Help! Canadian selling a motorcycle in Ecuador without getting screwed at customs?
 

Hi everyone,

My Canadian registered motorcycle and I just recently crossed into Ecuador to sell my motorcycle to a buyer - however, I cannot exit the country without my temp import permit stamped showing my moto has left the country as well. So the import details are tied to my passport, and as it stands if I sell my bike and try to hop on a plane customs will detect that I still have a moto registered in the country and I wont be able to leave... yes? Time is ticking on my trip and I'm hoping one of you can clarify for my understanding: from what research ive done, looks like it may be possible to have a notary legalize a motorcycle sale (no idea how), meaning the buyer would then only be able to keep it in the country under the same conditions (90 days) as a foreign registered vehicle? Is this possible? And this document would suffice to allow me to fly out of the country without my bike?

Would it be possible to exit the country and then reenter without checking it into the aduana? Alternatively could the buyer pick up the moto in that grey zone between, say, Peru and Ecuador and check it into the country with forged foreign documents under their name? I understand I may get the do gooder speech and I really dont mean to cause any harm, just looking for advice on how to detach myself from the moto and be able to leave the country afterwards. Any info on this is greatly appreciated!!

(Does this mean that, as long as you have a vehicle on a temp import permit, you must leave that country with that vehicle ie you can't take a 2 week vacation via plane to another country? Or you'd have to show proof of a return ticket maybe?)

We left our big truck camper in Ecuador for nearly 3 months and flew out without raising anyone's eyebrows.

Some countries - and I'm pretty sure Ecuador is one - have very strict rules about bringing in vehicles from outside the country even when the owner is legally becoming a resident of the country. Don't know how that affects your plans though

Go to the border and leave Ecuador and let the new buyer enter Colombia or Peru with it.

Do you have show the temporary import slip to immigration or customs if you exit the country by plane or by bus for example?

We didn't, but as always your experience may vary

What is important though is if you are returning, you take thr tvip with you to explain to checkin on the way back, why you don't have a return ticket