Work
Foreigners travelling to Argentina with the purpose of performing work (paid or unpaid) need a visa. Internships are considered work so a work visa is required. This visa is issued by the National Directorate of Migration (Dirección Nacional de Migraciones ) in Argentina. Be aware that for this kind of visa permission has to be given by the National Directorate of Migration in Argentina. This permission is normally applied for directly by the contracting company or institution in Argentina. In some cases the Consulate will apply for permission. The application costs for the visa are approximately 200 euros. The issuing costs of the visa are approximately 100 euros to be paid to the consulate.
If the company or institution that sends you to Argentina is not registered in Argentina, commercial references and declarations of the authorities in the company’s or organization’s country of origin have to be presented at the Argentinean consulate.
The requirements to apply for a work visa are:
- Labour contract with the company or institution in Argentina
- Birth certificate, translated into Spanish by a certified translator
- Marital agreement, translated into Spanish by a certified translator
- Passport with a minimum validity of a year and half after the visa is issued (for each family member)
- 3 passport photo’s for each family member (4x4; preferably light blue background; ¾ profile right side)
The most common types of work visas are:
- Article 23 (A) visa (Hired Worker Contract – Temporary Residence Visa) – This visa is issued for employees and people on internships contracted by companies in Argentina. These are for a maximum of 3 years but can be extended after this period. You will be treated as a local employee which means a CUIL ( Código Único de Identificación Laboral) has to be applied for as well. A formal labour contract between the company in Argentina and the employee is required in order to obtain the visa.
- Article 15 (E) visa (Secondment – Temporary Residence Visa) under provision 18/94 – This visa is issued to employees sent abroad by their company for at least 6–12 months. A labour contract is not required.
Once employees arrive in Argentina, they also need to apply for a DNI/ National Identity Document and a CUIL/ Unique Code for Work Identification. These legal documents are dealt with in the ‘Other Legal Documents’ section.
Notes:
- People having a contract with an Argentinean company or institution also have to sign a labour agreement in the presence of the consul.
- People sent to Argentina by foreign companies have to sign their labour agreement at the corresponding company.
- Spouses and children of applicants of a temporary working permit that want a permit to live in Argentina have to show proof of the family ties. This can be done by means of a marital agreement and birth certificates at an international form.
Study
All Foreigners travelling to Argentina to study need a visa. Student visas are issued for the duration of 1 year. Student visas can be extended by the National Directorate of Migration in Argentina.
In order to be eligible for a student visa, you have to be registered at an officially accredited educational institution in Argentina. These institutions include secondary education/high-school, university or post-graduate level education. In order to prove enrolment at one of these institutions you have to present the following documents:
- Confirmation of enrolment of the school, institution or university. This letter has to be legalized by the Argentinean Ministry of Education.
- Proof of registration (Resolution 1523/90) - issued by the Argentinean embassy – to study in Argentina.
Further Requirements:
- Passport with a validity of at least 1 year after the visa is issued
- Four standard-size passport photos (4x4; preferably light blue background; ¾ profile right side)
- Certified birth certificate at an international form
- Statement of good conduct. This will normally be a transcript of your criminal record from your national police (obviously, they will be looking for a transcript that does not contain any offences on it).
- Medical statement (this form is issued by the consulate)
- Certified declaration of not having any criminal antecedents (signed in presence of consul)
- Payment of the application fee
- Proof of sufficient economic funds. If the student does not have own means of income a statement of the parents in which they guarantee to cover all expenses of the student while in Argentina has to be signed at the consulate.
Note: If the student is a minor the parents have to sign a travel relief declaration at the consulate.
Investors
If you want to invest in Argentina there is a residence visa for you. In order to apply for this visa you need to have invested a minimum amount of AR$ 1,500,000 in a commercial, production or service activity or have a detailed plan of how and where you will invest this amount of money. Further requirements are proof of ownership, statement of good conduct, commercial or professional references, a valid passport and four standard-size passport photos.
Retirement & Rentista
Retirement visas are issued to those people that have a monthly income of at least AR$ 2,000 at their disposal. Requirements at application include a four standard-size passport photos, birth certificate, statement of good conduct, valid passport and payment of the application fee.
If you receive an income from investments made abroad equal to at least AR$2,500 you can apply for rentista visa. This visa is issued for the duration of 3 years and can be renewed.
Medical Treatment
Foreign nationals with health problems seeking medical treatment in Argentina can apply for a 1-year multiple-entry medical visa at the Dirección Nacional de Migraciones. Minors of age, disabled persons or individuals that due to their health cannot travel and reside alone have the opportunity to apply for a visa for direct family, legal representatives of caregivers.
In order to apply for this visa the patient’s medical record and information on where and what medical treatment will be taken in Argentina is required. If treatment is sought at a public hospital a statement has to be signed by the director of the hospital. If treatment is sought at a private clinic or doctor, the statement has to be legalized by the Health Department.
Cultural Exchange Programs (Rotary International, YfU, AFS)
All foreigners travelling to Argentina as part of a cultural exchange need a visa. This visa has a validity of 1 year and has to be applied for at the Consulate in the country of residence of the applicant. It is recommended to make a personal appointment ahead of time. In order to obtain the cultural exchange visa, a letter that states that all costs of the applicant are covered by the cultural institution has to presented. This letter has to be signed by the official representative of the institution and certified by an Argentinean notary. Furthermore, this letter has to contain personal data of the applicant, the address in Argentina, and the educational institution where the applicant will be studying as well as a guarantee declaration of the inviting institution.
Requirements:
- Passport with a validity of at least 1 year after the visa is issued
- Four standard-size passport photos (4x4; preferably light blue background; ¾ profile right side)
- Certified birth certificate at an international form
- Statement of good conduct. This will normally be a transcript of your criminal record from your national police (obviously, they will be looking for a transcript that does not contain any offences on it).
- Medical statement (this form is issued by the consulate)
- Certified declaration of not having any criminal antecedents (signed in presence of consul)
- Payment of the application fee
- Letter of the inviting institution (as detailed above)
Note: If the student is a minor the parents have to sign a travel relief declaration at the consulate.