All numbers are for one person with motorcycle.
USA – Mexcio: Tijuana
Cost: 0 USD + 260 Ps+ 404 Ps
Photo copies: 2
Time: 2 hours
Before we knew it we had left USA and entered Mexico. After custom we had to find the Banjercito office which is close to the border passage, but not adjoin to it. There are signs to it, but they are hard to see. We just asked people. The actual immigration and temporary vehicle permit is made here. The officers are nice and speak a little bit of English.
Mexico – Belize: Chetumal
Cost: 0 Ps+ 0 Ps + 0 Bz + 0 Bz
Photo copies: 0
Time: 2 hours
Get stamped out of Mexico, then go to Banjercito and cancel your temporary vehicle permission (important if you plan to visit Mexico again). They need to see your bike, so bring it to the Banjercito office after you got the stamp from immigration.
The Belize is easy, fast and friendly. Just ask the officials what to do.
Belize – Guatemala: Ben Viejo
Cost: 37.50 Bz + 60 Q
Photo copies: 10
Time: 2 hours
Getting out of Belize was easy. Got stamped out and then handed over the temporary vehicle permit we got when entering Belize. Entering Guatemala was surprising painless. The only thing is that custom need photocopies of all the papers and the photo copy shop charge 1 Q per copy (meaning per item that need photo copied, not per page)
Guatemala – Honduras: El Florido
Cost: 10 Q + 3 USD + 29 USD
Photo copies: 2
Time: 2 hours
We had heard horror stories about the Honduras custom, so we were delighted to experience a very painless crossing. The only weird thing was the custom needed one photocopy of passport and registration. When we already had that, she needed two copies, which we also had.
Honduras – El Salvador: El Poy
Cost: 0 L + 0 L + 0 USD + 0 USD
Photo copies: 0
Time: 3 hours
Friendly officials and it looked very promising when we were welcomed by an very efficient Honduras custom officer. Unfortunately our case changed hands and we got the most incompetent gentle man, who managed beside taking ages to print our passport number wrong and write on our original registration papers for the bikes. Moron.
El Salvador – Honduras: El Amatillo
Cost: 0 USD + 0 USD + 3 USD + 43 USD
Photo copies: 9
Time: 3 hours
This border crossing has a very bad reputation, and they deserve every single bit of it. Three kilometer before the border we were meet by the El Salvadorean custom along with a handful of border helpers. The custom officers needed to cancel our vehicle permit and needed one photocopy for that (which was done right there).
Then we got to the immigration building which the two countries shares. The El Salvador typed us in their computer system (even though we were not typed in when entered) while Honduras took 3 USD for entering, regardless of the CA-4 agreement stating it should be free of charge. At least we got a receipt. Then the Honduras circus started regarding the vehicle permit. The Aduana (customs) has their own building a bit further from immigration. They charge the same fee as other Honduras border crossing plus an additional AduanNet fee, making crossing here ridiculously expensive, and not worth the money or time if you have other options. The procedure was a following: First we got the formula filled out, then we visited AduanNet in a gray building 30 meters further up the road. Then two photocopies of pretty much everything and finally we only need to make a bank payment. The bank is only open during daytime weekdays and 8-12 on Saturdays. But of course border officials are willing to let you pay direct to them when the bank is closed under the promises that they first thing in the morning go to the bank. It seems that if they have a chance to delay your stay, so you can’t make it to the bank, they will. Of course we don’t know this for sure, maybe they are really going to the bank in the morning, but we have our doubts. We waited overnight at the border so we could go to the bank ourself (we didn’t want to grease the Honduran wheel of corruption, and it was late and there was a hotel at the border with save parking anyway).
Honduras – Nicaragua: Guasuala
Cost: 0 L+ 0 L + 7 USD + 0 USD
Photo copies: 0
Time: 3 hours
Nicaragua – Costa Rica: Peña Blancas
Cost: 2 USD + 0 C + 0 USD + 0 USD
Photo copies: 5
Time: 3 hours
Normally the exit formalities are the easy ones, but on this border crossing the most time consuming was figuring out how to exit Nicaragua correctly. First pay one dollar for something at the little white house before the Aduana gate. Then drive through the Aduana gate which is illogical located in the left side of the road. Show passport and then show vehicle permits to get at little slip of paper. Then go to the immigration building (which stated “entrance to Nicaragua”) and get stamped out of Nicaragua. Then find a custom officer to verify the slip of paper and then find a police officer to do the exact same. Not much checking was done, though the costum officer checked the license plates. Must say though that all officers were nice and friendly. Then we had to go to the custom building and get the vehicle permits cancalled.
Then we had to enter Costa Rica. First immigration, then buy mandatory insurance, take photo copies of passport (front and stamped page), drivers license, insurance, and title (or registration) and to the custom office to get the application. With that is filled out, we then had to find the custom bus (yes, a bus) which was hidden behind a parking lot packed with trucks. And wupti, we got our permits.
Costa Rica – Panama: Sixaola
Cost: 0 USD + 1 USD
Photo copies: 2
Time: 2 hours
As easy as it gets in Central America. Stamped out of Costa Rica before the bridge. Cross the bridge, which is actually the hardest bit, and then get fumigated on the Panama side (1 USD). Stamp in and then Aduana for the bike. Note that you now need mandatory insurance.
Panama – Colombia: Sailing through the San Blas to Cartagena
Cost: 0 USD + 0 USD
Photo copies: 3
Time: 2 days
We went by sailboat from Panama to Colombia. Our captain made sure that an officer came on board before departure to exit stamped our passport. The Panamanian vehicle permit got also stamped as proof that the bikes have left the country.
Entry to Colombia took a bit more time. Again our fine captain (from Stahlratte) took care of getting the entrance stamp to Colombia. It took some hours before we finally could get on land. Then the Aduana has to be visit, down next to the cargo harbor. The fine folks there are helpful and friendly (and the ladies pretty sexy… welcome to Colombia) and you only need 3 photocopies which can be obtained across the road. They check the bike, so bring it. And that is it… and then you just has to find the SOAT office (Seguros Del Estado S.A.) in the old part of town (Edificio Banco de Bogota Piso 8) to get the mandatory insurance (about 25 USD for two months).
Colombia – Ecuador:
Cost: 0 USD + 0 USD
Photo copies: 3
Time: 2 hours
Easy to get stamped out of Colombia. They didn’t even want to see the motorbikes. The Ecuadorean side was almost as smooth. First stamp in passport (well, machine print) and then find the little guy who was in charge of the temporary vehicle permit. He was a bit slow and was mostly interested in getting some numbers into the computer. He did have a look at the bikes though.