Documents for U.S. plated bikes

- Title
- Registration
- Drivers license
- Passport

Take originals. It is often useful to have sets of copies to save time and hassles at the borders. Yeah, there is usually a copy shack but they close for lunch or don't have change or you'd rather be getting your business done and keeping an eye on your bike than making copies... They love paperwork and stamps. Go with the flow.

Insurance is often available at the border but sometimes you have to ride into the nearest town. Sometimes you get part of the importation done, then have to get the insurance and return to customs to complete the process. Unless things have changed, getting short term insurance in French Guiana is expensive. I talked my way in but never found affordable insurance and left without issues in 2012. (YMMV)

I remember buying the required insurance in Mexico, Belize, Nicaragua(?), Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Guyana, Peru, and Ecuador. There may have been others and the rules may have changed. The cost for short term insurance is reasonable and frankly, it's part of the cost of adventure.

I use VisaHQ.com for general visa requirements.

Looks like the Brazilian reciprocal fee requirement for U.S. citizens is indeed lifted. https://www.visahq.com/brazil/ Good to know.

From the best of my memory, your passport will be stamped into every country in Central and South America. Except for Mexico and Cuba, where you get a tourist card that you slip into your passport. Make sure you have enough blank pages.

Visa / Reciprocal Fees

Bolivia - fee
Paraguay - fee
Suriname - fee (visa not available at the border)

Venezuela - as far as I know, you can't cross the Colombian / Venezuelan border with a vehicle. Not sure about crossing the Brazilian / Venezuelan border with a motorcycle...

__________________
Peter B
2008/09 - NJ to Costa Rica and back to NJ
2012/13 - NJ to Northern Argentina, Jamaica, Cuba and back to NJ
2023 - Peru, Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile, Bolivia...back to Peru.

Blogs: Peter's Ride