There are fair few outdated guides on the internet concerning the somewhat complicated process of buying a car in Chile if you are a foreigner. Whilst they are all generally on the mark, the majority of them are out of date and do not reflect the most recent changes in Chilean laws concerning foreigners obtaining a Rol Único Tributario (RUT), essentially a Chilean version of a tax file number.
As we have recently been through the process of buying and selling a car in Chile, we figured it would be good to provide the latest information for other independent travelers looking to do the same in Chile to explore South America.
First of all, this information is current as of September 2015 but may be subject to change in the future and the rules are always changing. If you have recently purchased a car in Chile, and have noted that the process has changed, please send us an email or leave a comment below with your experience.
Secondly, be careful with being told 'no' or 'it's impossible' by Chilean government bureaucrats or even your local friends. Chilean's are cautious people by nature, and will always respond to new or unknown things in a conservative manner.
Do you research and be firm. Yes it is 100% possible to buy and sell a car in Chile as a foreigner – even if they don't believe it and say it's impossible!
Patience and a basic grasp of the Spanish language.
Be prepared to lose a few hours of your life waiting in queues.
This is the first thing you need to obtain. Without a RUT you cannot buy/sell a car in Chile.
At the information desk (found on level 2 at the Providencia SII office) explain that you are going to buy a car and need the paperwork to obtain a RUT for foreigners aka 'extrajeno RUT'. The form number is F4415.1.
Go back to the SII office (opening hours 9am to 2pm, Mon-Fri) and submit the forms. You don't need your Chilean friend to come with you, but it does help if they can come to explain and translate to the SII officer what you are doing. They will try to tell you 'no' at any chance possible.
The SII will create a plastic, official RUT card for you in the meantime, but be aware it took two months for ours to be ready. Also note if you give them an address, they still may not send it if you are a foreigner as they'll assume it's a hotel. You'll probably have to go back and collect it from the original office.
*UPDATE JANUARY 2018* Due to increasingly difficult requirements set by the Chilean authorities for foreign travellers buying a vehicle, a number of companies are now helping people to buy, register and insure camper converted vehicle. One of the main and best established companies is Suzi Sanitago which we have heard many good reports about as they provide the whole package from obtaining a RUT, converting vehicles, and helping travellers on the road deal with sometimes frustrating "only in South America" situations. Check out their website www.suzisantiago.com and let us know your experiences in the comments below. Let them know we sent you!
In general, Chileans are pretty rough on their cars. Plus the stop/start traffic of Santiago creates a lot of wear and tear. Keep this in mind and be very thorough when inspecting and test driving.
Sending money to a Chilean or other foreigner is also somewhat complicated and expensive.
Although it's not always possible, it is ideal if you can find someone with the same nationality who is selling their car as transferring the money between domestic bank accounts is much faster and easier.
Our favourite and most preferred resource to buy and sell cars to/from other travelers is the Drive the Americas buy/sell online forum. There are plenty of options to choose from, plus most cars are decked out already and ready to hit the road which saves you time and money. If you can, try to find someone from your own country to buy from/sell to because that makes transferring the money so much easier than having to make multiple cash withdrawals or an international wire transfer!
Alternatively www2.chileautos.cl and www.yapo.cl are worth a look. Chileautos is by far the most 'serious' online sale option for locals.
The seller will need an up-to-date copy of the padron. Usually, the notaria office will be able to look it up online and print it out for you for a small fee. Otherwise, you can go to most print shops or the Registro Civil (RC) office and get it printed for a fee.
Ensure that ALL documents being submitted are been stamped, dated and that the details are 100% correct. Any errors will result in delays and additional submission fees; an extra $22,000CLP each time! Also ensure that they have a notarised copy of your RUT paper and passport with the transfer papers.
That's it! The transfer process will take around 2-4 weeks to complete before the vehicle is officially in your name. To get an updated padron document, visit the local RC office, pay a small fee of $840CLP ($1.50AUD), and they will print it out on the spot.
Warning: It is very difficult to leave Chile without an updated padron in your name. We managed to get into Bolivia before the padron had updated as we had a special letter from the previous owner giving us permission to drive the car and leave the country. However, this letter doesn't always work at all border crossing points, i.e. Bolivia to Peru. Be warned and prepare to wait a few weeks.
Also be warned that it is extremely difficult to cross into Peru from Chile with a Chilean car as a foreigner, even if you have the updated padron with your name on it. There are strange restrictions on foreigners taking Chilean plated cars into Peru from Chile. We were told that only Chilean owners of a Chilean vehicle could do it. So even if you have a Chilean friend driving the car, unless they are the vehicle owner and on the padron, it won't work.
That said however, we have heard of other foreigners who managed to get across the border after a few hours of desperate persuasion. The best bet is to go directly to the aduana (customs) manager and explain that you are going to return to Chile and are only going to Peru temporarily. They may grant you special permission to pass then. It's a long shot though, so don't count on it.
Selling is essentially the same process as above. Again it is much easier to sell the car to someone from the same country, as transferring the money will be much faster, easier and attract fewer fees.
Ensure the advertisement has a few nice photos and provides all the relevant information of the car and what's included. I am constantly amazed by for sale ads that provide barely any details.
Most locals won't be interested in the camping gear, so if you sell to a Chilean you will need to sell your gear separately or bring it home.
The crew at Suzi Santiago also offer a service where they help you re-sell the vehicle, or can even sell the vehicle on your behalf for a small commission. This is worth considering as you can have the vehicle up until the last day you are in Chile, rather than have to sell it weeks beforehand and be stuck without private transport like what happened to us.
Compared to other South American countries, Chilean drivers are reasonably well behaved and courteous. They're about the same as Australian drivers. Of course there are always exceptions, especially in busy peak hour traffic in Santiago where everyone goes a little crazy.
There are no speed cameras in Chile, so Chileans also have a habit of generally driving 20-30% faster than the signed speed limit.
Although it is uncommon, the Carabineros (police) sometimes will use a speed gun to identify and fine speeding drivers. We were pulled up once for doing 80km/h in a 50 zone; a genuine mistake as we weren't familiar with the local roads. Thankfully the officer realised that we were just ignorant gringos, and sent us on our way with a warning after checking our papers were in order.
Always carry your vehicle papers, licence and passport with you. There are many police checkpoints, especially in the north, where you will need to show your documents.
Main roads are generally of high quality comparable to Australia. However, like anywhere else, when you go into rural, remote areas they do deteriorate rapidly, especially after heavy rains. Exercise caution, ask locals and always carry plenty of fuel, food and water in case you get stuck.
A 4WD vehicle is not essential to explore Chile, but it can be highly beneficial when exploring backcountry areas. Despite the downsides of fuel consumption and maintenance expenses, we loved having 4WD capabilities to get through sandy and muddy roads to reach beautiful and remote areas. A 2WD with high clearance is a minimum if you want to get off the main roads.
Car burglaries are reasonably common in Chile, especially in the cities. While it is uncommon for your car to be stolen, having someone pry open the door or smash a window to get inside is not unusual. Never leave any valuables, including the vehicle papers, inside the car when unattended.
Our car was broken into while we were parked at the beach in the far northern city of Arica. We were sitting on the beach only 20m away from the car and had left nothing of value inside. The cost for replacing the smashed window was 60,000 CLP ($120 AUD), plus a few hours of our precious holiday wasted.
Gasoline is fairly expensive in Chine compared to Australia or the USA. We spent around 680-800CLP ($1.20-1.60 AUD) per litre. Fuel is generally more expensive and more difficult to obtain in rural and remote areas away from the highway, so make sure you stock up before heading out.
Tolls are very common throughout Chile, especially in the middle part of the country around Santiago where most of the population is found. Toll fees do vary depending on the road and the operator. We paid anything from 600CLP ($1.20 AUD) to 7,000CLP ($14 AUD) for toll fees. When driving north on the Panamericana Norte you will hit unavoidable tolls the up until around Caldera. but there's still a few other sneaky tolls north of Antofagasta, and also south of Iquique that you may need to pay depending on which road you take.
It's definitely not a walk in the park – but it was very nice once we bought the car and had it set up to travel with. We saved a lot of money too in the process and sold the car at no loss.
I'd say for people who are mainly travelling in Chile, and maybe Argentina, for a few months, having a car is great as it's relatively safe and easy to travel and car-camp.
It really depends on your circumstances and what sort of trip you're after. As we were looking to get off the beaten track and find waves it was essential as many spots were far away from town and not accessible by public transport.
super thanks for your post, was one of the few post I found that mentioned the updated details on getting a resident or a chilean to the notary. We are currently in Chile try to get that simple step done – we already got 2 "no's"but i'm willing to try again. Few questions for you!
2. have you heard about a "patente" that you have to own? is that the padron that it needs to be on our name or is something else?!
3. have you heard about the tag, that is needed in Santiago (or is it around Chile?!?) to drive in the highways?! Did you guys do that?
Sorry for the lengthy comment, thanks in advance!
1. Essentially they take responsibility for anything you might do illegally with the RUT number, e.g. if you are commit tax fraud or don't pay taxes etc. Given that Chileans are cautious people already, it is defintely a challenge to find someone who is comfortable and confident in you to sign the document. You just have to reassure them that you are just buying a car and not doing anything else.
2. Not 100/% sure, but I believe the 'patente' is the ownership title document, aka padron. Usually when you sell the vehicle you will need the latest one printed on the day of sale as it has an extra page covering if the vehicle has any fines or money etc owning or attached to it.
3. The TAG is something only residents use. It's the electronic toll pass used for all toll roads surrounding Santiago. All toll roads outside of the Santiago Metro region do not use the TAG system, you just roll up to a gate and pay the person the amount and keep going (usually 600-3000CLP depending on the road).
If you go through a TAG point on a metro freeway you will need to go and buy a day pass, from memory it's about 5800CLP, from a store such as ServiPag. You just go in there, tell them that you need a day pass for 'sin-TAG', tell them the date you travelled and your number plate (including the extra number not shown on the actual plate, check your padron papers for the full registration number). The ServiPag outlets are in most towns as people go there to pay all sorts of bills manually, it's like a manual form of Bpay.. very Chilean.
Expect to wait a while in a line as is the case everywhere. It's almost impossible to get in and out of Santiago without driving on on TAG toll roads.. we tried avoiding it once and it took an extra hour of backstreet driving and cost more in fuel than the cost of the toll. plus extra stress and wasted time.
It took a long time to wrap our heads around the toll system, just be careful when driving in the CBD as your GPS will try to take you on the toll roads unless you are careful. And remember the number plate has an extra number at the end not shown on the physical plate, but only on the padron papers. You need the full number to be able to check for tolls owning online and to correctly pay your toll.
All the best and let me know if you have any other questions. If you need some help doing a camper conversion I am happy to pass on our friend Juan's details who helped build ours in Santiago.
Great idea! I reccomended our American friend who is a Santiago local of 6.5 years to do this after going through the process with us. Travelling South America with your own car is definitely great, but the bureaucracy does create a major barrier for many people. Having a service like this to help people through it will definitely be welcome! Thanks for sharing.
Hello Karl, could I get contact info for your friend in Santiago?
Our friend Juan no longer builds camper conversion. Give the guys at Suzi Santiago a call/email and they will be able to help get you set up.
Hey guys… Great article! Very cleanly explained and accurate. If I may, I would like to make note two things though.
1)When buying a car in Chile, make sure that you check the title for "multas de tránsito no pagadas". In Chile, the infractions that a driver recieves for running a red light, not paying tolls, and such, don't register to the person, they register to the vehicle. So, if there are fines registered to the vehicle, they transfer to you when you buy it. This becomes an issue when you want to sale the vehicle, or (in the case of being in Chile during March) you try and renew the "Permiso de Circulacion".
2) The tax that you pay on a vehicle when purchasing it, isn't a set fee. It is based on the "estimated value" of the vehilce. You guys paid $60 AUD (Iirc), but depending on the vehicle someone else purchases, that expense could be much higher, or considerablly lower.
Once again, I really liked the article. I just thought these 2 points might be good for your readers to know.
Thanks for the additional info. Definitely a good idea to ensure that any vehicle you buy in any country is free from fines or other legal restrictions.
Regarding the sales tax / stamp duty, yet it's a set percentage of the vehicle's declared value. I can't remember the exact amount but it was around 2% of the value.
I have a Nissan Pathfinder SE 2004 for sale right now. the car has many improvements and its in perfect condition.
I can also help with all the paperwork and insurance as well as trip planing if needed.
Can you cross with the car from Chile into Peru, without having a Chilean friend driving the car on border?
Yes, technically, but your mileage may vary. We were barred, but we have spoken to other people who managed to get across after some persuasion and talking to the manager. Ensure that you own the car and the papers are all in your name. Alternatively if you want to go over with a Chilean behind the wheel it will be easier, but they need to be the official owners and have their names on the title and other vehicle documents. Potentially risky unless the person is someone you actually know and are travelling with. As a passenger you are processed normally, and Chilean's driving their own car have no problems crossing over.
Hope that makes sense! It's a bit of a complicated affair!
Foreginers can't cross alone. You should cross through Bolivia.
Generally, this is reality, however I have personally met and spoken to gringos who have managed to cross from Chile-Peru with a Chilean car. The catch is that it took a few attempts and lots of begging and talking to the manager before they were allowed to cross over with the car.
It seems getting across is the exception, not the rule! Going to Peru via Bolivia is a little easier, if you ignore the rather significant cost and time of the detour (about 14 hours driving).
But do ensure that you have all your ownership and insurance papers up to date and in order, especially make sure that your name is on the vehicle padron! They will NOT accept a written letter from the former owner allowing you to cross into Peru, even if it's stamped by the Peruvian consulate! We found this out the hard way. You name, as shown on your passport, must be on the latest padron and ownership documents.
We are a Dutch couple stelling our Toyota 4runner in February 2017 in Santiago de Chile. If you are interested please send us a message, we are happy to help with all the necesarry paperwork.
Hello to all, thanks for all of the good content.
We are currently in Chile attempting to get our RUT number in order to purchase a car. We just came back from the Notary who has told us that he has communicated with customs for another French couple a week ago and he was informed that there was a change mid-2016 where it is no longer possible for foreigners to take a Chilien car through customs with a Foreigner RUT even with full legit ownership of the vehicle.
Anyone has any comments / input on this ?
If the above is true, then our dream is pretty much dead since we wanted to visit multiple countries with our purchase.
I do not trust the opinion and words of one notary officer. We were told that it wasn't possible to buy a car, period, by the local notaria office even though we then had to prove they were wrong.
Ask them for proof, for the legislation change. Or just keep trying at another office with another person. Or go to the customs HQ and check with them directly.
I know that crossing into Peru from Chile is difficult, but you should have no issues exiting Chile to Argentina or Bolivia.
Also, have you tried contacting SuziSantiago for their experience?
Hi, Thank you for the well detail process. We are waiting for our Padron Document and yes it's taking forever (admin in Chile…). What is your advise for insurance to travel around south america? Which one did you when for?
Magallanes have offices throughout Chile in all cities. They will provide insurance for foreign travellers for most of South America, aside from Columbia and a couple of others. If you just need insurance for Chile also get a quote from Falabella. Make sure you bring all your documents and some patience, like all things in South America the process is more complicated and time consuming that it needs to be.
You are required to have valid 3rd party personal damage insurance when buying (SOAP). They will check when transferring.
3rd party property damage insurance is additional and not compulsory. You will need to take out a policy with your preferred company, e.g. Falabella, Aseguradora Magallanes etc.
Good luck and have patience.. you will need it!
Hi, for all I know, legally speaking, you shall not pass a border without Chilean residency. But we were traveling for six month between Chile and Argentina and the main lesson we learned is to switch to another border. We were blocked twice but there is borders everywhere so jus try another one.
However, something we didn't were aware, is that you can do a notarized paper that state that you will return back the car in Chile at the end of your trip (Chile is afraid to let Chilean car sell in another country).
We had the notorised paper too, and had no luck with it trying to cross to Peru from Chile. From Chile to Bolivia it was no problems taking the car over. It really depends on the country you are crossing to.
The problem is that the officers at the borders, especially the remote and small border points, aren't always the best trained or educated, so they are likely to allow/restrict certain things even if it is technically legal or illegal to do so because they simply do not know all the laws and regulations properly.
thanks for the detailed article! Do you know what the process is for shipping a car to Chile and then crossing the boarder in to Argentina? Do you have to register it with chilean plates or will they let you through with US plates?
Hi, thanks first of all for the blog and the great details and hints on buying/selling a car in Chile. I am heading to Chile next Janurary with the intention of buying a car there and travelling to Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador and up to Central America. Have you heard of anyone selling their Chilean car in another country in South/Central America before, or do you have any information on whether its feasable or not?
No I have not heard of anyone selling a Chilean vehicle outside of Chile. My best guess is that you could just remove the number plates and sell it unregistered in the other country, or have it re-registered in the other country? However, with our experience with South American bureaucracy be warned that it will probably not be this straight forward. Good luck and let us know how you go with it.
Yes we have heard of it. It's possible but a lot of paperwork because you have to export the vehicle, import it, pay the import duties etc. You are better off to sell it in Chile again unless you are really far north and don't want to drive back.
Not 100% sure about that. I think either will suffice as long as it's an official document with your details.
Give the guys at SuziSantiago an email, they can help you through the whole process.
It seems that a new law passed last year and is being implemented. Foreingers are not allowed to cross the border with their Chilean registered vehicle.
I met a biker who was refussed crossing at Arica. He later managed to cross into Bolivia near Putre.
That law has been in place for a few years now. We had the same issue. The customs officer told us we had to drive to Peru via Bolivia instead of going direct via the Arica crossing. Some people have managed to get through, but only by escalating the matter to the customs manager and being very careful about wording.
Nowhere did I ever read that a Chilean car cannot be out of the country for more than 6 months. When I returned after 10, they held me up for 2 hours working out the fine. That worked out at about $40. To be paid on the spot. But the system couldn't handle a non perminant address. So they sent an invoice to my sponsors address, which is printed on the car ownership paper.
They pulled out a document from their system that was filled in when I crossed into Peru at Arica. On it, it clearly states the date I should return. I cannot recall seeing that paper and didn't have it. I had a different paper, without a date.
Thanks for the update. Definitely worth being aware of that. It seems that the laws in Chile change frequently.
It's really nice and Informative article.