The Argentine Post is reporting that the Argentine government is planning to require Americans and citizens of 115 other countries to pay for a tourist visa to visit Argentina. This would be in direct reciprocity for countries that charge Argentines a similar visa fee. This fee will go into effect on January 1, 2009.
In addition, today’s La Nacion newspaper has an article quoting the Interior Minister that such a reciprocal fee is an “act of justice” and that a U$134 fee will be charged for Americans entering the country. He also states that it has nothing to do with the visa, which means that every 90 days us expats on tourist visas will have to leave the country and re-pay this fee upon entering again. There will not be a requirement to get a visa before coming to the country, just the need to pay this fee when entering.
While Brazil already charges Americans a reciprocal U$150 fee for a visa, this visa is good for 5 years. While the new Argentine fee may not hit many one-time visitors that hard, it will add a significant financial burden to the expat community on tourist visas who must leave and return every 90 days. It might be time to look into getting a longer term visa as the lawyer’s fees and hassle might now be easily worth it.
UPDATE (2/25/09): The new fee which was scheduled to start march 2009 has now been postponed indefinitely.
UPDATE (12/11/09): That indefinite postponement is coming to an end as the new fees were just announced today. Read more…
- Visa Fee To Hit Tourists Starting Jan 1 [The Argentine Post]
- The new tax on tourists: “It is an act of justice” (English) | (español) [La Nacion]
- Argentina To Require Visas For Tourists? [The Argentine Post]
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This is very unwelcome news. Everyday, Buenos Aires seems less and less a bargain, doesn’t it?
I Think it fair. I even appreciate it.
You can see all the developed countries earn huge money with visa for personals of developing countries.
I dont care about business and proffesionals visa ( this can be charged )
but also for tourist.
but all Developed nationals enjoy travelling in many countries free of charge.
so I think it is fair.
The good news is Argentina doesnot charge many from INdian tourist
Yes, yes it IS less and less of a bargain. This is going to hurt Argentina´s tourism far more than it will help it.
Yes, very unwelcome news. It will definitely add to the cost of being here.
I am very happy to have found your blog and to partake in your adventures in BA. My husband and I are planning a move there soon, and it’s interesting to read about your daily excursions around town! The man-kiss and casual use of the f-word are certainly intriguing cultural differences
Grace – glad you like the site. I’m happy to see it’s been useful…
Most Argentines can’t afford to even get on a plane, let alone pay the cost of an American visa, or prove that they have adequate resources to even apply for a visa and be accepted (most foreigners who come from “underdeveloped countries” are suspect of wanting to overstay their visas. $130 for a traveler who can afford a plane fare that is most likely over $1,000 dollars is an inconvenience and may mean a few fewer steaks and bottles of wine, but let’s keep things in perspective, eh?
Rick – I hear what you’re saying about the cost of flying for Argentines and that is regrettable. But, simply saying that a traveler who can afford a plane fare can also afford this fee is drastically over-simplifying the matter. There are many expats who had to scrape together to get their airfare in the first place and are on strict budgets while here.
So, if they go to Colonia every 90 days to renew their tourist visa, it’s now going to cost about U$80 for the ferry and U$134 for the tourist fee. That’s a significant increased cost that many people did not plan on. Doing this 4 times a year means an added expense of $536 yearly – a bit more than a few steaks and bottle of wine for a lot of people.
Hernan, a permanent residence DNI does not entitle you to avoid visa fees for countries like Brazil. I have been a permanent resident for a long time and had to pay for a Brazilian visa a few years ago. When I go to Uruguay I have to take my passport as my DNI is not sufficient to enter the country. That applies only to CITIZENS of Mercosur countries.
I assume that the fee does NOT apply to permanent residents with DNIs. Is that right?
The new DNI have a Mercosur identification. That is all you will need to travel overseas.
If you are planing to stay for more than 2 years you can apply for your Argentine ID that will allow you to travel to many countries in South America with out paying fees and much much cheaper cost (Yes it is more expensive to travel to the Iguazu falls for you than to an Argentine).
Another alternative would be to declare that you are planning to stay for a year so you pay the fee once.
The immigration laws in Argentina are not as difficult to follow as in the US. However it might be difficult to understand them.
Chris – I do not think this would apply to permanent residents with DNIs, but right now there is no clear information on what this fee would involve, if it would extend the tourist visa, etc. The government also hasn’t conducted any studies into how this may affect tourism.
Also, you can currently renew a tourist visa for another 90 days for AR$100 – something that will be a lot more appealing then heading to Uruguay and paying the new fee. No word on whether this fee will be increased or not.
And, the fee for overstaying your tourist visa is only AR$50. I would think a lot of expats may opt for this approach too, unless they plan to increase this.
So, lots of questions still remain.
The fee is a mistake. The government should be looking for ways to sustain tourism through this deep worldwide recession. Instead, they have found a way to help reduce it!
I think at the current exchange rate of the dollar versus peso, regardless visa fee or no fee, Argentina is beyond a bargain…
I have been planning a group trip to BA for April 2009 for about 20 people. We are on a tight budget (especially during this recession). News of an entry fee of $134 will probably sway us to pick another location. Maybe even stay in the United States instead. I have a meeting with everyone tomorrow to make our final decision.
S Smith, With the dollar gaining ground against the euro and pound, you should consider Europe. Fares are so much cheaper. I am planning a trip and all of the hotels are under $100 dollars. I would have to pay more in BA. With careful planning and some research you could have a great trip to Europe. And NO visa fees.
UPDATE: This visa fee has been delayed until at least March 2009 while the government works out additional details.
i had heard rumors of this happening. and as an expat, i was definitely worried, but i came into the country on the 15th, and no word at all. please keep us posted…
lightspd – This is still coming but has been pushed out until March 2009 at the earliest.
New Update: Scheduled to start March 2009, this new entry fee has been postponed indefinitely. We’ll keep you updated.
Well, this was a bad idea. My group really wanted to visit Argentina, but due to the high cost of the fees (and the unwelcoming stance), we decided to go to Spain instead.
Too bad we already changed our plans.
The cost for US Citizens is now $140.