Borders

You´ll find below more detailed information on each of the borders crossed - location, ease, costs, time taken, tips etc


Argentina
Arrived at Buenos Aires airport, and was stamped in with a 90 day tourist visa, no cost, amidst smiley and efficient staff.  One of the advantages of starting off in a pretty well developed country.  Scanning my luggage gave rise to some questions about the bike parts I´m carrying, with the (again) very nice chap being more interested in my plans than the items.  I didn´t even need to open the bag!

I needed a copy of my passport Visa stamp to pick up the bike, and Argentinian bike insurance for customs purposes (plus copies and originals of title (registration), international driving licence and passport).  I was walked through the process by Sandra at Dakar Motos, so was pretty easy for me really.  And early start to get the 37 kms to the airport in time for the freight office to open at 9.  Processed paperwork there, and handed over 82 pounds in local currency.  They prepared my file, which we then walked over to the customs building on the other side of the car park.  Had to show passport and file to get in, and was given a security slip.

More like a corridor than an office, we registered our presence and when the office opened at 10:20 (20 mins late) took our number from the machine in the order of those who were already waiting.  About an hour  wait to be seen in the first stage of the process, but in the meantime they had brought the bike in its box out to the entrance.  Idris was here!  I must confess that I got a little lost then with the series of visits to various desks, but that included the admin staff authorising the opening of the box - so we could take the bike out (I checked it over and started it to make sure all was OK).  Then back to the customs office a few doors down for them to come out and check it through, nice chap.  More stamps on papers, and then to the payment office to hand over 167 squid (the bike had been stored over a holiday weekend), more stamps, back to the customs chap, more paperwork, and I was handed a slip which would enable me to exit the compound.  Thanks to Sandra´s understanding of the whole show, this meant that I was back in Dakar Motos in time for lunch.  Nice!

Argentina to Chile - Ruta 3 South
A short run after you pass the exit for the Lago Azul on Ruta 3 you will come across a police stop - it wasn´t manned, but did look a bit like a border post.  It isn´t.  You just pass round it and on a couple of kms more.

This crossing is a combined affair, with both Argentine and Chilean officials working in the same building.  Park your bike in the dirt car parking area and make your way with papers to the square-ish building.  On entering the three sides to your left, front and right mark the three stages you need to follow - and they are numbered 1, 2, 3 - how easy is that!  You will need passport, your temp import paper for Argentina, insurance (I wasn´t asked for mine), your bike registration document (I use a laminated good colour copy - but have the original tucked away safe).

Stage 1 is signing you out of Argentina, for which you´ll also have to fill in a small squarish form (with various carbon copies behind).  The Argentinian desk will stamp this, stamp out your passport, and check your other papers, following which you are passed to the next desk under stage 1 which is Chilean immigration (they have different uniforms).  You´ll also get another slip of paper with a stamp on it to evidence you have passed this stage.  You´re stamped in to Chile, along with the little form (which you keep carbon copies of), and then directed to stage 2.

Stage 2 sees you signing the bike out of Argentina, and into Chile - and is pretty much the same idea as stage 1.  All the forms you are asked to fill in are in Spanish and English.  You´ll get your temp import paper for Argentina cancelled, then be passed to the Chilean Aduana sat at the next desk to get your bike registered for Chile.  You´ll get a temp import paper for the bike.  And they´ll both stamp that little bit of paper to show you have passed that stage.

Stage 3 is the Chilean food (and other stuff) declaration to say you are not carrying any fresh fruit, veg or meat (best not to anyway, as there are so many checks on this point).  There is a form on the desk in front of the stage 3 desks.  Take one, fill it in, and hand it to the staff of the desk - who will check it through and stamp your little slip of paper.

Make a quick check of your passport and your new temp import document before you leave.  You should have a stamp out of Argentina and into Chile in the passport, and the details of your temp import document shoudl match you and your bike (at later crossings I was glad to do this, as errors occur!).

You then return to the bike, someone may check your gear (they didn´t with me), and you´re clear to go - with your little slip of paper being your passport out of there.  Pretty easy, and keep all the other paperwork you collected.  I got there early, and it was all done in 20 mins with no additional photocopies needed, and at no cost.

Chile to Argentina - Tierra del Fuego
Not surprisingly the process is pretty much the same as above, but in reverse at this border crossing, except the layout is different, and you don´t need to do the Stage 3 (above) as you are not entering Chile.  The Chile and Argentina posts are some 12 kms (I think) apart - with poor ripio in between.

You reach the Chilean boder post and park up on the verge on the right hand side.  This is where Idris got blown over while I was inside, so park safe.  The office is down a little corridor on the right - passed a snack shop.  Again the stages are marked 1, 2, 3.  You sign out of Chile (you´ll need the papers you collected at the past crossing) and then cancel the temp import document.  10 mins.  Then back on the bike and head for Argentina.

Argentinian post, looking towards Chile
At the Argentinian side you sign you, and then the bike back in.  The office is clear on the right hand side as you approach from Chile (right hand side in the photo).

The creation of a new temp import document takes a little longer - I think this was about 15 mins in total.  Staff outside may ask to see your papers and check your gear (I didn´t have to open anything, just answer a few basic questions about food), and you are away.

There is a YPF petrol station inside Argentina at this border.

Argentina to Chile - Tierra del Fuego
By the time you do this, you´ll be so familiar with the process that it will take very little effort.  Remember to fill out the customs declaration (stage 3), and to check your documents (passport and temp import) to ensure they are correct.

Chile to Argentina - Dorotea
Riding from Puerto Natales into Argentina you will probably go through the border crossing at Dorotea, which is paved right through.  There is another border further up the valley closer to Torres del Paine, but on ripio and difficult (and often closed) in poor weather.  The border I took is not signposted from Puerto Natales, but you head back towards Punta Arenas for a few kms, and take the road signed Dorotea.  The Chilean exit is a few kms after the town up a bit of a mountain pass.

Not much room to park at this one, just at the side of the road, with the entering and exiting travellers all using the same desks (windows) in the small office even through there are other desks marked separately for inward and outward traffic.  Perhaps the place is fully staffed in high season, when travellers in each direction are separated out.  The process is the same as above.

About 3 kms to the Argentinian entry post.  Poor parking which was a bit muddy the day I was there, so had to be careful with the side stand.  The layout of the office is pretty similar to the Chilean side, with immigration at the window on your left as you enter, and aduana (customs) on your right.  This is the border post where the Argentinan system threw out on my new temp import document that I was from Afghanistan - which caused a bit of a stir.  Good job I checked my documents - though it took them a while to cancel the entry from the system and get it to produce a correct version.  Very nice people at this post.

Argentina to Chile - Puente del Inca
This is the main crossing between Mendoza and Santiago, consequently it is much busier.  From Argentina you get to it about 7 kms after the toll booth (free for bikes) before the tunnel.  From Chile, it is right after the really steep climb with all those u-bends.  It was also closed for three days prior to my crossing, so there was an hour delay before getting to the office.  Trucks and buses are directed into separate lanes, with cars and bikes (I did try to skip to the front, but no luck!) having their own.  Argentinian and Chilean officers are in the same building - but it is a bit confusing with thier 1, 2, 3 numbers all over the place, separate lines for bus passengers, and separate lines for incoming and outgoing traffic.  Unlike the other crossings, there are money changing facilities here, but I saw no banks.

Park where directed and fill in the forms you are given (this was done while we were waiting on the road before getting to the office area).  The process is the same as before, but in this case I made sure to tell the Chilean side that I would be exiting via Bolivia or Peru.  I´m not 100% certain, but I was told that they have different forms for traffic not crossing back and forth between Chile and Argentina.  I certainly ended up with a different looking document, which was stamped in the tunnel like area of the building by a chap after checking through my panniers.  The same document got me through the final barrier, and I was given a carbon.  Again, no photocopies or costs involved.

Chile to Peru - nr Arica
Some 20 kms north of Arica on the PanAm you get to the Chilean border post.  A modern building with good parking areas right by the immigration and aduana windows (which are on the outside of the building - it doesn´t rain here much!).

Remember to pick up a passenger declaration form (!!??) before you leave Arica.  I understand you can buy  them at the bus station and they are called ´Relacion de Pasajeros´ - cost 500 pesos.  By luck, I managed to blag one from someone at the post.  You can´t buy them from the staff of the post - it is requirement to enter Peru, not leave Chile!  Judging by the questions I was asked, I think there must be different versions depending on your onward destination (eg Equador, Bolivia, Chile again etc).

You will be directed to a line for Chilean immigration departures, and an electronic number system will call you in turn to a window.  Passport stamped out, and the Relacion de Pasajeros form stamped.  You then walk down the left hand side (looking towards Peru) of the same building, and you´ll find a couple of Aduana windows, where you get your temp import document cancelled.

Back on the bike for a few hundred metres, and you arrive at the Peruvean border post.  Again a new complex with good parking - opposite a series of booths with barriers.  The immigration offices are directly ahead, and you need to fill out a single immigration form (top and bottom parts), which is them duly stamped along with your passport, and you get the bottom bit of this back.

Aduana is in the same building in a small room down the left hand side (still looking at Peru).  It is signed CIF.  There you´ll sign a declaration, and get a temp import document, half of which is kept by the staff.  This was the first time I was asked for my drivers licence.  They make copies of your passport etc for you.

Before I was issued with the documents, I was sent out to the staff manning the booths opposite the parking area to collect 2 stamps on my Relacion de Pasajeros form - and answer a lot of questions about football and the quality of Argentinian wine.  I think these guys are supposed to check through your gear, which they were doing with the cars, but all I got was a nice chat and an offer to buy a map of Peru!  Oh, and my stamps.

Back to Aduanas, collect the papers - check them (got my nationality wrong again!) - and collection the bike, ride around the barriers to the last barrier on the way out, show your Relacion de Pasajeros form with the stamps, they keep one - you get the other carbon - and you are away.

I understand that there are slight charges for vehicles crossing on weekends and holidays - something like 2$ US.  The post is open from 8 to 24 - I arrived at the first post at 8:20, and was cleared through both by 9:15 (including the faff to find a spare form).  There are no money changing facilities that I saw, and no banks.  You might want to change spare cash in Arica before heading out, as I got a poor rate in Araquipa off-loading my remaining Chilean Pesos.

Staff on both sides were very nice, helpful and professional, with no hint of anything out of order going on.  In fact, I would say they were being particularly robust when it came to well loaded medium sized vehicles.

Peru to Ecudaor - Macara

I didn´t get any shots of the border post this time - so you´ll have to put up with the plain narrative I´m afraid.  First thing I should say is that I highly recommend this border crossing.  Not only because of the roads that lead to and from it, but because it was very quiet, relaxed and with no issues.  I spent a little longer at the crossing than I needed to as I was chatting to some of the officials!  It took me an hour from pulling up to driving off, but you could do it in 30 minutes I would imagine.  No photocopies needed, and no costs involved.

The Puente International (international bridge) is being rebuilt right alongside the old one – which is not a very impressive bridge at all.  So this information relates to the current situation, which may change when the new bridge is in operation (I imagine they will build new buildings alongside the new bridge?).

Coming from Peru you will see Aduana clearly signed on the right hand side of the road about 3 buildings from the bridge and police checkpoint.  You can park your bike outside here, and the officials on the porch will keep an eye on things.  The first building on the right before the bridge is a police office, and you need to pick up a stamp on the bottom half of the immigration card you have been carrying through Peru.  Take this and your passport directly opposite, up a few steps, to the window to get you stamped out of Peru.  Then back to the Aduana office to cancel your temp import paper.  They´ll record it on the system and in a ledger.  As it is such a small post, the police at the checkpoint will probably have seen you doing your business, and will just wave you and the bike through.

Cross the 50m or so of bridge and park where instructed, most likely on the right hand side.  The immigration office is a window on your left, about the third building in from the bridge. Fill in your new immigration card – top and bottom – which looks pretty similar to the one you used in Peru.  They stamp that and your passport, and you retain the bottom bit.  The Aduana office is right next to the checkpoint as you crossed the bridge.  At that window they´ll issue your temp import paper.  I was asked for the bike documents, drivers licence, and passport with immigration card.  No mention of insurance and, as noted above, no costs at all.  You´ll then be clear to get underway with a wave – to be greeted by the welcome to Macara sign!


Ecuador to Colombia 


I crossed into Colombia at the border just before Ipiales, as I imagine most people would do.  Just before arriving at the border, there was a police stop, where they wanted to have a look inside my panniers etc – but they were friendly enough.

View looking at the border from the car park where I stopped for food beore crossing
Arriving at the border before the small bridge (which is hardly noticible), there is a car park on the right with a taxi rank and places to buy food etc; and another on the left, with an official looking single storey building in front of it.  I stopped for something to eat on the right first, but otherwise you can park up on the left.  Passport control to get you stamped out of Ecuador is inside this building, and pretty easy to find, it being in the first room you walk into from the car park.  Aduanas is in the same building complex, but you have to walk through and out the other side.  Don´t be tempted to check the windows on the right – it seems that is where aduanas used to be.  Walk around the building to the left, and as you turn the corner, you´ll come across the entrance to the small aduanas office, where they´ll cancel the temp import of the bike.  All pretty easy.

The view from the bridge
Back on the bike, through the police checkpoint (which just waved me though), over the small bride, and you´ll see the Colombian side is on a slight hill.  On the left there is the border complex, the large car park for which you´ll reach before te building itself.  Less than  50 metres from the bridge.  Park up and walk up the flight of steps to the building complex, and you´ll see the window where you´ll need to get your passport stamped into Colombia on the left.  Before you return to the bike, see if you can get your photocopies done at a booth at the top of the steps – you´ll need the usual bike title, but also one of your passport with your Colombian stamp on it (their machine wasn´t working when I was there, and I had to walk back into Ecuador to find a place to do the copies – no problems doing that, but a bit of a hassle).

Colombia - the car park and offices are behind those trees on the left
Aduana to do the temp import of the bike is a little further up the hill round the back of the same buildings, and still on the left of the road, and they´ll want you to ride the bike up so they can inspect VIN numbers etc.  So it is back to the bike, ride it up the hill 20-30 metres until just before the police checkpoint, and you´ll see a little turn in on the left.  You can stop you bike there, next to the small flight of steps up to the aduanas office.  Sorting the paperwork is routine and painless, and following a quick check of the bike, you´ll get the necessary paperwork and a very friendly welcome to Colombia.  The police wave you through the checkpoint and you´re away. 

Including stopping for food at the outset, and having to wander round for 20 mins looking for a place with a functioning photocopier, and changing money in the Colombian car park, I made it though in less than 2 hours.  No costs, other than for photocopying.  Nice.



Colombia to Panama 


Bogotá

I flew Idris from Bogota to Panama with Girag at a cost of $750 US – in cash (so remember to draw out the readies beforehand).  Also remember to have the fuel running on reserve, to take what you need for a couple of days out of the luggage (including your paperwork), and not have any other flammable stuff on board.

The green/blue building - part of the Cargo Terminal seen on the right
The ride out to the airport from the city was pretty easy, with busy traffic but clear signs.  At the airport finding the cargo terminal is equally easy.  It is the large newish building on the left, just before you arrive at the (smaller) passenger terminal at the end of the road from the city.  The cargo buildings also include a modern green/blue office block which is on the side of the road.  You´ll need that later – but not for now. 

Plenty of parking outside the door
After doing a little about turn near the passenger terminal, to ride back to the entrance of the cargo building (for traffic, that is the gate at the city end of the compound, after you pass the green/blue building).  Just say to the guard that you are looking for Girag, and you´ll be waved through into the car park area and told to pitch up at door 500 (the long building is split into different sections, with each entrance having a well displayed number).  You could either park up directly in front of the paved entrance area – or actually on the pavement in front of the door – it is plenty big enough.

When you go into the building don´t worry about the door on the right that has a Girag sign – or let yourself be directed there.  You´ll need that office later, but first you need to ascend the flight of stairs, turning left on the next floor, past the coffee area, and down the corridor to the Girag Reception (it is signposted).  There the lovely ladies will start your paperwork, building the file necessary to get your machine on its way.  You´ll need copies of all your papers, of course.

After some admin, and following the instruction given, the first major task was to take the bike around to one of the loading bay areas – mine was bay 102.  There the handlers built a ramp to ride the bike up into the warehouse (which has its loading bay at the same height as a truck for ease).  The ramp looked a little shaky – but these guys do this a lot – and Idris skipped up without missing a beat.  Just remember to brake quickly after you get into the warehouse.  Then we put the bike onto a scale and took the total weight (260kgs for me).  Then back upstairs to do some more paperwork.

Idris in the bonded warehouse
The next step was to visit the police, to arrange for them to inspect the bike before it could be cleared for loading.  Armed with the necessary papers, you walk out of the cargo  terminal compound, and up the road a bit to the left (away from the city), across the front of other slightly older buildings, across a car park, and you´ll see the reasonably large police station (red brick), with a fence around.  The place you are looking for is a window looking out towards the cargo terminal, and covered by a plastic canopy to protect against the rain.  Hand over your papers, sign where they tell you, and they´ll give you a time when they will send someone around to see the bike.  They said 2:30 for me (it was still only around 10ish I think).

Then with further papers furnished by the lovely Girag staff, I needed to visit the green/blue office building that sits in front of the cargo terminal.   On the third floor you will find the DIAN (aduana) office, where you get your temp import papers cancelled, and where they prepare the bike´s export paper.

Girag Reception area on 1st floor
Then back to Girag again – by which time (11:00) the police were already waiting to inspect the bike (so don´t get too stressed if the police give you a really late time – you never know when they will turn up).  As the bike is now in the bonded area of the warehouse, you have to go through bits of security and wear a pass to enter (which is through the door on the right of the Girag building I mentioned towards the start).  My (two) police were waiting.  They wanted me to ride the bike up onto the rollers that fed quite a large x-ray machine.  The machine was certainly large enough to x-ray the bike, but it was getting the thing up onto the rollers that concerned me.  The ramp they had in mind would have needed a bit of throttle to ascend, with no hope of stopping the bike at the top, as it and I would have been carried forward out of control on the roller bed of the x-ray machine.  Luckily the police saw the problem straight away – and agreed to do a manual inspection.  I had to unpack the bike, open up all bags, and take the seat off.  It took about an hour in total, including repacking, but they were really nice people just doing an pretty important job in that neck of the woods.  Unfortunately the bike was pretty dirty, and so were their hands by the end of the process.  Having wet wipes to hand went down well with the female officer – but both the chap and I also made good use of them.

Thumbs up, and bike signed off saw me back upstairs.  Next the payment.  Girag won´t accept payment direct, you need to take your cash with their bank details (which they´ll give you) to pay in at the Banco Popular office in the green/blue office building.  The entrance to the bank is from the street on the road side of the building, so you walk straight through and out the other side and turn right.  Paying in the money, after filling out the payment slip, is just like paying in cash in a UK bank – just hang on to the stamped receipt.
Back to the Girag office and they´ll issue you with a receipt for the whole process, and a copy of the export document.  It is a good idea that you also get details of where you need to go in Panama to pick up the bike in a couple of days.

All this took me 5 hours – and by 1:30 I was back at my hotel planning an afternoon sightseeing.

Panama

Despite the Panama skyline looking impressively modern, don´t expect the same efficiency and surroundings at the airport that you found in Bogota.  Firstly the cargo terminal is nowhere near the passenger terminal, and will require you to travel right around the other side of the airport complex to find that.  Make sure your taxi driver knows you want the cargo terminal, and knows where it is before you head off.  I would not want to walk that one!

On final arrival at the checkpoint to the cargo terminal area (it is more a collection of buildings than a terminal), you´ll find the Girag office on the building towards the right hand side of the complex (not the main looking building in the middle/front).  It has a small office hosting the Girag sign.  Taking my papers, and the bike´s export document, I was checked in against shipments pending collection – and after a little bit of digging around, mine were found.  I suggest you don´t expect the same levels of smiles and efficiency in Panama – staff seemed noticibly grumpy - but perhaps it was just me, or the sticky heat!  

After that, I was directed to the second door on the left as you look at the same smallish building, where I needed to get paper stamped and pay a small handling fee.  I then had to walk back to a building (aduana) near the main complex entrance checkpoint – though it was easy to find as it was the only one with truck drivers waiting around outside to get their papers sorted too.  You get a stamp at one window, then another at the next, then another at the next…  I did think at one stage they were having a laugh at me!  It was around 11 by now and very toasty!

Then back to the Girag office where I paid the handling charge for, yep, another stamp and the preparation of another paper, which was passed to the next desk in the same office to be checked.  I was then told I could go around the outside of the building to the loading bay, up the steps into the bay, and hand papers to the chap at the desk near the loading area.  This was sufficient to get the guys working, and before long I was being directed towards Idris – looking just as it had been left. 

20 minutes of re-jigging clothing and re-packing in the baking heat, and I was ready to go.  Within the papers I had collected in the process was my temp import paper.  You´ll need to show your papers at a couple of checkpoints on your way out of the cargo area – so keep them handy until you are completely clear - and watch out for potholes as you head away from the airport area, there are some corkers there!

Took a couple of hours in total - so not too bad.


Panama to Costa Rica - coming soon!