No you do not need one for the americas.
Have travelled more than half a million kms allover SA in the last 20 years and never needed one.
Some borders will try, esp Peru but this is more a way to scare you and get some extra $$ or to save the official some work as it is easier than filing out the duplicate form.
All crossings are free (not the case in Central AMerica though).
Also for the Guyanas you dont need a Carnet (last trip 2007).Just the original vehicle documents which should be in your name and a proof of insurance was enough.
This year the borders I was asked for the insurance also was needed at the borders of Argentina, Peru and Colombia, but you still need it everywhere else too.

Carnet not needed in the Americas!
 

Mick is right. We rode around south america last year unil may this year (arriving by plane to Bogota) and crossing Ecuador, peru, bolivia, Brazil, Chile and Argentina and Uruguay. No carnet asked ever.

One execption may be if you airfreigh your bike to Ecuador. Arriving by air, I heard they still require a carnet. Better check with the embassy, but only if you arrive by air!!

But I presume from Panama you will get to Colombia? Stunning country well worth it!
Enjoy your trip and dont waste your money on a carnet!

At border crossing you will need for custom: the (bike) ownership document, passport and sometimes International driving licence. They often ask for photocopies of these docs so ensure you have a pack of them, as photocopying at the borders is more expensive! Never been asked for insurance at border crossing.
It is normally very straight forward and fast. Easier if you speak some spanish of course as useful to fill the forms.

thanks for the reading
 

cheers LB and sir fries (!?), your compliments on our blog do make us feel warm and fuzzy! we are pretty happy with the writing, enjoyed putting it down on 'paper'. just bummed that we are now at home, with nothing more to write for the time being.

regarding insurance tho, we paid for two months in Bs As, about $10 per month as bruceontheloose says. i just kept quiet as the chick who processed the payment gave us an expiry date twelve months out! sorry can't remember name of company otherwise would recommend them!

only once ever did anyone ask for insurance papers, and this was just some twerpy traffic cop kid.

email me at andy_longmire(a)yahoo.com.au if you want to have a yarn about our trip.

Whoops! I stand corrected.

Mick

Carnet, what carnet!!!
 

Hi all,

I'm in Peru at the moment travelling on my KLR. I can safely say after many many border crossings, (Arg. Chile, Uruguay, Bolivia, Peru and so on....) that there is no need for a carnet de passage. I can also add that most of the officials here wouldn't know what it was if you showed it to them.

The border between Peru and Bolivia i have just passed thru was the first time i was asked for insurance. They said my international insurance was no good in Peru and i had to buy the national SOAT.(Seguro Obligatorio de Accidentes en Transito).

Its expensive, about 70 euro for the year, and you can't buy it for a portion of the year. Its up to you whether or not you want to purchase it. As of yet i haven't been stopped by any of the local annoyances.......

Hope that helps,

Arthur

Excellent!
Thanks so much for the info!
:-D
Its is muchly MUCHLY appreciated!

LB

Has anyone ever had to provide a Carnet for entry into Canada? It's on the list!

Trust the travelers, not the carnet list makers. They never traveled anywhere - they just push paper.

No carnet required in Central America
 

I live in Panama and have done two trips through all of central America (except Belize) in the last year (as recently as last month). The carnet is NOT required anywhere in central America. AAA is wrong about Costa Rica.

Every border crossing requires original title document, drivers license, and passport. You will need copies of everything, and sometimes a copy of your passport showing the immigration stamp.

Insurance is required in a couple of countries (Costa Rica for sure, don't remember which other), but is cheap and available at the border.

I usually used a "helper" if I wasn't familiar with a particular border crossing (I'm fluent in Spanish). I would just tip them about $3 (only had one complaint). I would pay a bit more if there were long delays and they worked hard. It was worth it just to have them show me where to go, and to get the rest of them to leave me alone. NEVER give them your documents... just follow them from place to place. Agree in advance that they will work for a tip.