This was posted on the AllChile.net Chile Forum by the web admin who knows a lot about this stuff.
Bad news for anyone who wants to buy a bike or car in Chile and travel around SA.
As always in Chile it may not be implemented in a uniform manner.

New regulation by Chilean aduanas in regards to the temporary export of cars and foreign owners.


This has NOTHING TO DO WITH FOREIGNERS WITH RESIDENCY IN CHILE!!!!! You can still come and go from the country with your Chilean registered car.


This only applies to people coming to Chile with tourist visas, and buying a car with a temporary RUT for foreigners, and intending to leave Chile with there car under a temporary export permit. We are still looking in to how this applies to the rental car industry, but that is a different problem.


O.k., the original regulation required a non-resident foreigner that owned a car, to just have a "RUT", without distinction between a resident with a permanent RUT number and a foreigner with a temporary tax payer ID RUT number, in order to do a temporary export of a car to say drive in Argentina, Bolivia, and so on.


Well, for all the neighboring countries, the benefit is by treaty to temporarily import a car, was in fact only meant to be extended to Chilean citizens or residents. It is essentially a temporary tax waiver between the countries. Chile has been very strict about enforcing this on foreigners. If you bring a foreign registered car in to the country, you have like 90 days and you either have to leave or formally import the car and register it.


Well, I guess it was not happening the other way around for years, due to that little blooper in the regulations. We get foreigners all the time that bought cars in Chile, say drove to the United States, and then are trying to sell the car. Cars were going out, under the temporary import benefit to neighboring countries, and for one reason or another never coming back. They essentially had an exit stamp, but no entry stamp, for the car papers.


So, for now, a foreigner that does not have residency in Chile must formally export the car in order to leave the country with it.


So, for all those tourist that were planning on buying a car in Chile, driving around South America, then returning to Chile to sell it. Sorry.


Is it stupid? yea. Will they fix this? Probably not any time soon. That is a very small part of the car market, with very specific circumstances. We are not sure what this means for the rental industry however; and, they might be the first to do something about changing this.


We are also looking for a legal work around, but also a very, very small part of our business too. So not a major priority.

That is sad news. Thank you Dmwbmw for sharing this information.

What is currently the best alternative to Chile for buying a motorcycle in South America?

I would say Peru is the most straightforward.
Which also makes a good central location to start your travels.

don´t panic guys.

you can still travel as a forgeigner with a chilean car/motorcycle over borders.

nothing really has changed, you just need one more paper of the notary. and the car/bike has to be back after 6 month, but this hasn´t changed.

also good news, i heard you do not need a chilean person or resident to get a temporary RUT.

Best wishes and save travels!

Hey, we just heard about this new law from a couple who decided not to buy a car after a local told them about it.
I'm in santiago with my brother and were actually planning to buy a bike here tomorrow.
Would you have more infos pickypalla? What kind of paper from the notaria?
We're going to go to the aduana tomorrow to ask but I'm not sure they'll know anything about it.
We also got our temporary rut last week at the registro civil of la serena and they first told us we didn't need any sponsor. But when we went back after having filled the forms, we suddenly needed a sponsor + poder and photocopies from a notaria so... Not sure what to do

ask the notary for a "promesa" it´s like a promisse.

everything should be done in a day inclusive the rut...

if you need help there a some people who of services for this in santiago.
ask me for a contact if you need.

Thanks to everyone who has contributed to this forum, it has been my bible for planning my trip.

I am in Santiago at the moment and got my RUT yesterday with no problems, i plan to buy a bike and take it into Argentina, so i guess i need to get the Promesa, the question is, do i need to get this when i get this when i buy the bike or can i get it anytime?

Also does the 6 months start from when you leave Chile or when you get the promesa from the notary?

Thanks in advanced guys!

Please keep us informed on this as the issue develops...

__________________
Bruce Clarke - 2020 Yamaha XV250

Does anyone have any recent updates on this issue? I will be there in October and still debating what to do.

2 options I have been given are :
- buy a bike from ridechile and ship it back to them at the end of the trip for an agreed cost - driving as a rental therefore eligible to leave the country.
- make sure that you purchase a non Chilean registered/plated vehicle, then you are good to leave with it.

Has anyone tried these options or similar?

I have spent the last two months trying to deal with this problem, I will give full details of what i have done below but the short version is that it is no longer possible for foreigners to take any vehicle out of Chile by any means.

What i have done:

Firstly i purchased my bike new in Santiago with a local friend helping me get my RUT. Once i had all the paperwork back i attempted to cross the boarder but was turned back because of the "foreigners cant take bikes out" rule. That was the end of that!

Following this i went back to Santiago a little confused so i called the Aduana (boarder patrol guards) They told me that it was possible to take the bike out of the country if it was registered in a Chileans name. He can then make me out a poder (Which allows me to use the bike and take it out of the country). So another week passed while i transferred the bike to my Chielan friend and got all the paperwork back. Eventually headed back to the boarder, turns out (according the the Aduana at the boarder) That what i was told by the other Aduana inst true and that only Chilean residents can cross the boarder with a vehicle and they refused to let me out, i tried three different times at two different boarder crossings and was turned back each time.

This is the end of the trip for me, i am now heading back to Santiago to sell the bike and get out of dodge.

From my experience it is game over for Chile, there is no way to do it. I have spent more than two months in total trying to no avail.

Note for Rrichardfrost: From my personal experience unfortunately neither of your ideas will work. The issue is not with ownership, it is with you being foreign. So it doesn't matter if you rent or buy (i have effectively done both) the issue of being foreign will still stop you crossing.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news for anyone reading this, just trying to avoid someone else wasting all the time & money that i have!