Sydney, Australia to Callao, Peru - Die fantastische Reise des Froschs

How to ship (and temporary import) a car from :.....Russia to Japan
....................................................................................Japan to Australia
....................................................................................Melbourne (Australia) to Tasmania
....................................................................................Australia to Peru

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Australia to Peru (Callao)
July 2015

Here we describe how we did it.

Australia in short:

1. We searched the internet for a shipping company. We found Sefco and K-Line.
2. We decided against K-Line because we didn't make good experiences with them in Japan. (8 days before shipping they refused taking our car because we wanted to have it shipped with our belongings in it. We were told that nothing could remain in the car and so we had to find another company within a couple of days)
For Peru K-Line made an offer of AUD 5000.-, Sefco offered USD 6000.- (with Wallenius Wilhemsen)
3. Sefco contacted an agent in Sydney (Sea & air clearances Pty Ltd / Suite 2.09 / 46-50 Kent Road / Mascot NSW 2020 / Australia). Our contact person was Trent Powell / E-mail: trent"at"sacs4u.com / phone: +61 280689026
4. Trent organised everything concerning customs and Carnet de Passage issues. He charged for his services roughly AUD 500.-
5. A week before sailing we brought our Carnet to Trent in Sydney.
6. 4 days before sailing (June 24th 2015) we met Trent at the harbour (Port Kembla) ATT Terminal (S 34.449037 / E 150.887917) where we delivered the car to the harbour. Customs did not have a look at the car. Nobody checked if we emptied the fuel tank and the gas bottle. The VIN Number was not verified. Everything was very easy.



Annoyances :

1. Before you are allowed to drive your car into the site of the ATT terminal (some hundred meters) you have to do a kind of training. This includes a stupid and annoying test (multiple joice test on a computer) where you have to learn all and everything about security in the harbour area. It takes at least 40 minutes and costs AUD 48.-. After passing this test the driver will be escorted into the terminal site.
2. Regarding the arrival time of our car in Peru Trent Powell gave us a wrong information, he said our car would arrive on Juli 28th. Later we found out, that the sceduled date was August 28th.
3. The arrival of the car was postponed to September 19th, almost 2 months later than we originally thought! The whole shipping was delayed another time (the ship unloaded its cargo only after it had been to Chile, on its way north again) so the car was in Callao on September 29th. It took until October 7th 2015 until we were able to release the car from customs.

After all 105 Days for the shipping from Australia to Peru



Peru in short:

1. Sefco put a Peruvian agents adress on our Bill of lading. But this agent (Alexim Peru, San Isidro, Lima, Peru) was not able to handle our case. So we had to have changed the adress on the bill of lading. We could use our hotel adress in Lima, Peru.
2. Broom is the representativ of Wallenius Wilhemsen and in charge of releasing the original BOL (which you must have). Valentin ROMERO was our knowledgeable contact (English speaking). For USD 30.- he handed us out 3 original BOLs. He also got us the contact to an other agent (Mr. SOTELO) who could help us with releasing the car from the harbour and with the customs formalities.

Valentin ROMERO
vromero "at" broomperu.com
www.broomperu.com
Tel: (+51-1) 620-6020 Anex (236)
Cell: (51) 958958375
Adress: Av. Jorge Chávez 631 / Piso 5 / Miraflores, Lima / Peru

3. So we contacted Mr. SOTELO

Mr. Jair SOTELO
Despachos Aduanas S.A.
Jefe de Operaciones
jsotelo "at" daduanales.com
Tel. (+51-1) 264-0251
Cell: (+51) 981245442
Adress: Jr. Justo Vigil 346 / magdalena del Mar, Lima / Peru

4. Mr Sotelo arranged everything for releasing our car.
5. We had to authorise another person from Mr. Sotelos office to handle our paperwork. This document (carta poder notarial) and the following documents had to be legalized at a notary:

• International driving licence
  

• car documents
  

• passport
  

• immigration paper (which you get on arrival at the border/airport)
  

• original BOL
  

• carta poder notarial
  

6. for legalization you have to copy all documments and bring them to a local notary (takes some hours, costs around USD 15.-)
7. we also  had to proof that we really stay in the hotel (we were using this adress on the BOL). We had to attach an orignial hotel receipt to the carta poder notarial.
8. After arrival of our car in Callao it took Sotelo around 3-4 days until he could start harbour formalities.
9. The car was driven thru the heavy traffic of Callao on day 2 after arrival to a secure customs area.
10. On day 5 we had to go to the chaotic customs office in Callao (S12°03'03.07'' / W 77°08'27.45''). Sotelos employee helped us, it took an entire day and we had to pay US$ 318.- harbour fees (unloading, transport to customs area and ???)
11.  On day 6 we had to go to the (secure) customs area (S11°59'20.66'' / W 77°07'59.01''). It took another whole day to do some paperwork (with Sotelos employee). We had to pay another US$380.- for customs, and there was a brief inspection of the car. Inspectors tried to be annoying, didn't want to accept all our belongings in the car, but finally got bored when I started to unload our equipment. The law requires to wear sturdy boots in the customs area (but luckily I got thru without).
12. On day 7 we had to go back to customs area. After more paper checking we finally got our car by midday.
13. Sotelo charged US$ 100.- for his services.





Recommendation:

take a trustworthy agent (like Mr. Sotelo) to handle your paper work as you authorize this person to release your car, this means an untrustworthy person could drive off with your car as he posseses all documents for doing so!

Annoyances :

Sotelo was trustworthy, but very slow. His employee didn't now exactly what papers and docs were necessary. A lot of usless running around. Maybe it is very hard to know which documents you have to show as it is different every time?
We spent at least Soles 110.- for taxis.

The customs office is a real chaos. We absolutely can't recommend to do the paperwork by yourself. Don't think bribing will accelerate the process. No way!

In the secure customs area it's the same. Custom officers can make the releasing of the car really hard. One little document missing - you have to wait another day!

It's impossible to say exactly what papers you need, every officer seems to ask for new or different papers. And it is not clear why so many people have to check the papers again and again.

We do not recommend shipping to Callao