Importing From Chile As Expat With Permanent Residence Dni

[tori29]

Hi everyone,

Just stumbled across this site despite having moved here just over a year ago- so informative and nice to read everyone's views!

I live in Bariloche with my Argentine husband and we are planning to go to Chile to buy some things for our newly rented (unfurnished) house.

I have read that entering by car you are restricted to bringing items with a value of up to $150 per person before you have to pay taxes on them.

However having looked on the AFIP page I saw this (below) and wonder as an extranjera with permanent residence (DNI) would I be exempt from paying any taxes on items (new or old) that are considered personal/ home use for me and my family?

Specifically wondering if we can hire a van and buy items like: fridge; oven; washing machine; bed frame & mattress/ pillows etc as these are all much (much) cheaper in Chile than in Argentina. Bariloche prices annoyingly seem higher than those in Buenos Aires so we are trying to figure out a way to avoid this.

Just posting here in case anyone has any knowledge of this. Thank you so much in advance, Tori

Here is the link to the AFIP page: https://www.afip.gob.ar/turismo/

and the specific text I am referring to:

Argentinos que retornan al país luego de haber residido más de DOS (2) años en el exterior y Extranjeros que obtengan residencia permanente en el país

Los extranjeros que obtengan su residencia permanente en la República Argentina, y los argentinos que retornan al país luego de haber residido más de DOS (2) años en el exterior, pueden importar los siguientes bienes, con las exenciones en el pago de derechos de importación, impuestos, tasas, contribuciones y demás gravámenes que se detallan a continuación:

1. Extranjeros que obtengan su residencia permanente en el país:

Efectos personales y del hogar, nuevos o usados, destinados al uso del beneficiario o de su grupo familiar, siempre que por su cantidad, naturaleza o variedad no permitieren presumir que se importan con fines comerciales o industriales. Estos bienes se encuentran exentos sin límite de valor.
Un automóvil por persona con 18 años cumplidos o emancipada, usado y registrado a nombre del interesado. El automóvil deberá estar registrado ante la autoridad oficial competente del país de procedencia, con 3 meses de anticipación, como mínimo, a la fecha de ingreso al país del sujeto solicitante.

Se encuentra exento siempre que su valor en aduana sea inferior o igual a U$S 15.000, o su equivalente en otra moneda. Cuando su valor sea superior al citado importe se deberá tramitar la importación del bien en el marco de la Resolución Nº 5107/80 (ANA) o la que en el futuro la reemplace y la totalidad de su valor quedará sujeto al pago de los tributos que gravan la importación para consumo.

 

[r2d2]

Specifically wondering if we can hire a van and buy items like: fridge; oven; washing machine; bed frame & mattress/ pillows etc as these are all much (much) cheaper in Chile than in Argentina. Bariloche prices annoyingly seem higher than those in Buenos Aires so we are trying to figure out a way to avoid this.

You can not import furniture or "linea blanca" items (fridge, oven, washing machine) at all (except for small kitchen appliances). You nationality or residence does not change that. The only possibility is if you move from Chile to Argentina and bring your household (used items) with you. Requirement is that you had legal residence in Chile before (or can somehow make it plausible how you got your house hold items from your previous residence to Chile) and have recently become a resident in Argentina. If I remember it correctly max. 6 months since getting residency.

 

[tori29]

Ok- thanks for the quick reply. AFIP said it was a tramite so am going to head there and see what kind of forms they ask for. If I get anywhere I will repost.

 

[r2d2]

The AFIP personal at the border is not dumb though. They will easily figure it out if you van is full of household items from the US (or wherever you are from) or brand new items from Chile. Good luck.

 

[Rich One]

The AFIP personal at the border is not dumb though. They will easily figure it out if you van is full of household items from the US (or wherever you are from) or brand new items from Chile. Good luck.

You are correct . The Household items must be USED and come from the country the resident migrated.... The grace period is 6 months depending on the country of origin..!

 

[Girino]

We went through that procedure when we moved here from Italy and it is not a piece of cake.

First we had to prove my husband (he is the citizen) had lived for more than 2 years abroad - We brought residency paper from Italy showing he had been residing there since date XX/YY/ZZ. Second, we had to file a list of items we were going to import to argentina, box by box, bring it to the consulate to have it stamped as exempt goods.
For example:

• Pallet 1 - Box 1 - size of the box a*bb*bb, weight 9,7 kg, content: used clothes;
• Pallet 1 - Box 2 - size of the box a*bb*bb, weight 6,7 kg, content: small kitchen appliance
• Pallet 1 - Box 3 - size of the box a*bb*bb, weight 3,5 kg, content: audio instruments
• Pallet 2 - weight 35 kg, content: used dishwasher, brand Bosch, etc.

We wrote the list in Italian and Spanish. We had one item (an iMac) brought over as checked luggage and my husband showed at the airport the stamped list from the Argentine consulate in Milan because the AFIP folks at Ezeiza wanted money. In the end, he was left through because he was well prepared (and lucky!). I think we paid about 100 USD at the Argentine consulate in Milan for this paper.

When our stuff arrived at the port of Buenos Aires, the AFIP auditor opened a couple of boxes and checked that they contained what was stated in the consulate-approved list.
I remember my husband had to go to a few places to pay some taxes not related to the goods but to the handling of the good at customs. We had an intermediary, as well. I was not present during the Argentine paper-work and inspection part, but I recall him spending a couple of mornings going office to office and then to the port of Buenos Aires. I have to say that our process was smooth and everything went as programmed.

When I got perm. res. we didn't import anything because I guess i would have had to go back to Italy and do the procedure all over.