Buying a foriegn car.

[PhilipDT]

So I'm currently a permatourist, but am trying to get my temp residency. As I understand it, I can bring a foreign registered car in as a perma tourist and get a tourist visa for the car. Does that dynamic change if I have temporary residency?

 

[Rich One]

Once you become a temporary resident you can bring in a car, no later than six months after the residency, must check , the value of the car, the origin of the car, are all parameters regulated by AFIP. Must check the web page...!!

 

[PhilipDT]

Once you become a temporary resident you can bring in a car, no later than six months after the residency, must check , the value of the car, the origin of the car, are all parameters regulated by AFIP. Must check the web page...!!

Is the 1 time import after temporary residency or permanent residency?

 

[nledec]

It is a nightmare to bring in a car. Think carefully about whether or not it is really worth it.

 

[LostinBA]

There is ALOT of info in old threads about this. Most claim it was a horrible and very expensive experience.

 

[fuccolini]

yeah i was under the impression you had to have a permanent residency visa to bring a car

 

[Rich One]

yeah i was under the impression you had to have a permanent residency visa to bring a car

You can drive in a foreign car, you will be allowed to remain in the country for 6 months, as per the Mercosur Regulations. Importing a car via ocean freight is a different story. Subject to numerous variables, cost limits, Passport, country of origin, etc.etc, The web page argenmove details all the posibilities...!


See http://baexpats.org/expat-life/23919-possible-renounce-cancel-waive-temporary-residency.html

 

[ElQueso]

You can buy a decent used car here, probably for less than you would pay in money (not counting time and aggravation) just in the process, apart from the value of the car you're bringing in.

On top of that, I don't know what it would be like importing a car nowadays, with the import restrictions that are in place. Would they block something large like that, which is assembled and sold here, to someone who can normally bring things in on their residency? Would it be different for tourists? You might be told you can and your car sit in customs when it arrives for months not getting approved.

Then you have replacement parts to think about. If you're going to be here a couple of months, maybe not such a bad deal, depending on what you want it for. If it breaks down while you're here, I doubt you're going to find parts for it here, and possibly no one that knows how to work on it (of course, that's always a problem). The longer you have it here, the more likely that is to happen. See paragraph above about import restrictions.

Also, I wouldn't bring down (nor even buy here) a very big car if you're living in the city. Parking spaces are small and the buildings themselves are difficult to navigate at times even in something small-mid-sized like my Megane. It's possible with bigger cars but I wouldn't want to deal with it.

 

[ElQueso]

And yeah, Rich One's right, I was speaking of ocean shipment. It would indeed be a completely different story driving it in, in most of what I said.

EDIT:

You'd probably have to have MERCOSUR insurance to do so though, if it was bought in a local country.

I know of some people who bought a car in the States and shipped it to another port in SA (can't remember where), then drove it through SA to Argentina and had no problems. I know about it because a friend of mine bought it from them - one day he's going to have to go through some serious pain to legalize it here. It's been parked for a year or so.

 

[Rich One]

Is the 1 time import after temporary residency or permanent residency?

. New Permanent Residents are allowed to bring in the country a car and household effects, no later than six months after residency.

Driving in the country is one thing, and depends on the license plates and Mercosur Regulations of Free Transit among member countries.