How to Ship a Motorcycle from New Zealand to South America?
We shipped two NZ-registered motorcycles by airfreight from Auckland to Santiago de Chile in January 2025. The process was straightforward but costly due to the timing and New Zealand’s location slightly off the main shipping lanes.
In this guide we explain how to ship a motorcycle from New Zealand to South America, list the required paperwork, compare air and sea options, cover the main destinations, and share approximate cost ranges.
Key Information
- Shipping company we used: Rocket Freight
Options to ship via sea or air depending on destination, your budget and time.
- If crating is required: we used Pope Packaging.
- If your bike is NZ-registered, suspend your rego and make sure to have a Certificate of Registration.
- For South America, you don’t need Carnet de Passages (CDP).
- Approximate shipping costs per bike: 4,000-6,000 NZD.
Costs
Shipping costs depend on several factors:
- shipping method (air vs sea)
- size, volume and weight of the motorcycle/crate
- destination
- season
- global shipping rates
Quotes from shipping companies are usually valid for about a month.
In January 2025, we paid about 5,000 NZD per motorcycle + 900 NZD per crate + about 100 USD for arrival fees.
As shipping prices fluctuate a lot (and January 2025 was actually quite expensive), we’d assume an approximate shipping costs can be somewhere between 4,000-6,000 NZD, plus crating (if necessary) and arrival fees.
Some destinations might also require a local agent, so you will need to take their fees into account. Overall, it’s best to discuss everything in detail with your chosen shipping company to get a clear picture of all possible costs. Try asking for as many specifics as you can to avoid unexpected charges.
Destinations
For shipping a motorcycle from New Zealand to South America, Chile is usually the most practical and cost-effective option – Santiago de Chile for air freight and Valparaíso for sea freight.
Other popular hubs include Montevideo (Uruguay), Cartagena (Colombia), and sometimes Buenos Aires (Argentina) or Bogotá (Colombia). Check with your shipping agent what destinations are available from NZ, and which ones fit your timing and budget. Plan with the weather in mind so you don’t arrive in the middle of winter or the peak rainy season.
Shipping Method
Apart from choosing the destination, you also decide on the shipping method: air or sea. This mainly depends on your budget and timeframe. Most agents can arrange both.
Air freight is faster and usually more predictable with shorter delays, but it costs more.
Sea freight is slower and more prone to disruptions, and port fees can blow up your budget if you are not careful. Common options are:
- LCL (shared container)
- FCL (your own container)
- Ro-Ro (roll-on/roll-off)
Request side-by-side quotes for both methods and compare total costs: freight + arrival/destination fees. Choose the one that fits your schedule and budget.
Note: It is really important to check what the estimated arrival fees are, to avoid unpleasant surprises.
Depending on the method, the bike may need to be crated. Crating can be arranged by the shipping agent or by a specialist company. More on that below.
Contacting the Agent
Once you’ve chosen a likely destination and timeframe, contact a New Zealand freight forwarder to start the process. We used Rocket Freight.
Request quotes for different shipping methods (air, LCL/FCL, Ro-Ro), possible destinations, and transit times to get an idea of the costs and timings.
If the shipper has no local partner at your destination, you may need a destination broker for customs. This was suggested to us for sea freight, but for air freight into Santiago we handled clearance and pickup ourselves.
After you pick the mode and destination, the forwarder will walk you through the required documents.
Paperwork
To export a motorcycle from NZ to Chile by airfreight, we needed to provide:
- Passport copy
- Bill of sale / purchase invoice
- NZ Customs client code (NZCS 224A)
- Bike registration copy
- Photos of the bike and the packed crate
- Purge certificate (from the crating company)
- Non-dangerous goods certificate (from the crating company)
- Address in Chile (a hotel is fine)
- Contact number in Chile (foreign mobile accepted)
To pick-up the bike in Santiago de Chile Airport we needed:
- passport
- House Air Waybill (HAWB) – sent in pdf by the NZ shipper
- money to cover arrival fees (equivalent of about 100 USD in Chilean Pesos per bike, best to bring cash in case they don’t accept card)
To legally ride a foreign-plated motorcycle in Chile (and most other countries) you need:
- Mandatory third-party insurance (details here)
- A motorcycle driving license
- An International Driving Permit (IDP)
- Certificate of Registration showing you as the bike owner, bike plate number and VIN. Needed for border crossings and TIP.
Crating
If your bike must be crated, keep the volume as small as possible, especially for air freight. Many forwarders offer crating but won’t dismantle the bike, which leaves you with a tall, expensive box.
A practical solution is to dismantle the bike yourself—either at the forwarder’s warehouse (they can crate it afterward) or at a specialist crating company (even these companies often won’t do the disassembly themselves for insurance reasons).
Because we don’t live in New Zealand and needed a few weeks storage before departure, we used a crating company – Pope Packaging. We dropped both bikes at their warehouse, removed mirrors, handlebars, front wheel, front mudguard, and windscreen, and left them there to be crated. The crating, certificates, and transport to the forwarder’s warehouse were then coordinated by email.
You can build a crate yourself, but it must meet strict requirements: ISPM-15 timber, clear forklift access, and the necessary purge and non-DG certificates. For most people, using a professional company is simpler.
Pick-up at Santiago Airport
You can pick up the motorcycle yourself at Santiago Airport without any local agent. The whole process is done in the cargo area near Osvaldo Croquevielle Street (FastAir or Depocargo SpA on Google Maps). Try to get there in the morning by taxi or Uber to start the process, as paperwork, uncrating, and reassembly can take a few hours.
Once there, first pass the security gate and register with your passport (say you’re here to pick-up your bike).
After the gate, you will see a large warehouse building with different company names. You need to find the office of the handling company responsible for your bike. This depends on the airline it arrived with, so ask if you are unsure. Our bikes arrived with Delta Air, so we went to the Aerosan office.
At the desk, show your house air waybill (from your NZ forwarder) and your passport to start the process.
Expect some waiting while staff prepare the paperwork. You’ll receive documents to show/give at a few windows and you will have to pay the arrival/ warehouse fees. From memory, we paid an equivalent of about 100 USD per bike. The payment needs to be done in Chilean Pesos. Not every handling company accepts cards, so it’s better to bring cash.
You’ll also need to visit Aduana (Customs) office with your passport and bike registration to obtain the Temporary Import Permit (TIP). This document allows your bike to be in Chile legally. It is taken away when you exit Chile at the border. Most South American countries work the same way, so you will receive a new TIP at each border.
You should also obtain third-party motorcycle insurance. In Chile, SOAPEX insurance is mandatory for all foreign vehicles. You can buy it online at HDI Seguros website.
MORE INFO: Motorcycle Insurance in South America
When the paperwork is complete, warehouse staff bring out the crate. Sometimes they help open it, sometimes not. We recommend bringing some tools to help with opening the crate (warehouse stuff may have a crowbar and a hammer if that’s enough for you) and of course tools to assemble the bike. You may also want to bring some fuel with you, though there is a station nearby if your tank is not completely empty.
Once the bike is all back together, you can simply leave all the crates there and ride to the exit. The guard will check your TIP and that’s it. You can now start your motorcycle journey in South America.
