Is it worth shipping a used car to Argentina?

I'll be moving to the US with my wife and 3 small children next year.  I want to bring our vehicle with us.  Does anyone have any experience shipping a used car to Argentina?  Is it worth it?  Where do I get answers; costs, time, misc expenses...

Hi Drken...
take a look at this link, i think here is your response

autocarshippers.com/International_Car_Shipping_To/Argentina.htm

Greetings, Ivan from ARG.

There is an 80% import tax on vehicles. Also, until you have permanent residency, you will not be able to get an Argentine license plate.

My suggestion is to buy a car once you get to Argentina, ideally one that runs on Diesel or GNC.

Suerte!

Yeah, taxes and lots of regulations on imports will make this a verrry difficult ordeal for you.   Also, what ind of car is it??

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Some of the above is not completely accurate.  For instance there, are not a lot of regulations on imports here.  The rules are actually quite simple and straight forward.  Also, it is only completely true that vehicles are taxed at the rate of 80%.  For instance, deisel cars are taxed 100% of the value.

To the best of my knowledge, these are the current customs regulations regarding the importation of cars:

ARGENTINE CUSTOMS REGULATIONS FOR IMPORTATION OF VEHICLES

DIPLOMATS are able to import used or new cars with a Diplomatic Franchise issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affaires.

RETURNING ARGENTINE CITIZENS may import used vehicles only (one car and one motorcycle for each adult member of the family).

PERSONS WITH PERMANENT RESIDENT STATUS may import used vehicles only, under the same rules that apply to Argentine citizens returning.

PERSONS WITH TEMPORARY VISA may import used vehicles under temporary admission. The car is only allowed temporary admission for the same period the client has the Visa and can be renewed if the client renews the Visa. Before the visa expires, the vehicle must be removed from Argentina. VEHICLE MUST KEEP THE ORIGINAL PLATES.

General Requirements:

1) Vehicle must enter Argentina within (6) six months after shipper/owner arrival.

2) Vehicle and its documentation must be under shipper's name.

3) Importation of new vehicles is subject to Ministry of Commerce regulations and is limited to certain types of vehicles. New vehicles can not be imported as part of the move.

Documentation Required for Argentine Citizens and Foreign Citizens with Permanent Residence:

1) Owner's original passport.

2) Original B/L's.

3) Complete car documentation including the property title under the name of the shipper.

4) Original purchase invoice.

5) Certificate of Residence issued by the Argentine Consulate at origin country ( for Argentine citizens returning only)

Note: All documents that are not issued in Spanish must be translated by an official Translator and certified by the Argentine College of Translators.

Duties / Taxes: Approximately 80% of car CIF value for normal cars , 100% for diesel cars and 65% for motorcycles.

Argentine citizens returning can use this franchise (always paying taxes and duties) only once per lifetime and Customs will authorize just one for each adult member of the family.

80% or 100% of what? Who determines what the car is worth? Got no experience in Argentina (I'm thinking of an extended stay, which is why I'm here at this site) but as a Detroiter born and bred I pretty much got cars in my DNA. I shipped several to Honduras while living there; from the east coast US (Baltimore)the shipping cost was $600. The price in Honduras was so high it was worth it even after gifting the authorities. What do cars cost in Argentina? Is gifting the authorities acceptable?

The CIF Price Includes the Vehicle Price + Shipping freight + Insurance Cost.  As to who determines the value, that is probably rather arbitrary.

If you are interested in bringing a car down here, do remember the car is only legal here as long as you are.  When you need to renew your visa the car will have to be taken  out of the country and then in effect it will have to receive a new visa. 

Gifting is fairly common here, but still a jailable offense were the officer to be having a bad day!

I understand that cars with a value under $15k do not pay any taxes. Is taht true? Also how much to ship a car to BA? Any known honest companies?

Hi varelarillo!

This thread is 3 years old for info.

Regards
Armand

I would like to take my car to Argentina(shipping) and would like to travel Argentina, and the Chile , Bolivia ext.
Can someone advice me how to ship, import, register ext all the administration to be done to legally travel in South America, please

As others have pointed out, the import tax is quite high and I believe there are also some limits based on engine size, age of the vehicle, etc. Best place to get answers is probably from the customs department, as Wynwoods mentioned. If you're still intent on doing it, you can get price quotes from any U.S. shipper that delivers to the area. Almost all of them give out free cost estimates (for ex. https://www.a1autotransport.com/ship-ca … entina.php ), just make sure they also have a good grasp on import laws, taxes, ports, etc.