Leaving vehicle to travel home for a few months
 

Argentina - TIP for 8 months and normally no problem with leaving the country without the vehicle.
Uruguay - TIP for 12 months and no problems leaving without the vehicle.

Brazil - no TIP (??) so presume can leave without vehicle

Bolivia - TIP for only a short time and must leave with your vehicle.

What about Chile and Peru and Paraguay?

Paraguay TIP is three month renewable two times by the owner (or somebody in the owners name with a 100 USD bribe). You can leave the country without the vehicle.Customs officers dont always give you an importation paper. If this is the case, i assume you can leave it as much time as you wish, but you ll have to bribe every time you are asked this paper by police (very few of them know the customs rules). You can also cross the Paraguay river on a small boat, it s a funny and thrilling experience and then go to the closest border on the other side.

I never tried to leave Bolivia without my vehicle but there is no trace of a registration in the passport. I crossed the border back to Argentina in 2007 and came back to Bolivia from Brazil in 2008, and the customs officer there mentioned i left my vehicle in Bolivia the previous year. The border in Bermejo failed to register my depart. It was solved by phoning to the customs office in Aguas Blancas. So vehicles are indeed traced, but this doesnt mean you cant leave within the time authorized and come back. 2 years ago i was given 6 month for the vehicle and the usual one month renewable two times for me.

I just got confirmed by a public lawyer friend of mine here in Buenos Aires that the law didn t change, it is still up to 8 month. The guy that got 3 month just got unlucky (so did I a few years ago in Clorinda). The mistake was to generalize based on a perticular case.

Bear in mind that although Argentina is 8 months, it's up to the border crossing what they give you, and sometimes they give out 3 months. Possibly something you can ask specifically and get 8, possibly not. Suspect it might depend on the border chap's mood.

You can't leave Chile without a vehicle having entered it with a vehicle, you will be stopped at the border when they put your passport through the computer.

Leave in brazil for as long as necessary
 

If you don'twhen you're coming back to SA, leave in a garage in Brazil for as long as you need, Brazil doens't require TIP anymore so you won't have any problems entering and leaving Brazil.

If you need more info let me know

Cheers

Rod
Iguassu Bikers Hostel | Iguassu Falls Overland Base

Bolivian two step
 

I left my moto in La Paz, flew back to the US for three weeks, then returned to La Paz. Nothing in my passport, no problems leaving or returning.

In full disclosure, I was traveling with an Irish passport, originally entering Bolivia at Yacuiba. It is doubtful the officials treated my Irish passport any differently. Bolivia does charge visitors from the US a hefty tourist fee when entering by plane. Brazil, Chile and Argentina also charge tourist a fee. Wish all started because the US charges their travelers.

Not sure how many frontiers have business between countries, but it is possible to store a motorcycle between Colombia and Venezuela. In the no man's land between countries your bike can stay without time limit.

Just a little off topic.

We pay the reciprocity fee when going into Argentina - 12 month validity - regardless of which point of entry.

I was expecting similar when crossing into Chile, but at San Pedro de Atacama, we weren't charged.

Did we just get lucky or does it only apply at Santiago airport.

in Chile, the reciprocity fee is only for air arrivals. In Argentina is was the same policy. It may have changed. YOu can easily find this info on the gvmts websites.

Argentina entry fee
 

Yup...US, Canada and Australians all have to pay to enter Argentina, at any entry point.

Argentina

"ENTRY / EXIT REQUIREMENTS FOR U.S. CITIZENS: A valid passport is required for U.S. citizens to enter Argentina. U.S. citizens do not need a visa for visits of up to 90 days for tourism or business. As a result of a recent change in Argentine law, prior to arrival in Argentina at any entry point, U.S. citizen tourist and business travelers must pay a $160 reciprocity fee by credit card online at the Provincia Pagos website . Once paid, you must print out the receipt and present it to the Argentine immigration officer at the time of entry.The fee is valid for ten years from the date of payment and multiple entries. Until June 30, 2013, passengers on cruise lines entering the country are exempt from paying the fee. The fee applies only to bearers of tourist passports. Travelers bearing diplomatic or official passports are required to get visas prior to arrival in Argentina but are not charged the reciprocity fee, nor are travelers transiting and not entering Argentina."

I spoke to a US citizen who was riding in Argentina in January 2013, in the days/weeks after the overland entrance fee went into effect. He had entered Argentina before the fee went into effect, so he didn't have the receipt...and was hassled a few times by police, but always managed to talk his way out of the situation.

To confirm what I posted a few days ago regarding the unchanged TIP laws in Argentina, I crossed the border to Uruguay this week end. As usual, the bike was given 8 month more in Argentina.

I left our Unimog in Lima (Miraflores, near to the hitchhikers backpacker hostel) for a month while I took a bus to Ecuador to see some friends. Officially I should not have done so, but there was no hastle at all at the border. The truck only gets 3 months, so it's not much use for longer trips home.

I've not tried it, but it seems it may be possible to pause your TIP form with Peru aduana if you are leaving the country for a while, but this may just be an urban myth....

Merv.