As our subscribers know, we tend to favor selling and/or giving away personal items before moving and replacing them here. However, we have potential expats for whom bringing their stuff along is important, even though we’ve heard so many comment that they are surprised by how good it feels to have just the stuff they use. We at Four Flags Journal are among them!

However, in the case of one new Argentine we know (he’s a citizen here now) he wanted to ship his wife’s car because of special equipment installed in the car that she needs. If you look at the expenses that the writer of this article has set out for us, you can see the whole business truly is pretty expensive. However, for those who have their reasons for shipping, we thank Jason for his information

Also, things do change here and we suggest always checking current requirements with an agent. For example, unless things have changed in Uruguay, we realize the regulations say that you can ship a car in to Uruguay. But the fact is that you can’t, with one exception. If you are a returning Uruguayan, you can do it. One returning Uruguayan proudly took us into his garage and removed the protective covering from his shiny sports car, imported to Uruguay from his former home in New York. Some folks just can’t bring themselves to leave that car behind. For those expats, Jason graciously gives us some guidelines for shipping a vehicle in to Argentina.

Frankly we can’t see any reason to even maintain a car in any major city here. Transportation systems are excellent and taxis are inexpensive. Even in outlying areas you can get by without a vehicle BUT in outlying areas we admit, they can be a convenience.

Jason Mueller graciously gives us some guidelines for shipping a vehicle in to Argentina.

Shipping Your Car to Argentina

By Jason Mueller

Expats from the US as well as other countries worldwide have flocked to Argentina in recent years due to the beauty of the country, the employment opportunities and the low cost of living.

Anytime a person makes a move to a new country like Argentina, and considers taking their car, it’s pretty essential to plan ahead to assure that a motor vehicle can be imported into the country. Used cars cannot be imported to Argentina at all. So if you have one, you may want to consider selling it and if possible, purchase a new car before the move if you will need to have your own car when you relocate. You may also take interest in the fact that in order to import a vehicle to the country, you will be required to obtain an import license prior to the move.

In order to have a car shipped to Argentina, you will need to take care of several important issues prior to the move, to make sure it ships legally and will be approved by customs for import. Before a car is even shipped, the following taxes and fees should already be paid in full.

  • Taxes
  • VAT
  • Duty Fees

Taxes range between 5% and 22% for all motor vehicles and there is an additional VAT (Value Added Tax) that will also be applied that averages nearly the same as the basic tax for importing the vehicle. There are also miscellaneous taxes as well as a duty surcharge that is required to be paid by the vehicle owner. These costs range from 3% to 6% depending on the value of the vehicle and the cost of shipping.

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Paperwork

 

Before a vehicle can be shipped overseas, the owner will be required to provide customs with a little paperwork. To ship to Argentina, you will need to have the following before the car may be shipped:

  • Valid Photo Identification (Driver’s License)
  • Original Vehicle Title (The title may not have a lienholder listed)
  • Vehicle Registration
  • Bill of Sale

You will also be required to register the car and obtain local auto insurance before it may be driven once it arrives.

Modes of Transport

Container Ship

Moving a car, truck or other vehicle overseas is going to be similar to moving one across land. But planning will need to begin earlier and decisions on the type of transport must be determined in order to have shipment scheduled in a timely manner. Essentially, you need to let the shipper know whether you want to use open air or containerized modes of transport for the shipment.

Open Air: This is also known more commonly as RORO, or Roll-On, Roll-Off transport and is the most common type of transport for overseas auto shipping to Argentina. Vehicles are rolled onto large shipping vessels, secured in place and moved overseas to Argentina as quickly as possible. They are in the open air where they are exposed to the elements during shipment but this is the least expensive way to have a vehicle shipped. It is safe for all types of wheeled vehicles.

Containerized: While open air, or RORO is safe for all types of vehicles, owners of highly expensive vehicles often opt to ship with containerized shipping instead of methods where the vehicle is exposed to the elements. When you ship in a large shipping container, the car will be sealed inside of a container where weather, animals and even other people have no access to the vehicle and it will remain safe during shipment. You can expect to pay up to 50% more for shipping when using containerized shipping, but the cost is well worth the peace of mind when you know your vehicle will be secure as it is shipping.

There are 20 major shipping ports in Argentina and you will need to work with a company that can safely ship your car to the port of choice that is nearest to where you will be staying in the country. If there is no local port, you may want to hire the shipper to not only transport the car to Argentina, but also to have it delivered to your home via land transport when it arrives.

When you hire a professional international auto transport company to handle the shipment for you, they will be able to assist with gathering information for you on taxes that must be paid, import duties and other fees. The company will also be able to assist with determining which mode of transport will be best for your car and also which work best with your overall budget. When you are ready to hire a pro to move your vehicle to Argentina, make sure they have the knowledge and experience that you need when having a car shipped to South American countries.

Jason Mueller

Jason is entrepreneur living in Costa Rica.  He enjoys doing writing for different countries and world travel.  When he is not busy working you can find him relaxing at the beach or surfing.

Web site: https://www.a1autotransport.com/