how to get a motorcycle driving licence in south america?
 

hello,

i have a polish driving licence valid for cars only (category B). i don't have an international one (but i might be able to get one sent to me from poland soon). i am doing a motorcycle trip starting in santiago, chile, through the north of chile, north of argentina, then paraguay, bolivia, peru.

how possible is it to get a local driving licence for motorbikes, and where is my best chance of getting one? ideally, this wouldn't require stopping in one place for longer than 2 weeks, as i don't want to get behind in my trip.

i did a little bit of research here on HUBB, and apparently it's impossible in chile without residence, but it might be possible in argentina - some posters mentioned they did it in buenos aires, but it's not on my itinerary — i will only visit salta, jujuy and the surroundings before heading to paraguay. not sure whether that affects anything. i also read it might be possible to buy a licence while buying a bike in paraguay, but i already have a bike. ;)

please share any knowledge you might have on the topic. :scooter:

PS. i already did photoshop my polish driving licence but i'm looking for a more secure solution, if possible.

Czesc szaman! I'm not sure if it's the same, but does your polish licence have a scooter section? Because if you get that made into international I've heard it looks the same as having a bike licence. Like a UK licence (depending on how old you are!) has a "up to 125cc" section, and I read somewhere that people have used this as a MC licence.

I have thought of legally obtaining a licence in various countries. Like a souvenir :D India, Britain, Canada, USA all are possibilities. Of those I believe the British one is the hardest.

I did actually legally obtain a temporary tourist licence in one other country .. was a condition, so ... anyway .. part of the 'test' was a medical examination, one of the people I was travelling with was a nurse .. he was quite impressed with the thoroughness of the medical exam. The rest of the test seamed to be filling out some forms... and pay some money. :(

The first problem for me would be speaking Spanish well enough for SA, then if the test was written - writing it too.

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So Cholo, how difficult is it to legally obtain a motorcycle riders licence in your country? Assume reasonable Spanish to start with?

Why don't you get a license in your home country before you leave on your trip? Seems like the obvious solution to me, unless I'm missing something.

that's exactly why i started this thread - to find out how i can do it legally. the forged licence is just a backup until i figure out a better way. no offence but a post saying "don't do it" doesn't really help, maybe you can share some info about how possible it is do get a licence as a foreigner (without residence) in your country (and which country is it)?


i am already in south america, so that's not an option unfortunately. i've been hitch-hiking until now but after trying in southern argentina with poor results i've decided to switch to a bike.


thanks for the idea. i think in poland you can ride a scooter with a B category licence. that being said, there is another category A1 on the licence, but my licence does not have this category. there is no other section on it. this is how a typical polish licence looks, in my case only B category is filled.

Why not;
public transport (such as there is)
a bicycle
a car - for which you have a legal licence.

Or come back another time when you are better prepared.


The motorcycle option is not good, you'll spend some time getting a licence, and then how experienced are you riding a motorcycle.. you don't seam to have much. Motorcycles may look cheap .. but they have there problems.

So according to this article http://www.wypozyczalniamotocykli.co...motocykli.html

Your B car license (Polish) entitles you to legally ride a 125. So why don't you print the official law off in polish and have it translated and at the same time get yourself that international licence sent over. And buy a 125? You don't need a bike that'll do over 100 here anyway?

Driving License in South America
 

I am in total agreement with Cholo who understands the importance of having a valid driving license while motoring South America.

As permanent foreign residents (Spanish and USA) of Argentina, we, xfiltrate and I, applied for Argentine motorcycle licenses. Argentina requires testing of eyes, hearing, dexterity and answering several health related questions - a rather complete physical, done on the spot. With a valid foreign license, we were required only to take a multiple choice exam - that did require some study of street signs, traffic rules etc. One English version of the exam was available. There are various exams.

I cannot impress upon readers the urgency and importance of having a valid driving license in South America. A valid foreign license accompanied by an international driving permit available via your local Automobile Club and possibly through an Automobile Club in various South American countries is mandatory, or you will be operating a motor vehicle illegally and thus voiding vehicle insurance policies. This means no "get out of jail free" card/bail if that is where you end up. And, no payout of awarded liabilities.

szaman, if/when in Argentina, you might try presenting your Polish license because Poland is a member of EU with universal DL standards that describe which vehicles you can legally operate. Not sure, but your license might include small motorcycles? With the valid Polish license you hold, you might qualify to be tested and receive an Argentine driving license if you pass.

Your English is excellent, so I suppose you have an ability with languages so studying for the Argentine test - with the help of friends - should not be a problem. Best of luck rosa del desierto

do you think this case be done without residency?

and can this be done outside of buenos aires? i am planning to be in jujuy and salta, but i'm afraid there aren't any bigger cities in the area. the nearest would be córdoba, i think.

thanks, i will try that. language won't be a problem as i am fluent in spanish.

D L in Argentina
 

szaman, I know at least one tourist (USA) having entered into Argentina on a 3 month tourist visa has passed the test and received an Argentine Driving License. He presented a Domicilio.

If this is true for all tourists I do not know, but having a Domicilio or certified residence address in Argentina might help. A Domiciio can be secured from the local police of the neighborhood where you temporarily reside - it can even be a hotel! You simply go to the police station explain you need a Domicilio and they will explain that the next day or two a police officer will show up at your address and ask for you. If you are there, he/she will verify this and the next day you can pick up your Domicilio at the police station.

Having a domicilio is also necessary for a tourist to legally purchase a motorcycle in Argentina.... you might want to check my web site listed below for more on buying in Argentina. www.Xfiltrate.com - Professional Motorcycle Parking

I am sure you can find an official Argentine web site listing all the places you can take a test for a driving license. I will check for you later or tomorrow.

Suerte, rosa del desierto