Argentina: Entry Rules for VisitorsLast check:Last update:Data statusLast check:Last update:
Argentina:Visa Requirement Map
Explore which nationalities need a visa to enter this country and which can enter visa-free.
Argentina: Visa and entry documents and requirements
Visa requirements may change. Always verify the latest information through official government sources.
Visa-Free Entry Requirements
- A passenger entering without a visa for tourist purposes must present a valid passport. Passengers covered by relevant regional agreements may also enter with a valid national identity document or another accepted travel document. The document to be used must be valid and in good condition on the travel date. Temporary identity application documents are not accepted as a travel document.
- Visa-free tourist entry may only be used for tourism purposes such as rest and sightseeing. Paid work is not permitted under this status. The maximum permitted duration of stay under general tourist status is three months, and if applied before the expiry of the period, an extension for a similar period may be considered once. Since shorter stays may apply depending on the passport type, the exact duration should be checked from the official visa regime table.
- Border officers may request additional information or documents showing the purpose of travel, stay plan, and fulfillment of entry conditions.
- Entry into and exit from Argentina may only be made through land, air, sea, or river border points authorized by the National Directorate of Migration and by passing through migration control.
- A child under thirteen years of age must present an entry authorization if not traveling with the person holding parental responsibility or if not met at entry by that person or an authorized third party. Documents proving identity and family relationship must be originals or certified copies. Documents issued in a foreign country must be legalized or apostilled by an Argentine consulate when required and translated into Spanish by a sworn translator. In cases such as one parent being unable or unwilling to give consent, a court authorization may be required.
Electronic Travel Authorization Requirements
- Argentina's electronic travel authorization system is called 'Autorización de Viaje Electrónica' (AVE). The applicant must have a valid passport and citizenship status eligible for AVE, use a valid travel document, and travel only for tourist purposes. Eligibility is determined through the National Directorate of Migration's current AVE list and online application system.
- The general application path requires a valid and current ordinary passport and a valid visa in one of the categories B2, J, B1, O, P1, P2, P3, E, or H-1B issued by the United States of America. The validity of the United States visa must cover the AVE evaluation period, the validity period of the AVE, and the planned stay in Argentina.
- For applications with an eligible passport issued by a jurisdiction that has visa-free entry to the United States, at least one verifiable entry to the United States within the last two years, a valid ESTA, or a valid United States visa in the specified categories may be used. The passport types accepted in this special application path may be ordinary, diplomatic, official, or service passport.
- The application is made online in two stages. First, the AVE fee is paid, then the application form is completed. A single PDF containing the valid passport and the qualifying United States visa must be uploaded to the application system. The file size must not exceed 8 MB; scans must be color, clear, and legible. If the United States visa is in an old passport, the old passport must also be included in the same PDF.
- The AVE fee is 400 US dollars. Payment is made online by card and is non-refundable. The payment receipt alone does not grant the right to travel to or enter Argentina. The applicant must wait for a positive AVE decision.
- The normal processing time is 20 business days. The National Directorate of Migration may extend this period if deemed necessary.
- The approved AVE is valid for three calendar months from the date of issue. The passenger's permitted stay duration in Argentina is three months from the first entry date. Multiple entries and exits are allowed within this period. The stay duration may be extended once for a similar period subject to the evaluation of the National Directorate of Migration. A person entering with an AVE cannot change their immigration category while inside the country.
- The approval document must be printed before travel and carried during boarding and border control. The approval or denial result is communicated to the applicant via email.
Consular Visa Application Requirements
- The tourist consular visa application is made in person. The applicant must contact the Argentine embassy or consulate where they will process the application to learn the appointment and document submission procedure. Some representations require documents to be sent by email as scans first, and then the originals to be presented at the interview.
- The passport must be valid for at least six months on the date of entry into Argentina and must have at least one completely blank leaf, in other words two blank pages. The original and a copy of the passport are required for the application. Scanning of used pages containing stamps or visas in addition to the identity page of the passport is required by some representations. Special travel documents such as temporary passport, emergency passport, or refugee travel document may be subject to separate visa and admission evaluation.
- Two recent photographs measuring 4 x 4 cm, front view, color with white background must be submitted.
- All required fields of the visa application form must be filled and signed by the applicant. It is recommended that the form be filled electronically preferably. At which stage the form is to be signed may vary by representation; some representations require that the form not be signed before the interview and that the signature be affixed in the presence of a consular officer.
- Documents showing the applicant's financial means must be submitted. Recent salary slips, recent credit card statement, or recent bank account statement are examples that may be accepted. Some representations require the latest six months of bank statements and a balance sufficient to cover travel expenses.
- A round-trip transportation reservation issued in the applicant's name must be submitted. It is recommended not to purchase a final non-refundable ticket before the visa decision is made.
- A hotel reservation and tourist travel itinerary must be submitted. If the applicant will stay at the home of a resident of Argentina, a letter of invitation may be used instead of a hotel reservation.
- The tourist letter of invitation must be prepared in Spanish and addressed to the Argentine consular authority where the application will be made. The letter must include the full name, identity document, address, telephone number, and email address of the inviting person; the full name, nationality, date of birth, passport number and type, and contact information of the invited person. The purpose of travel, relationship between the parties, place of accommodation, period of stay, and estimated entry and exit dates must be explained.
- The inviting person must include a declaration of responsibility for the visitor's departure from Argentina at the end of the permitted stay period and a statement confirming having read the provisions of the Migration Law regarding the liability of inviting persons. The signature must be certified by a notary and, when required, by the relevant notarial association. The original of the letter must be sent to the embassy or consulate where the application is made.
- The applicant must attend a mandatory consular interview. The consular authority may request additional documents, explanations, or a new interview if necessary. Submission of all documents does not guarantee that the visa will be issued.
- The tourist visa fee is generally 150 US dollars or 150 euros depending on the representation where the application is made. Payment is made in the local currency of the country where the representation is located. Whether card, bank transfer, bank deposit, or another payment method is accepted is determined by the relevant representation. Different fees or exemptions may apply under certain special passport and agreement regimes.
- The maximum permitted stay duration with a tourist visa is 90 days. If an application is made to the Argentine National Directorate of Migration before the expiry of the period, an extension of the same duration may be considered once.
- Some representations require the application to be made 45 to 90 days before planned travel, while other representations may require at least 30 days or six weeks in advance. The current calendar of the relevant representation should be taken as basis.
- Proof of legal residence in the country where the application is made, latest six months' bank statements, employer letter, salary information, student certificate, company registration, tax return, and travel health insurance covering the entire stay are requested by some representations.
- Minor applicants may be asked for a separate application form, birth certificate, copies of parents' identity documents or passports, consent from both parents for travel and visa application, and a document showing the person responsible for the child. Some representations require the birth certificate to be apostilled and translated into Spanish, the consent form to be signed before a consul or notary, and both parents to attend the interview. The document list varies according to the child's age, travel arrangement, and the representation processing the application.
- Documents regarding marital status, birth, custody, or family relationship issued outside Argentina must be apostilled or legalized when required and translated into Spanish by a sworn translator.
Transit Visa Requirements
- If a passenger is traveling to Argentina solely for the purpose of continuing to another country and does not have a transit visa exemption, they must apply for a consular transit visa.
- A passenger transiting without leaving the international transit area of the arrival airport, without undergoing immigration entry into Argentina, and while waiting for their connecting flight to another country may be exempt from a transit visa as long as they can present their onward flight ticket. If baggage collection, recheck, terminal or airport change, or leaving the transit area is required, confirmation must be obtained from the relevant consulate in advance.
- For a transit visa application, the visa application form of the relevant Argentine representation is filled. Some representations require the form to be sent by email first, filled electronically but not signed. A scanned copy of the passport or, for seafarers, the seaman's book is attached to the application. The original travel document must be presented at the interview or document submission stage.
- The maximum permitted stay duration with a transit visa is ten days.
- The transit visa fee is 40 consular units. One consular unit generally corresponds to one US dollar or, in countries using the euro, one euro; payment is mostly accepted in the currency of the country where the representation is located. The accepted payment method varies by representation. Some representations accept bank transfer, card, bank deposit, or QR payment, while others accept only transfer. Payment of the fee does not guarantee that the visa will be issued and the fee is generally non-refundable after processing has begun.
- The applicant must use the personalized checklist of the Argentine representation responsible for their place of residence. The consulate may request additional documents, explanations, or an interview.