Shipping Concerns

[Dublin2BuenosAires]

If you can bring things over with you as luggage it is always easier. Maybe spread out over more than one trip if you can. As for expecting anything to be shipped directly to your door sorry to say that you can pretty much forget about that.

We're on honeymoon in Asia with a stopover in Paris, we'll be travelling fairly light. I'm leaning towards shipping whatever we want over and letting it sit where ever the customs mafia decide it needs to sit for a few months. We can live without it, will be a nice treat when we finally receive it all. I reckon that means no electronics, flog the laptops here and carry the iPad on Honeymoon.

 

[Heather G]

If you have not yet been granted residency make sure the shipment is in your wife's name, as an Argentine changing residency from Ireland back to Argentina she has the right to bring her stuff duty-free. Actually, you should think about bringing more stuff if you can - even your car, perhaps...

A friend of mine had this problem with leaving AR and taking her stuff, she ended up having to do an insane amount of paperwork and give up her "permanent" residency here to be able to do the transaction. Then she found out that she could have just put the shipment in her Argentine husband's name since he had recently been granted residency in Canada - she could have kept her DNI here and he wouldn't have had to pay any taxes on the shipment of the stuff.

 

[Dublin2BuenosAires]

If you have not yet been granted residency make sure the shipment is in your wife's name, as an Argentine changing residency from Ireland back to Argentina she has the right to bring her stuff duty-free. Actually, you should think about bringing more stuff if you can - even your car, perhaps...

A friend of mine had this problem with leaving AR and taking her stuff, she ended up having to do an insane amount of paperwork and give up her "permanent" residency here to be able to do the transaction. Then she found out that she could have just put the shipment in her Argentine husband's name since he had recently been granted residency in Canada - she could have kept her DNI here and he wouldn't have had to pay any taxes on the shipment of the stuff.

Interesting, thanks for the advice. Would love to bring the car, but the steering wheel is on the wrong side !

 

[surfing]

We're on honeymoon in Asia with a stopover in Paris, we'll be travelling fairly light. I'm leaning towards shipping whatever we want over and letting it sit where ever the customs mafia decide it needs to sit for a few months. We can live without it, will be a nice treat when we finally receive it all. I reckon that means no electronics, flog the laptops here and carry the iPad on Honeymoon.

I would check further about that plan. My understanding is that "storage fees" are charged per day and that they are not insignificant.

 

[ghost]

Don't bring a car!!!!! Ship via movers and under your wifes name with a manifest as a returning citizen !!!!!!!
Better hand carry the laptops.

 

[Dublin2BuenosAires]

Don't bring a car!!!!! Ship via movers and under your wifes name with a manifest as a returning citizen !!!!!!!
Better hand carry the laptops.

Thanks, we are selling the car here, no plans to ship it. Think we will sell or bin the laptops as they are both v old, ad then hand carry the ipad. Reading here i am thinking i should stock up on clothing and bedlinen. Anything worth shipping under the wifes name which will be worthwhile and not cause us import issues.

Ps..appreciate the replies, food for thought!

 

[ElQueso]

I would check further about that plan. My understanding is that "storage fees" are charged per day and that they are not insignificant.

I know a couple, US guy, Argentine gal, that were living in the States and moved to Buenos Aires a couple of years ago. They sent their belongings to BA through consolidated shipment in a container. They imported it under her name as a repatriating Argentina.

There was supposed to be no duty on their personal items. Customs made a big deal about it and told them they were going to be charged $3000 USD in import duties. When they complained, the customs agents pointed out that they were certainly welcome to lodge a complaint and have their case reviewed, but it would cost them $200 USD per day while that process was completed. A couple weeks equals the duty anyway...

That was a few years ago. I can only imagine things are worse at this point, how much worse I don't know. I don't know anyone else who's moved to Buenos Aires in the last year or so and imported their things.

Good luck!

 

[NoseyParker]

I had a few items shipped over here in my boyfriends name who is an Argentine citizen, the customs guys wanted to charge him 60% of the declared value of the items, as import taxes plus a colossal storage fee per day until we agreed to pay, this lasted three days until we agreed the price of a backhander..... I will never import anything here again, in my name or my partners......

 

[steveinbsas]

I know a couple, US guy, Argentine gal, that were living in the States and moved to Buenos Aires a couple of years ago. They sent their belongings to BA through consolidated shipment in a container. They imported it under her name as a repatriating Argentina.

There was supposed to be no duty on their personal items. Customs made a big deal about it and told them they were going to be charged $3000 USD in import duties. When they complained, the customs agents pointed out that they were certainly welcome to lodge a complaint and have their case reviewed, but it would cost them $200 USD per day while that process was completed. A couple weeks equals the duty anyway...

That was a few years ago. I can only imagine things are worse at this point, how much worse I don't know. I don't know anyone else who's moved to Buenos Aires in the last year or so and imported their things.

Good luck!

If an Argentine citizen has been out of the country for two years he/she can bring in a lot of goods without paying import duties, but the warnings about storage fees should be seriously taken into account.

 

[ElQueso]

If an Argentine citizen has been out of the country for two years he/she can bring in a lot of goods without paying import duties, but the warnings about storage fees should be seriously taken into account.

Yeah, I didn't spell it out, but the customs officials were looking for their own coima. The only threat they had was to let them know the process was going to cost them either way and they could just cough up the cash now and get their stuff out immediately.

I forgot to mention that they talked the "import duties" down to $2000 USD.

They'd lived in the States for 7 years.