My Argentina Visa Expired, Now What?
Argentina visa expired Reading Time: 10 minutes
Has your Argentina visa expired? I am going to break down what happens, and what you need to do when and if your Argentina visa has expired.
Argentina is a very unique country when it comes to immigration, in that it is not illegal to overstay your originally allotted 90 days upon arrival. That said, you do need to pay an overstay fee before leaving the country. In this blog post, I am going to explain what your options are when it comes to immigration and your tourist status.
I stayed in Argentina for an entire year, and have tried a couple of the various options when it comes to staying in the country longer. On my 89th day in Argentina, I flew to Peru to do the Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu and returned 6 weeks later. Then I stayed for 7 continuous months in Argentina without leaving. I wanted to go to Uruguay for the weekend right before leaving the country for good, so I paid the overstay fee and re-entered Argentina a few days later.
In this blog post, I will discuss the various options.
How Many Days Can I Legally Stay in Argentina?
If you are a citizen of one of the 120 countries allowed to enter Argentina visa-free, then you can stay for 90 days. I am a US citizen, and this applies to me, so I will be using my personal experiences in this blog post. You can find a list of countries that do and don’t need to apply for a visa to Argentina here.
Even though a visa is not technically required to stay in Argentina, I will refer to my allotted 90-day stay as my “Argentina Tourist Visa” for simplification.
How do I avoid overstaying my tourist visa in Argentina?
There are three main ways to manage your overstay in Argentina: leave and come back, ask for an extension, and overstay and pay.
Leave and come back
If you feel uncomfortable with an expired Argentina visa or overstaying the 90 days, don’t worry, as you can easily exit and re-enter. When I first came to Argentina, I hopped over to Peru on my 89th day. I spent some time climbing volcanoes and trekking to Machu Picchu before coming back to Argentina. No biggie. I made an adventure out of it. I had zero problems entering Argentina again.
Uruguay is just across the Rio de Plata, and you can easily make a long weekend trip out of it, or just go for the day via Buquebus or Colonia Express. If you’re in Mendoza, take a bus to Santiago, Chile. If you’re down in Patagonia, there are several border crossings between Chile and Argentina. You can also just take a flight to any other South American country, and then come back.
Read more: Taking the ferry from Buenos Aires to Uruguay
The first time you cross the border and return on the same day shouldn’t cause any problems. However, I have heard many long-term expats in Argentina mention how immigration starts to look at you funny if you cross the border every 90 days too many times. It is seen as “gaming the system.” They actually prefer that you just stay in the country, and then pay the fee before you leave. It’s also easier (more info further down).
Ask for an extension
If you don’t want to leave and come back, you can also ask for an extension of another 90 days. Personally, I don’t see the point of doing this option since you can just easily overstay and pay when you leave. However, asking for an extension is in the National Constitution: Preamble, articles 14, 15 and 20.
You can ask for an extension at the immigration center in Retiro:
Location:
Av. Antártida Argentina 1355, C1104 CABA
Hours:
Tuesday – Friday 8:30 am – 1:30 pm
Monday 8 am – 2 pm
Closed Saturday and Sunday
Stay and Pay
This is by far the easiest option. It’s not illegal to overstay the 90 days. You just need to pay the overstay fee, called habilitación de salida, before you finally leave. I have done this twice: once in 2005 (100 pesos), and another time in 2022 (12,500 pesos). Both times it was equivalent to 35 USD.
Inflation is a very serious situation in Argentina so the peso value will constantly increase. By the time you read this, the fee will be much higher than 12,500 pesos. Regardless of the peso price, the fee should be no more than 35-40 USD.
I overstayed my tourist visa in Argentina! What now?
If your Argentina visa expired, don’t worry! It’s easy to solve.
When I was in Argentina in 2005, I overstayed my visa by about 75 days. I paid the fee (“habilitación de salida“) at the Paraguayan border when I crossed, no big deal. It’s no longer that simple, but it’s also not that complicated. You now need to pay the fee (12,500 pesos, 35 USD) at an immigration office before leaving the country. By overstaying, you have become what is known officially as a “domiciled resident.” Click here to read what the government website has to say about it.
Once you pay the fee (habilitación de salida), you must leave the country within 10 days.
Where to Pay the habilitación de salida fee
La Central de Migraciones (in Retiro)
Location:
Av. Antártida Argentina 1355, C1104 CABA
Hours:
Tuesday – Friday 8:30 am – 1:30 pm
Monday 8 am – 2 pm
Closed Saturday and Sunday
Ezeiza International Airport (EZE)
Location:
AU Tte. Gral. Pablo Riccheri Km 33,5, B1802 Ezeiza, Provincia de Buenos Aires
Ask a guard where ‘migraciones‘ is and they can point you in the right direction.
Aeroparque Jorge Newberry (AEP)
Location:
Av. Costanera Rafael Obligado s/n, C1425 CABA
This is the smaller international airport in Buenos Aires, that is located along the Costanera Norte, just east of Palermo. This is the location I went to to pay the fee, so I will share my experience here.
I suggest going the day before you fly to pay the fine. Don’t wait until the day of your flight because you just never know what could happen; don’t cause yourself unnecessary stress. You can pay the overstay fine in either airport, regardless of where you’re flying out of.
Finding the International Immigration Office
At AEP, the office is located in the “Arribos Internacionales” section of the airport. If you’re facing the building, it is to the very right. Once you enter, you’ll see people waiting on arrivals to your left, and the bathrooms to your right. In the center is a small hallway with a window. There will be a little sign that says “migraciones.” Honestly, it’s very inconspicuous and easy to miss. But it’s there, I promise.
What happens at the Immigration office?
Step 1: Provide documents to the Immigration Officer
Wait in line, and when it is your turn at the window, explain to the attendant that you have stayed longer than 90 days, and you need to pay the fee (habilitación de salida). Keep in mind that you must leave the country within ten days of paying this fee. They will ask to see your passport, enter some details, and probably give you a lecture about how you should not be overstaying. If you are a digital nomad, do not mention that you did any work while in the country. Just say you were in Argentina for tourism.
Step 2: Pay the Overstay Fee
The price is the peso equivalent of 35-40 USD. You can pay with a credit card at the window and you will be charged the official peso rate.
If you prefer to pay with cash, then you’ll need to pay at the Banco de la Nación. The attendant at migraciones will temporarily hold on to your passport, and give you a paper document, which you will take to the bank.
When you exit the Arribos Internacionales building in the AEP airport, turn right. Walk to the next set of doors and enter. The bank is just there to your right (it’s blue). Give the document to the bank teller along with your pesos in cash. They will accept the money, stamp the document, and give it back to you.
Step 3: Gather All Documents and Leave
Now with your newly stamped document, return to the migraciones window in the Arribos Internacionales building. The migraciones attendant will then arrange the necessary documents and receipts, and hand them back to you, along with your passport. When you leave the country, you’ll need to show all of these documents and receipts along with your passport, so DO NOT LOSE THEM!
Was it easy to pay the overstay fee to leave Argentina?
In short, yes! The office was easy to find inside AEP (where I went), even if it did seem hidden at first. There was one person in front of me in line, and I only had to wait about 5-10 minutes. It was annoying to leave and go pay the fee at the bank and come back, but it wasn’t difficult, and it wasn’t far. All in all, the entire process took about 30 minutes or less.
Were there any problems returning to Argentina later?
The first time I left the country on my 89th day to go to Peru, I had zero problems coming back to Argentina after 6 weeks of travel.
The second time I left Argentina, I paid the overstay fee and went to Uruguay for the weekend via ferry. When I passed through immigration on the Argentine side, I had no problems leaving the country at all. A few days later, I took the ferry back to Buenos Aires and again I had zero issues reentering Argentina. They didn’t ask me any questions at all. I just passed through immigration normally, no big deal.
Read more: Spending 48 hours in Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay
A week later, I flew out of Argentina at the Ezeiza airport, and again I had no issues.
The worst thing that happened during the process was getting a lecture from the migrations officer at AEP.
Argentina Visa Expired Final Thoughts
While I chose to pay the overstay fee, you should always go with the strategy for dealing with immigration that makes you feel the most comfortable. Read all the posts in the Expat Hub Facebook group on the topic to help make your decision. Regardless of the decision you make, I hope this blog post has helped to make things a bit easier for you.
TRAVELING SOON?
INSURANCE: Cover yourself with travel medical insurance by SafetyWing.
FLIGHTS: Get the best flight deals with Skyscanner and set flight alerts with Hopper.
STAYS: Check out hotels and apartments with Booking.com and Vrbo.
RENTAL CARS: Get the best deal on rental cars with Discover Cars or RentalCars.
GOING HIKING? Get a 30% discount off your yearly AllTrails+ Account (code: nickiposts30)
eSIM: Get an international eSim with Airalo or eSimple.
CITY GUIDES: Save time and purchase pre-made city guides with Thatch.
CITY TOURS: Book your tour with GetYourGuide and Viator
LUGGAGE: Get the best carry-on suitcase here.
CREDIT CARD: Start earning travel points with the best travel credit card.
BUENOS AIRES GUIDE: Purchase my Buenos Aires travel companion here.
CONSULTATION: Book a 1:1 travel consultation with Nicki here.
SUBSCRIBE: Get the Nicki Posts Travel Stuff newsletter every month.
You must be logged in to post a comment.