Hi, I’m shipping my New Zealand registered bike to South America for extended travel. Bike is currently registered in NZ. Is there a need to continue paying the annual registration fee (close to $nz600) while I’m in South America or will Temporary Import into each country I enter be enough?
Thanks in Advance.

Yes one of the requirements of temporary importation is that the vehicle is legal in its home country, in the long term not always possible due to the requirement of a safety check in some countries but you should pay it. Whether you do or not is between you and your conscience but there is the possibility of it causing a problem if you need to make an insurance claim, I have also been asked a couple of times if it is up to date by customs officials.

We are also in New Zealand, the bike is being shipped to USA and we plan to ride down through Central and South America from June.

I have just put our registration on hold for a year. Your post raises some interesting questions, if stopped how do they know we are or aren't legal in our home country?

The bike is still fairly new so the warrant of fitness will be good while we are away.

BUT the registration, what does it mean to be "legal to ride in the home country"? If we have to make a claim will they really even know about NZ registration?

(When are you leaving NZ?)

I’m leaving NZ and flying bike April 30, into Santiago Chile. Headed north from there, our paths may cross, keep in touch.mspeirs56@gmail.com
Will get fresh WOF and renew Rego before I leave, then can re rego online while the WOF is still current. Plan to be away 12 months. Seems crazy to me me that you’d have to pay to keep the bike current in NZ while it’s used on South American roads but maybe that’s the way it is.

Governments have signed international agreements to allow you, as a tourist, to use your vehicle in their country, on a temporary basis. But they also need to control what comes in and what stays in their country.

So, at each border crossing, Customs Officials will want to see your driver's license and registration papers as proof of ownership of the motorcycle before they will issue you a temporary import permit for your motorcycle. You will soon get use to showing these papers and the location of the VIN on your vehicle, opening your bags, telling them where you are going, etc. Customs officials will want to make sure you are the owner of the vehicle, that the registration is valid, and that it matches the VIN before issuing you the permits.

After you receive your TIP, and before leaving the Customs area, it is a good practice for you to verify that all information on your new paperwork is correct. This could save you some headaches down the road (pun intended).

Also, take note of the TIP time limits. They may (or may not) be shorter than your tourist visa.

I found it useful to think of Immigration as being for the person and the Aduanas is for the things you bring into the country (and promise to bring with you when you leave).

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» “What do you expect to find there? Well, if I knew, I wouldn’t go there!” — Jacques Cousteau

Thanks, we’re aware of all of this. In NZ, even though the bike is registered to us, we may put the registration ‘on hold’ if we don’t intend to use it on NZ roads for a given period. Kind of like ‘parking the rego’ while the bike is not in use. Live rego costs close to $600 per year and this includes compulsory 3rd party insurance.
My question relates to whether we can leave our NZ rego ‘on hold’ whilst we ride the bike in South America, where we will be paying for a TIP and SOAT while riding in a South American country. I have already purchased the Mercosur insurance for my journey, I just don’t see why the NZ government should be charging me the $600 while I’m riding my bike in South America. Does anyone have any real world experience with this situation? Trying to discuss this with NZ authorities leads to hours spent listening to music while on hold, then talking to someone who doesn’t know where South America is….
Looking to hear from a Kiwi who has been there and done that. Cheers