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  #1  
Old 3 Dec 2018
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Riding Through Panama - Urgent
I have a friend planning to ride through Panama to get to a boat for to Colombia, after sneaking his Australian-registered bike out of Costa Rica to avoid paying taxes because he had left it there for a year.
If he can legally get himself out of Costa Rica and into Panama, how much risk will there be to run into highway checkpoints that will want to see customs papers showing his bike's legal entry into Panama?
He has registration papers and a bill of sale.
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Old 3 Dec 2018
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I was there for three weeks last year and never had to show any documents on the road. But I think this is a side issue -his big issue though will be when he tries to ship the bike out of Panama, his lack of legal entry papers would be very apparent because there will be no computer entry and he will have no TIP to hand in.

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Old 3 Dec 2018
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I don't get it: why does trouble in Costa Rica mean he can't legally import the bike once he reaches Panama?

When I shipped my bike out of Panama by plane I had to insist that the aduana cancel my TIP--they said it wasn't necessary, I said it was. I prevailed....which is good, because when I returned to Panama 8 months later they insisted on proof that I'd done everything correctly the first time through.

I don't know whether that'll apply to your friend, or even whether it's still working that way. Good luck!

Mark
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Old 3 Dec 2018
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Quote:
Originally Posted by motomon View Post
I have a friend planning to ride through Panama to get to a boat for to Colombia, after sneaking his Australian-registered bike out of Costa Rica to avoid paying taxes because he had left it there for a year.
If he can legally get himself out of Costa Rica and into Panama, how much risk will there be to run into highway checkpoints that will want to see customs papers showing his bike's legal entry into Panama?
He has registration papers and a bill of sale.
I rode through Panama 4-5 weeks ago and had to go through 3 Aduana checkpoints along the roads and show TIP and other documents. And also 3 police checkpoints. So Panama seems to be quite active checking foreign vehicles documents and TIPs.
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Old 3 Dec 2018
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The big " IF " is how can he can legally get himself and the bike out of Costa Rica without the proper exit documents completed .I know that at the Paso Canoas crossing from CR into Panama it is a simple matter to do an end run around the customs terminal , but there has always been a military customs- paper check point a few km into Panama .
Getting INTO Panama legally requires ( or used to ?) the CR exit stuff to be in order so that the Panama customs can see that .
Taking the bike out of Costa Rica without those papers and stamps will be noticed if he presents at the Panama customs to legally bring the bike in .
Might be less trouble and expense to face up and pay the CR tax .
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Old 4 Dec 2018
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There are no stamps for the bike in CR therefore if the person stamps out of CR & then arrives at Panama immigration with the bike there should be no problem. If you are at Canoas there is a checkpoint 2km up the road in Panama where they will be looking for permits
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Old 4 Dec 2018
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Originally Posted by panavalk View Post
There are no stamps for the bike in CR
This may be true....but I have a vehicle stamp entering C.R. and another one leaving from a trip in 2009.
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Old 28 Dec 2018
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2 years ago when I crossed from Costa Rica to Panama I came across an American who had been in an accident and overstayed and was in the same predicament as you. He basically just drove past the Costa Rica exit towards Panama and had zero issues. It was at the time the only border that I recall where they didn't check any paperwork before you actually leave the country. He then just entered Panama as normal. I then rode with him for a few hours before we parted. If the border is set up the same which I'm sure it is you should have no issues just riding through.
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