The question I get most: “I live abroad — can I sell on Mercado Libre without relocating?” You can. There are four routes that work. They differ in speed, in what you put in up front, and in how much of the work you do yourself.
All four work. Which one fits depends on how much you want to put in at the start, what you want to own outright, and whether you already have a company.
Prices and what is included are further down, in the breakdown of each option. I put the exact quote together for your case and send it within a day.
You do not have to fly over. All I need from you is a power of attorney: signed before a notary and apostilled, or issued directly at an Argentine consulate if there is one near you, in which case no apostille is needed. Everything else is on me: incorporation, tax numbers, registrations, and opening the Mercado Libre and Mercado Pago accounts.
Ballpark: 3,000 to 6,500 USD to incorporate, depending on the country, the company type and whether a foreign shareholder has to be registered. Accounting runs from 400 USD a month. I put the exact quote together for your case.
It is registered, the bank account is open, importing runs smoothly and the seller dashboard is active. I give you access, you trade yourself, and I stay out of how you work.
The cost depends on volume and we agree it case by case.
You handle the product. Everything else is on me: importing, customs clearance, the warehouse, the listings, sales, talking to buyers, dispatch and returns.
This is not a client-and-contractor deal. I only earn when you earn. A contractor does not care whether the goods sold or are sitting on a shelf — they got paid and moved on. That is not an option for me: if your stock stalls, I stall with you.
Under Argentine law this is article 123 of law 19.550: a foreign company registers with the registry specifically so that it can be a shareholder of a local one. After that an ordinary Argentine company is set up, except its owner is not you personally but your company.
Since May 2026 the procedure has been simpler: IGJ resolution 4/2026 consolidated the requirements into a single list, allowed apostilled digital documents from abroad, and repealed 30 earlier provisions.
This is not brokering over chat. Everything below is on the ground, in Buenos Aires.
Receiving, storage, order picking and dispatch into Full. Handling is manual, and the stock sits where I live. Warehouse terms →
A dashboard with history and reputation you can start selling through in the first week, while your own structure is still being set up.
A customs broker, accountants, a lawyer for trademark registration, and real human translators into Spanish and Portuguese.
Unit economics and customs charges are worked out in advance. Free calculator → and the PRO bundle with the customs calculator.
Commissions, shipping, taxes and thresholds country by country. Country breakdown → (RU)
I sell on Mercado Libre from Argentina and bring goods in from China myself. Everything I publish has been tested on my own shipments. Blog → (RU)
Partnership. You spend nothing on structure, sell through an account and warehouse that already work, and pay with a share of the profit.
Renting the company. Within one to two weeks you have a working dashboard, a bank account and the ability to clear goods through customs.
Your own company. Slower and dearer, but the reputation, the history and the recoverable customs taxes all work in your favour.
Most people go in that order: test as partners, then build volume, and only then set up their own company. It costs less than pouring money into structure before you understand the market.
Yes. Three models work: incorporate remotely using a power of attorney, rent my trading company, or work as partners through my account and warehouse. None of the three requires you to fly over.
The ballpark is 3,000 to 6,500 USD to incorporate. The range is wide because it depends on the country, the company type and whether a foreign shareholder needs a separate registration. Add accounting from 400 USD a month. I prepare the exact quote for the specific case and send it within a day.
Realistically 6 to 10 weeks. The power of attorney and the bank account are what take longest. The registration itself in Argentina goes through in a few days — since June 2026 it is fully digital.
By law a company in Latin America must have an administrator who lives in the country. That is the law's requirement, not the marketplace's. Until you have local residency I cover that role. You stay the owner throughout: the money, the goods and the decisions are yours. If you come in person we get the tax number and proof of residence in your name, and you become the administrator yourself.
If you plan to import, yes, it is essential. Paying a Chinese supplier goes through the foreign exchange market, and only banks have access to it. Mercado Pago does not handle FX. Without an account you can only work by buying goods inside the country, but then customs taxes are not recoverable and your unit cost is roughly one and a half times higher.
Yes. Under article 123 of law 19.550 a foreign company registers with the registry in order to be a shareholder of an Argentine one. Since May 2026 IGJ resolution 4/2026 has simplified it: the requirements are in a single list and apostilled digital documents are accepted. There is a second route, a branch under article 118, but for a marketplace it is usually worse because it does not separate liability.
Legally it can: Argentina did not join the sanctions against Russia, and the reciprocal investment protection agreement and the double taxation treaty are both in force. In practice, though, a Russian parent makes opening a bank account harder: Russia's FATF membership is suspended and banks apply enhanced due diligence. If you have a company in a neutral jurisdiction, use that one; if you do not, it is usually simpler to incorporate in your own name.
At the start, almost always the partnership: you spend nothing on structure and find out whether the product sells at all. Once the numbers add up, your own company pays off better, because importing through your own entity recovers customs taxes, and that is roughly a one-and-a-half-times difference in unit cost.
Answer three questions and I will suggest the model that suits you, and help you weigh the prospects before you spend anything.
Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Colombia, Uruguay — or undecided so far.
The category and rough volume. If you already sell it in your home market, all the better — we will have something to compare against.
From China, or you plan to work with local suppliers on the ground.