Columbia: temp import permit extension+parking bike in Cartagena
 

Hi,

An Argentinian friend who is driving with me since December is looking at parking his bike in the area of Cartagena and to backpack for a few months in Panama, Costa Rica, ... because another Argentinian friend will join him on this trip who has no motorbike.

That is why is looking at answers to following questions:
1) Where can he find a safe and cheap (or free) place to park his motorbike?
2) He entered Columbia 11th of April. So his temporary import permit will expire on 11th of July. He will stay untill somewhere 10th of May in Columbia and then cross over to Panama. What happens if he is not back before 11th of July? Can he extend the permit before crossing over to Panama? How do this?

Someone experienced this lately? Help would be appreciated!

Greetz, Bart

The rules are pretty straight forward. You are not allowed to leave the bike behind. That being said nothing is stamped in the passport, so you can leave it as long as you make it back to leave the country before the temporary import permit expires.

Normally you can maximum get 60 days on the border coming into the country. You can then leave the country twice and come back to get another 60 days or you can extend your visa in your passport one month at a time with the DAS and then go to DIAN and have the temporary import permit extended according to you visa (one month at a time). This can be done in any city.

You can stay in Colombia as a tourist maximum 6 month per calender year, therefor same applies to the bike permit.

There are NO exceptions to get an extension - we have tried family illness, accidents, deaths - no excuse will get you a permit to leave the bike. Also if you go to make an extension in time, the new month will start immediately, so make sure to go as late as possible before the current permit expires.

So only option if you overstay is scan the temporary document and change the dates. This is not a recommendation nor an advise - just a fact of how people do it, same happenes when people buy and sell foreign registered bikes. On that note DIAN have told me that Police that might stop you on the road have no way or right to validate the temporary permit with customs, so it should be a clear shot to the border with fake dates.

It is my understanding that import papers are of little consequense when exiting CO. The borders to VE & EC seem to have little regard for this. I plan to test the theory in June. The main problem may result from getting pulled over in CO w/expired papers. Make sure you at least have numbers on your helmet and have valid insurance.

I read here or on ADV, that the law to have the plate number on a warning west or the helmet is not applicable to foreigners. True or not?

greetings from Cartagena

Panny

Yes that is true. On a tourist permit you are not required to wear west nor numbers on helmet.

Also the law was changed last year for Colombians. So now Colombian registered motos the rider only need to wear the west between 6pm and 6 am (night hours) and its no longer necessary to have the number on there - only the west is necessary at night!

I returned to Colombia yesterday having left my bike in Bogota whilst I visited the UK.
I now have a new 60 day visa but my TIP expired 2 weeks ago.

Now then, do I go to the DIAN here in Bogota and ask for a new TIP, do nothing and I hope I get away with it (I plan to be in Colombia for another 2-3weeks) or Photoshop my original TIP?
Will leaving the country with an expired TIP cause me problems when I return in January?

I've been stopped by the Police and asked for my papers three times but on each occasion, before I've unpacked my papers, the conversation has turned to where I'm from, here I'm going, how big is my tank etc and any thoughts of checking my papers have been forgotton about. Not since I purchased insurance in Cartagena has anyone seen my papers.
My insurance is still valid until 23/05/11.

Kaiserkhyl - I'll be paying you a visit on my way south

I just talked with customs today about a different matter. It turns out that not even customs have anything to with the TIP. Its the national automobile association. So this means it should be no problem leaving the country without checking out the bike and then returning later. And I know for a fact that several people have left without handing in the TIP and has come back no problems.

And since it illegal to leave the bike behind, and since police has no way of verifying the authenticity of the document - do like so many. Change the dates and ride out of the country.

You're very welcome here in Cali!
Mike

Hey guys, if your TIP is expired is there any chance DIAN will give you a new one in one of the cities or you have no option but to leave Colombia?

Cheers

Many answers sometimes muddy the water
 

Hi,

Here is what I can tell you... go to the DIAN, there is usually a DIAN office in the bus station, in town or near transportation hubs in most cities, controls the TVIP in Colombia, unless you are at a border.

The DIAN will direct you, by telephone and do the faxing for you....to the closest border official, who, when faxed copies of your proper ID and a "impronta" an "impronta" is a special paper that is placed over the vehicle identification number on your motorcycle, and then rubbed with a small piece of wood aka: popsicle stick, by someone at the DIAN or an authorized mechanic, can issue an extension of you TVIP. Can issue by return fax the TVIP extension you need.

It is quite a formidable looking document - our extensions explained in great detail, including the doctors name, that Elisa broke three toes on a muddy mountain road in southern Columbia, and we needed to leave our two Argentine registered motorcycles in Colombia while seeking medical care in the U S and Spain.

We did all this by fax because we were in the middle of the coffee growers protest prior to the last presidential election, and all the roads out of San Augustine were blocked with stones, felled trees and protestors.

It would be easier to get yourself to a border, explain your situation, and take advantage of the wonderful hospitable nature of the Colombian border officials.

When we returned, after Elisa healed completely, we found our bikes as we had left them with Sandro on his coffee plantation/hostal..... we saddled up and rode the bikes to the border, turned in our TVIP extension documents and had no problems exiting Colombia and crossing into Ecuador.

Hope this helps, we are at our ranch in Arizona and copies of the Colombian TVIP extension documents are in Buenos Aires - where we will be by the end of August, otherwise I would post the documents here.

Suerte Amigos hobos

storage strategy
 

There is a storage service between Colombia and Venezuela. Leaving your bike does not require a TVIP as it is between the borders. It costs a few pesos a day. Spend some time reading the posts here on the HUBB and you'll find lots of details.

There are similar place to store your bike legally without concern for permit dates, in every country in the world (probably every country.) Do a little research on term 'bonded warehouse'. The phase will be a little different in Spanish or whatever language happens to be key for the country of of the day...