence at the airport and wasn’t more than few minutes. You never had been in my place. So we don’t‎ know each other, we never chat, and by now I’m not interested at all.
The only references we have from you are your posts. And for us is really important put in clear that we don’t share your opinions and manners. Sometimes the information you posted is the wrong one and very confusing, some time even can put travellers in serious troubles. The information we post is the one we get after a lot of time working and sharing with travellers, with custom paperwork and shipping, studying, and knowing a lot of people who work on this things. By now I strongly believe that we have incompatibles characters (to call in a polite way). Your adulations about us in this and others posts only exacerbate my fillings and make me wonder second intensions…..
Everybody can buy the “Codigo Aduanero”, or go to custom offices and ask for information, but, that the law or the regulation exist doesn’t means that custom officers use them or accept them, (like custom in any place around the world)
As I told Barney and his mate the regulation exist, but custom at the airport don’t want to allow that. Sandra check that several time with different people at custom (sea and air). So yes, you have a group of idiot custom officers at the airport who think they are God and do what they want.
We already talk weeks ago with Barney’s mate about to change the names on the bikes registration, or put both. And he told us that were a lot of troubles to do that. We are in contact with them since a lot of time ago and we talk about all the possible ways (one of them change names on the titles)
Also is not true that one person can make both temporary imports, and allow the other one to ride. Is only one temporal import per person and bike, and each one can allow other one to ride (on the top and right side of the form), but the temporal import is on the name of the owner of the bike.
You can try with a bribe but of course you can’t be sure it will work. That is their risk, and we will never tell to a traveller bring your bike, take the risk and if doesn’t work ship it back home. This is not our way to work.
To finish this post Ed, We don’t know each other; we are not friends, partner or anything, and more important WE ARE NOT AGREE WITH THE INFORMATION YOU POST. Don’t stick to our “good name” trying to get something (???). We are just Sandra and Javier as many many travelers know us; but not in any point we are “boludos”…..
Anyone can post what they want, and travelers can chose what think is the right one, this is the most important reason that this forum exist.
Regards

PS Sorry Barney to take your tread :offtopic:!!!

I have no personal feelings against anyone who may post on the hubb but I can say that if your going to listen to anyone in Argentina about getting your bike in and out of the docks or airport, listen to Javier and Sandra.

They have countless experience with this sort of thing and work at this all year round. Sandra has friends and contacts in customs and in the shipping companies and she can make things happen with just a smile !

She got my bike out of its crate, through customs and all paperwork sorted in 3 hours... YES THREE HOURS !!

Most people are lucky to get out in 3 days...

All conflicts can be resolved by good communication
 

Javier thank you for taking the time to express your point of view.

First, as stated in my post this thread, each foreign tourist is permitted only one Temporary Vehicle Import Permit. If you have discovered a law allowing a foreign tourist to Temporarily import more than one vehicle, I have not been able to find it.

Therefore, the Temporary Vehicle Import Permit for bike #! can be in the name on the title, this would be the current owner of both bikes. The Temporary Vehicle Import Permit for bike #2 can be issued to the "Mate" only if the "Mate's " name is on the title of bike #2.

If the owner allows the "Mate" to transfer title of bike #2 to "Mate"s" name, the owner will not have legal remedy to recover his bike from the "mate."

So, the owner's name can remain on the title of bike #2 along with the name of the "Mate. They will be legal co-owners of bike #2.

The Argentine Temporary Vehicle Import permit For bike #2 can be issued in the name of the "Mate." (Once Mate is also on title of bike #2) this is a simple solution that will work.

Foreign tourist couples do this all the time. There are foreign tourists in Argentina right now who came in with 2 vehicles, the husband and wife's name were on the title of each vehicle, this is not only true for husbands and wives, but for any couple....

One Argentine Temporary Vehicle Import Permit for one of their vehicles was issued to the husband and the Temporary Vehicle Import Permit for the other vehicle was issued to the wife.

No Problem....

I now understand, I think, that you have already suggested this to the Australian. I had no way of knowing that you did.

While I appreciate your point of view, please refrain from characterizing my posts as wrong, unless you can gave the specific post and explain why you think it is wrong. and, give me a chance to defend what I have written with laws and the realities of customs here... And saying that my posts might cause people "trouble" is really a bit over the top...You claiming my posts are wrong, might give the wrong idea to others reading here.

I have been very careful about being accurate in my posts.

Javier, let's keep it good roads and fair weather between us. At your request, I will not mention you or Sandra in my posts. I have not attempted to leverage my position here with your good name. NEVER...I have always spoken very highly of you and Sandra, and I have referred people to you.

So good roads and fair weather between you and me from now on, and a promise we will both do our best to post only accurate information.

If I can help you in any way, please let me know. xfiltrate