Used or sealed iPhones? The rules in 8 Latin American countries (2026)

A lot that looks cheap in Miami can cost you everything at your port. The deciding question is not the price — it is whether your country lets a used, imported iPhone onto its networks.

Here is the short map for 2026. It is general information, not legal advice. Rules move every year — confirm with your customs broker before you order.

The one-line answer

• Sealed only: Brazil.
• Leans sealed: Mexico.
• Used allowed, with IMEI registration: Colombia, Peru, Chile, Dominican Republic, Argentina, Bolivia.

Brazil — sealed only

Anatel homologation is required by law, and customs holds units without a homologation number. Phone registration is done by the Brazilian manufacturer or its local representative — a foreign exporter of used phones cannot register them. Enforcement tightened again in 2025, including network blocking of unregistered IMEIs.

What to buy: sealed, homologated stock. Do not import used A/B lots for Brazil.

Mexico — leans sealed

The Mexican wholesale market skews toward new, sealed units. Used phones move, but most B2B demand is for sealed.

What to buy: sealed first; test small with used.

Colombia — used allowed, paperwork on the importer

Colombia regulates but does not block used phones. Formal commercial import needs per-model CRC homologation, a commercial invoice with proof of payment, every IMEI pre-registered with MinTIC, and an importer listed with the police registry. That paperwork sits with the Colombian importer of record.

• Tariff: 0% on phones · VAT (IVA): 19%.
• Landed cost often runs about 20–25% over the Miami price.

What to ask your supplier for: a commercial invoice and a full IMEI manifest. We send both with every order.

Peru — used allowed, register or get blocked

Peru's white-list system (RETMIEF) has required registration since April 2024 — unregistered IMEIs get blocked. Used iPhones are imported at scale once registered.

• IGV: about 18% with IPM · tariff: 0%, 6% or 11% depending on the line.

Chile — used allowed, register within 30 days

SUBTEL's multiband system asks for foreign phones to be registered within 30 days; commercial sellers homologate their stock.

• VAT: 19%.

Dominican Republic — used allowed

INDOTEL's rules block stolen, lost or altered IMEIs — not phones that simply were not homologated locally. Clean used units register fine.

• ITBIS: 18%.

What this means: the blacklist check before you pay matters more here than anything else.

Argentina — used allowed, tariff now 0%

The import tariff on phones dropped to 0% on 15 January 2026 (Decree 333/2025). VAT of 21% still applies. Landed cost fell sharply this year.

Bolivia — used allowed, 0% tariff through 2026

Supreme Decree 5518 cut the phone tariff to 0% until 31 December 2026 (it was 5–20%). Import VAT runs about 14.94%.

What every country has in common

1. The IMEI is the passport. Every system above checks it. A blacklisted IMEI is dead stock anywhere.
2. The invoice and IMEI list travel with the goods. Formal channels need them; informal channels want them for trust.
3. Your broker has the final word. These summaries show where to look — your broker knows this month's rule.

Before you order: a 5-point country check

1. Which system checks the IMEI in your country, and who registers it — you, your importer or your customer?
2. Used or sealed only? If sealed only, stop here and order sealed.
3. Tariff and VAT on phones this month — ask your broker for the current rate, not last year's.
4. Documents your broker needs — commercial invoice, IMEI list, proof of payment.
5. Your full landed cost — price + freight + insurance + taxes + fees — compared with what the phone sells for locally.

If any answer is unknown, get it before you pay. The cheapest lot is the one that clears and sells.

Questions buyers ask us

Who registers the IMEIs — me or the supplier?

In every country above, registration happens on your side: you, your importer of record or your end customer, depending on the system. What the supplier owes you is a clean IMEI list that matches the phones and an invoice your broker will accept.

Can I send used phones to Brazil through a neighboring country?

That is exactly the gray channel Brazil has been closing — network blocking of unregistered IMEIs means the phone may stop working after it is sold. We do not sell used stock for Brazil.

Are the tax numbers above my full landed cost?

No. They are the main lines. Freight, insurance, your broker's fee, local fees and currency spread all add on top. Build your price from the full landed cost, not from the Miami price.

Does "factory unlocked" matter for registration?

Yes. A carrier-locked phone may register but still not work on local networks. Unlocked stock and a clean blacklist check are the baseline for every country on this list.

Which country is easiest for a first used order?

On paper, the Dominican Republic: clean used phones register without local homologation, and the main risk is the blacklist — which you can check before you pay. Confirm with your broker first.

How we handle it

We match stock to the destination before we quote. Brazil gets sealed only. Used lots ship with a commercial invoice and a per-IMEI list, so you can register and clear without chasing paperwork.

Tell us the country first — the right lot follows from that.