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Argentina visa for Indians

Argentina Visa for Indians

Update 2019:

Great news! Holders of valid B2 US visas and Schengen visas that are category C (tourism) can now get an electronic travel authorisation for Argentina. The visas should be valid for at least 3 months. The electronic travel authorisation is also valid for 3 months and allows multiple entries. So in short, if you have a B2 US visa or a category C Schengen visa that is valid for more than 3 months, you don’t need a visa for Argentina. Apply for the evisa here. It may take a few days to process but you will save on a lot of paperwork!

I applied for a visa to visit Argentina in January 2015. Since I have a residence permit for Chile, I applied for my visa in Santiago. You need to take an appointment with the consulate first to visit them. This is usually done over email. I did not have any trouble setting up the appointment in Santiago but I have heard that it is a little difficult in the US or in India so please try and arrange your appointment well in advance.

The list of requirements is pretty extensive and the Argentinians seem to check everything.

Welcome to Argentina!

Welcome to Argentina!

 

The consulate in Santiago asked me to submit:

- A cover letter explaining my itinerary
- Confirmed tickets (bus or air) in and out of Argentina
- Hotel bookings for the entire stay
- Bank statements
- My residence permit in Chile
- Even my work contact in Chile

After submitting all these documents, I was also asked to submit a letter from my company stating that my work contact would be renewed for 2015-2016. So I emailed them a copy of a letter from my company.

Ashray at Glaciar Perito Moreno, Argentina

Ashray at Glaciar Perito Moreno, Argentina

 

The visa is free for Indians and I was told it would take 5 days. I had specifically asked for a multiple entry visa since we were planning to do a road trip crisscrossing between Chile and Argentina.

Sure enough, five days later I returned to the embassy and the multiple entry visa had been stamped in my passport.

I had booked 70 days worth of hotel stays and received a visa that allowed me to stay an exact 70 days in Argentina. Note that a tourist visa to Argentina is extendible. You may extend it for the same duration as the first granted at the directorate of migrations in any city inside Argentina. I haven’t gone through this process but it is possible.

I have read several stories written by Indians of rudeness by border authorities in Argentina. I even expected something bad given how many documents are asked for the visa. I must say that my experience was totally different!

We’ve done several border crossings over the last 2 months and in every single one of them the authorities have been friendly and courteous. There is however something that may be perceived as rude by Indian visitors.

Upon arrival at an immigration post, most Argentinian immigration officers sitting at the desk have absolutely no clue on how to ‘process’ an entry based on a visa. 99% of arrivals are people who get an entry stamp on arrival. Border agents usually manning the desks are often junior personnel.

Every time we entered Argentina, they looked at Zara’s passport and they knew they had to just stamp it. They looked at mine and were immediately confused. This led to the agent looking at the visa, then muttering to themselves (in Spanish), ‘ugh.. I don’t know how to do this…‘, then usually without a word to us, run to the back and ask a senior how to process an entry based on a visa. An Indian person watching this might be annoyed with thoughts like ‘Hey, they just ran away with my passport!‘.

All this delay while other people are just getting stamped through might appear to be rude, especially if you don’t understand Spanish and don’t know what’s going on. But soon enough they would come back and stamp the passport. Average clearance time for Zara was under 10 seconds and for me was about 5-7 minutes depending on how quickly they could find someone with the right know-how to process my visa. It’s important to say though that the agents were always friendly and the delay is not malicious.

For what it’s worth, I had the same issue on arrival in Cartagena, Colombia. The girl had no idea on how to process a visa entry. Apparently it’s not just an Argentinean problem.

Near Barioche

Near Bariloche

 

Overall, the visa document list for Argentina is pretty long but you will get the visa as long as you provide everything. The visa processes at border posts tend to be simpler, say, at Iguazu in Brazil or Punta Arenas in Chile.

If you have any specific questions, please ask in the comments!


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109 Comments

  • Niru Says

    Great to know, Ashray! I never even got that far. Just getting an appointment at the LA consulate was like a cat and mouse game. We only exchanged emails and they’d only give me one free date at a time and reply to email once every 4 days. :D Enough to make me give up. Hopefully I will have more patience next time!

    • Ashray Says

      Hi Niru!

      I totally forgot to mention the appointment part so I’ve edited it into the article! It was very easy for me to arrange the appointment in Santiago. Very quick replies to all my emails and of course, they do happen to answer the phone too!

      I have heard another terrible story from another Indian about the Argentina consulate in LA. Apparently your experience is not an isolated incident.

      • MAKHANI JAMBA Says

        HELLO ASHRAY HOW ARE YOU.I HOPE EVERYTHING IS GOOD.MY NAME IS MAKHANI JAMBA.I LIVE IN INDIA STATE OF PUNJAB.I WOULD LIKE TO GO WITH ARGENTINA AS A TOURIST VISA.LET ME KNOW WHAT DOCOMENTS AND HOW CAN TRANSLATED MY DOCOMENTS IN SPANISH FROM ENGLISH.HOW LONG TIME IT WILL BE TAKE FOR VISA PROCESS.TELL ME ALL.BEFORE I WENT TO SINGAPORE.I STAY THERE 2 YEARS.HOLDING A WORKPERMIT.CAN EMBASSY GIVE ME A ARGENTINA VISA OR NOT.THANKU BROTHER.BLESSING FOR A GOOD DAY.

      • Yvette Says

        DID you have to translate the cover letter in Spanish and get it signed by a notary?

  • Lando Sanchez Says

    Where is it do you work in Chile that you can afford 70 days of hotel booking? LOL

    • Ashray Says

      The hotel bookings are not paid upfront. They include free cancellation as well. You can do this via booking.com.

      • Vishnudas Chapke Says

        Hi
        This is Vishnudas Chapke. I’m doing circumnavigation of world by land and hitchhiking. I read blog, I have some questions, may I email to you.

    • Dholan Says

      Not all of them earn sueldo minimo dude :P

  • JC Says

    Hi Ashray

    I am planning on a 6 month to year long backpacking trip along South America.

    I hold a US tourist visa, which countries would allow me to enter based on this.

    This is my biggest pain point in planning the trip :(.

    Any input is much appreciated. Also if you could give a rough idea on what itinerary (sequence of countries to visit) to follow :) would be really helpful.

    Thank you.

    • Ashray Says

      No South American countries give entry to Indians based on a US Visa. You can get visa free entry into Ecuador and pay for visa on arrival in Bolivia at La Paz airport. The itinerary you follow depends on your tastes and what you would most like to see. South America is a huge continent and 6 months are not enough to see all of it.

  • Thanks for sharing your visa experiences extensively! We (husband and I) intend to travel through South America for a few months starting June; trying to sort all the visas at the moment. We will be applying for the Argentina visa in Mumbai, the website says the documents have to be translated into Spanish. Did you have your Indian documents translated?

    We are getting first t Brazil and would love to enter Argentina from the Iguacu falls. Any idea if this is a possibility for Indians? Any website that gives information about which borders are open for Indians and which not? Or should we just write to the embassies and find out?

    Please share your opinion. Thank you so much and happy travels to you both!

    • Ashray Says

      Hi

      All my documents were already in Spanish except the bank statement and they didn’t mind that.

      You can cross at any border post if you have the visa already. There is no restriction on Indians crossing borders as long as you have the right paperwork. Iguacu is definitely possible, people do it all the time.

    • tell about work permit in
      Argentina plz help me

  • Hey thanks for sharing this info.

    Might come in useful.
    I have a Pakistani Passport and need to go through the most tedious of processes to get a visa!

  • Veathika Says

    Hi Ashray,

    My husband and I will be in Beunos Aires starting tomorrow for 5 days. We want to do a day trip to Colonia in Uruguay. Do we need to have Uruguay visa or we can go for a day based on Argentina, Brazil or US visa?

    Thanks

    • Ashray Says

      Hi Veathika, I’m sorry but I don’t know about Colonia as I didn’t do that trip. There might be an exception in place since it’s a popular trip for a lot of people. Please check locally or with the Uruguay Consulate and if possible leave a comment here so that other people can also find the info easily :)

  • Ron Says

    Hello Zara,
    Are you sure about the possibility of extension of a stamped argentina visa inside argentina. I ran into such trouble in Colombia when they looked in my passport for my stamped Colombia visa and they said it can’t be done here (Cali) and i will have to try in Bogota. Eventually I figured it out and did it online but I am not sure about Argentina extension. Are yoy sure about that?

    • Ashray Says

      Hi Ron

      This article was written by me. The information regarding extending the Argentina visa comes straight from the consulate in Santiago. Also, a friend had extended his visa in Argentina (in Buenos Aires) last year so it’s definitely possible. I don’t know about the laws in Colombia regarding extensions but they may be different from those in Argentina.

  • Archana Says

    Hello Ashray,

    Regarding some Latin American and South East Asian countries that say they will allow Indians with Visa on Arrival if the passport has a valid US/Canada/Schengen visa – Colombia/Philippines for example. Do you know if this holds true for a multiple entry, valid, tourist visa or is it only possible if you have a long term work visa from these 1st world countries?

  • Manish Says

    Hi Ashray,

    My wife and I will be backpacking around the world soon. She’s an Indian citizen and we’re thinking of the issues with applying for visas in SA countries. We are thinking of applying for Argentinian visa in Turkey(before flying to Brazil). We are obviously not residents of Turkey(actually of Australia), would that affect her ability to get an Argentinian visa?

    • Ashray Says

      Yes, they normally ask for you to apply in your place of residence. They might make an exception but it’s better to ask beforehand. In general, it’s easier to get visas while being non-resident at consulates near border posts, so for Argentina, Iguazu or somewhere in the south of Chile is easier than in say Sao Paulo or Santiago.

      You could call/email the Argentinian consulate in Istanbul and ask. Sometimes they refuse over the phone but then are nicer in person. There’s no real rule that consulates can’t issue visas to non-residents, they just sometimes follow guidelines to that effect.

      • Malik Says

        Hello. Bro. I malik.. I m from india. Punjab.
        I want ask you somthing. I have girlfrind there argentina. She want i come to argentina.but i dont know how can i go to argentina as a bro i ask you. If she give me sponsor . can i go to easy in argentina.
        So how can i get visa to india. Can you tell. Bro. If you know. About argentina.

        +6287880139107 its my whastapp nuber.
        If you dont mind . bro. Can you tell me about argentina. Bcz i want to go there vist.

  • Paroma Soni Says

    Hello! I am going to be in Chile from Nov 9 to Dec 13, and after that I’m considering Argentina or Peru. I will leave India on Aug 13, and am traveling constantly after that (so I have to get the visa done before then). Is it possible to get a visa for Argentina/Peru from Chile on a Chilean tourist visa? I am a student, so I assume I could submit tax returns/bank statements/etc of my parents, since they are paying for most of my trip?

    Also – I don’t currently have finalized flight or hotel bookings so I don’t know what to do!

    I am also considering going to Bolivia, but am finding conflicting information on whether Indians can get a visa on arrival in the airport there? Do you get a visa stamp if you’re crossing the border by road?

    Thanks!!

    • Ashray Says

      Please check the articles that I’ve written about Argentina and Peru visas for more info. It is not so easy to get those visas outside of your country of residence. The problem isn’t of bank statements and tax returns, it is a matter of residence.

      You can get a visa on arrival at La Paz airport for USD 55. But you can get a Bolivia visa in 2-3 hours in Santiago and it is free for Indians. You can’t get a visa stamp while crossing by road but you can get it at the border post consulate in the same way if you like. I got mine in Cuzco, please check the Bolivia visa article.

  • Naveen Says

    I have India passport. I am in Argentina on tourist visa. I have Chile visa ( 16 days duration) issued on 27 May 2015 in Delhi. Visa states to be used within 90 days. So, I should depart Chile after upto 16 days stay by 24 August.
    I am planning to enter Chile on 20 August.
    Is there a way for me to extend by visa till 5 Sept?

    • Ashray Says

      You have to enter within 90 days, that is what using your visa means. Chile has the same system even for year long visas. You can stay the full 16 days if you enter on Aug 20th. Your interpretation of the 90 day rule is incorrect.

  • faizan Says

    Hello Ashray n Zara,

    Addicted to your blog since yesterday, lol…very well written, amazing clarity, far better than guys who get paid to do this.
    I was in Venezuela earlier this year and it is true that they “run off with passports”, especially Indian passports, they go back and forth to properly process embassy issued visas. It takes about 4 days to get a Venezuelan visa, however, I got mine in under 2 hours! And people in general in Latin America are not rude, I’d say Indians take for granted most things and are always in a hurry!!
    Panama and Chile up next, let us see what happens :-)
    Good work, guys.

  • Badrinath Iyengr Says

    Hi Ashray, Great article!! I am planning to move to Buenos Aires (Argentina) through an inter-company transfer. I want to take my parents along with me so that they we can reside together. Would you know what it takes to sponsor a family stay.

    Regards,
    Badri.

    • Ashray Says

      Hi

      I don’t know how you can sponsor a family. The argentina consulate should be able to help you with that. Those things are definitely more involved than getting a tourist visa.

  • Jatin Says

    Hi Ashray, your blog has been a great help in planning our South America trip, thanks for sharing all the information.. We are in new york and planning to visit chile and argentina in December. Does Argentina embassy hold your passport while processing it or give it back? Chile and Peru do the latter here and hence thought will check with you.. thanks

    • Ashray Says

      They held mine while processing it but you can always ask them if they’re willing to give it back to you if you need to use it for something. Sounds like a great trip and December is a wonderful time to visit! :)

      • Jatin Says

        Thanks Ashray for clarification. Chile is far more flexible atleast here in NY – we can apply for the visa online and when its approved we need to take our passport for stamping. Visa interview tomorrow at Argentina .. hopefully they are nice :) thanks again…

        • Ashwin Says

          Hi Ashray/Jatin,

          Me and my wife also stay in NY/NJ and are planning a trip to Argentina & Chile (Patagonia) in March, and this blog has been very helpful !
          Jatin, could you tell your experience with getting both the Visas from the New York consulate ? How much time did it take ?
          For the interview, both me and my wife would need to present or can I do it just by myself ?
          Also is it possible to apply for them at the same time?

          Thanks!

  • Kumar Says

    Hi Ashray

    Wonderful to read of your trip to Argentina – this was very helpful. I read your other blog post re Chile and how a M-entry Argentina visa helps with the road crossings across the border. I have a Chile visa and am planning to get an Argentina visa like you suggested — the difficulty is providing ticket bookings / hotel reservation since this is something I cannot provide for the context you mentioned. What’s your take on this? FWIW I’m in New York on a student visa and getting visas for Chile, Bolivia and Peru was effortless.

    Thanks in advance!
    Kumar

    • Ashray Says

      You can make hotel bookings on booking.com that you can cancel later if your plans change. You don’t need to show tickets for the criss-cross journey between Argentina and Chile. You just have to show a ticket into and then out of Argentina at the end of your trip. These can also be bus tickets of course.

      • Kumar Says

        Thanks!

        I’m thinking of booking a ticket on P. Montt — Punta Arenas by bus and back. A couple of internet posts I read said something about passports being impounded at the Argentine border (to ensure tourists come back) – did you have any trouble? Also, was the bus journey uncomfortable?

        best,

        • Ashray Says

          That’s nonsense. Passports are not impounded in Argentina. That might be a specific case of some type. I’ve never taken that bus route, we did it by car, but it’s a very long ride although the buses are very comfortable.

  • Thirumal Says

    I am planning to visit Argentina in Dec last week. Presently I am living in Santiago. Now I would like to know that Do I need a yellow fever vaccine to enter into Argentina. Please let me know.

  • Khan Says

    Hi m crewmember nd lives in Mumbai nd my joining is from punta arenas chile..do i need visa for that..i heard for indians its visa on arrival.

  • Kristina Says

    Hi! Firstly thank you so much for an interesting, insightful and funny blog!
    Me and my boyfriend are currently planning 6+ months trip around South-America on a motorbike, and your blog has been very helpful! As I am from Finland and my bf from India (and we currently live in Paris), it has been quite easy to relate to your visa struggles etc.
    Anyways I just wanted to ask you guys few questions:
    - Is it possible to apply beforehand for several countries visas? I mean is there some time limit that you should enter the country within 60? days after getting the visa? Meaning that for longer trip it is really impossible to get all the visas beforehand?
    - Do you recall if there was availability of accommodation on the spot, i.e. without booking beforehand, especially in the Patagonia etc less inhabited regions?
    - My bf is little worried about managing without Indian food for longer periods, were there Indian restaurants anywhere outside the big capitals?

    Sorry for the long post and thanks in advance for your time to answer! :)

    • Ashray Says

      Hi Kristina

      Your trip sounds awesome! You can apply for visas beforehand but they sometimes have limited validity. For example Brazil and Chilean visas often need to be used for the first time within 90 days of issue. Peru does issue a 1 year visa so that might be a good thing to look into.

      Availability can vary quite a lot. We were in Bariloche over Valentines day and it was pretty hard to find a hotel (we did eventually find an expensive one). Other days availability is wide open and no problem for the most part.

      There are some Indian restaurants but not that many to be honest. You’ll find some in the big cities but don’t keep your hopes up for the quieter places. I’d recommend learning some cooking and doing things yourself. You can’t really carry open spices across the Chilean and Argentinian borders so be careful about that too!

      Hope this helps, let me know if you want any more info! Good luck!

      • Kristina Says

        Hey! Great to know, thanks for the reply! I might bug you with some more questions later on as we go forward with the trip planning :)
        We actually cook mainly Indian at home but travelling on bike will limit the space to minimum and carrying all the spices will be tough, anyhow seeing your posts about the food in SA I think we’ll be just fine!
        All the best and waiting for your next blog post..

  • Shruti Says

    Hi Ash, great blog!
    My husband and I are keen to visit South American countries in 2016. He has an Aussie passport so no issues, while I need to sort out my visas.
    I am keen to visit Argentina and Brazil but I haven’t got my visa yet. Do you think I can apply for it in Ecuador, Colombia or Chile without having a residential permits for these countries. Let me know what was your experience.

    Good luck on your future travels.

  • menon Says

    hi i am indian now i am in ecuador and i got ecuador permanent residency now i am planing to move to Argentina for job and how can i can get permanent residency of Argentina

  • Mony Says

    Haii ashray I would like to apply for a student visa to Argentina. What is the things am I suppose to collect for this..

  • Mugdha Says

    I need the following information in respect of –Colombia, Chile, Ecuador and Argentina…which i plan to travel. I have a valid Indian OFFICIAL Passport with a J1 USA Visa also. Can i travel to these countries and get visa on arrival since I have an Official Indian Passport. Will follow airline confirmed to and fro and hotel requirements as also bank statements. Thanks

  • Prateek Says

    Hi Ashray, hope you are having fun travelling all over. I have a question and it will be great if you could answer it. Is it possible to apply for a brazil/columbian/argentinian visa from US if someone is in the US on a business visa? TIA.
    Have a good one! :)

  • Moin Says

    Hello,

    My name is Moin, I live in India and I have US visa for 10 years. If I want to visit Argentina for 2 weeks should I apply for Visa and what is the procedure. Will US Visa is good so I can book my ticket and travel to Argentina

    • Ashray Says

      You cannot travel to Argentina with a US visa. Please apply for a visa to Argentina at the Argentinian consulate.

      • baljinder Says

        Hi dear i apply to vish in delhi ambassy with saponsarship before 1week 3days but arjantina embassy empolyer not phone call me so how long to prossing time give to me visa

  • Ramji Lamichhane Says

    I am happy because your indian. I am from Nepal Now i am in Chile. My friends said how to apply visit visa for chile ? Please send me link for online visa.
    Thank you.

  • Abhinav Gautam Says

    Hey Ashray, first of all great post and blog. Really useful for global Indian travelers. Do you have post sharing your experience about the Chile/ Argentina road trip? Sounds fun! What was the itinerary?

    • Ashray Says

      Hi Abhinav

      We haven’t yet written about the road trip and our route but I should be getting to that over the next few weeks for sure! If you’d like to stay updated, please subscribe to our newsletter and you’ll know once the post is out!

  • ray Says

    hey buddy. thanks for lot info.i hv american tourist visa and i live in canada on my work visa. is it safe to visit argentina? chile n other latin american countries? can i visit with my american visa ? or i hv to take any other visa? is it safe? thanks in advance sir.

  • satheesh Says

    Hi there,
    i have 10 days Argentinian visa issued from Montevideo Uruguay.I just want to check ,is it possible for me to extent the visa once i reach Buenos Aires Argentina so what is procedure and how many days extension i can get ? please any comments

  • satheesh Says

    Dear Ashray,
    thank you very much for your quick reply.

  • ramana Says

    Hello… Thanks for providing lot of information.
    I have a business visa for one month and my passport is from india. I need to be stay in argentina for 3 months. Delhi embassy informed that it is possible to extend in argentina.
    Is there any possibilities to know the procedure and documents required for extension.
    Thanks in advance.

  • Abhijit Says

    Hey buddy, I’m planning to visit Iguassu falls from Brazil Side.I’m thinking to visit Argentina side as well.Will i be allowed to enter into Argentina side to watch the falls? I mean do i need to get visa from India or i can get it near Iguassu falls?

    Thanks.

  • Rahul Madan Says

    Hi Ashray, I want to immigrate to Argentina, is it easy for an Indian to get permanent residency in Argentina. Please if you can tell me the whole process, I would be oblige

  • Shileno Says

    Hi Ashray,
    Thanks for your blog post!
    I’m working in Chile. Can I apply for an Argentina visa without being sure of when I’m going to use it? For example, I may want to use it in January/February, but July is the only month I can go to Santiago and wait for 5 days for my visa to be processed. Do I need to have specific dates or can I go in to the embassy with a tentative plan?
    Thanks in advance!

    • Ashray Says

      The visa is only valid for 90 days from the date of stamping. So that’s the most flexibility you have.

  • Bharath Bhandarkar Says

    Amazing stuff, a 6 month backpacking trip to South America is on my bucket list. What would be a rough figure in INR if you stay in hostels/ cheap hotels throughout?

  • Mariela Says

    Hi Ashray,

    I am not Indian but we also need the same requirements for Argentine visa application. I wanted to ask where did you book your bus tickets in Argentina. I mean, did you really had to buy it in advance just to have something to show to the embassy? I’m looking for a bus company that would allow temporary reservation (without paying, or if paying, minimal) just so I can submit it for my visa application.

    Thanks in advance for your reply,
    Mariela

    • Ashray Says

      Hi Mariela

      I bought bus tickets from Andesmar. You have to pay in advance, but then you can cancel once you have the visa and get a refund for a cost of about ~5 USD. The refund came back to my credit card in a few days after I canceled the ticket. The tickets cost around 25-30 USD so not too expensive either and you can pay online by credit card.

      Hope this helps!

  • Nirav vasani Says

    Hello,Ashray
    I am Nirav currently studing in the carribean medical school and hold the Valid passport of India. In the christmas vacation,Dec 16 I plan to go to Bueno aires,Argentina. So what Documents I need for the visa and how would it cost me.And How to apply?

  • Mamta Jotkar Says

    Hi,

    I am an Indian citizen with a temporary residence (research category for one year) in Brazil. I live in Rio de Janeiro and I wanted to visit Foz de Iguazu and go to the Argentinian side of the falls. Do I need a visa just to cross the border for visiting the water falls ? I will be reserving a hotel in the Brazilian side of the falls.

  • Anindita Says

    Hi Ashray, can you please suggest what route can be booked by bus to show entry in and out of Argentina while I’m applying for visa?

    Thanks!

    • Ashray Says

      Depends on where you’re going in and out from. Are you also visiting Chile? If yes, then you can book a Santiago->Mendoza bus ticket.

  • Sahil Says

    Hi Ashray. I have an Indian passport too and have travelled extensively in Europe on Schengen visa. I was thinking of moving to Argentina and apply for a 90 day tourist visa in Delhi embassy. My intention is to live in South America for a while. I checked some online sources which suggest you can extend visas once over there if you can do visa run-ins in Uruguay, Brazil, Colombia etc. How many times can you do it? LOL. I really want to live in South America for 1-2 years. I am a freelancer who makes his income online, so I can survive frugally on my meager income. But, the bureaucratic red tape over here in India is big, so I would like to know if coming to Argentina is worth the hassle. I really don’t want to return India for a very long time.

    • Ashray Says

      Visa runs can be quite hard if you need to apply for visas each time you do a ‘run’. You can extend your Argentina visa once for the same duration that was initially granted. So, if you had 90 days, you can extend it once for another 90 days inside Argentina. If you have a US visa you could also visit Colombia for 90 days at a time. Since Ecuador doesn’t need a visa for Indians you could potentially do visa runs between Colombia and Ecuador. But I wouldn’t do it because Indian passport holders are subject to more scrutiny by default.

  • Yash Tulsani Says

    Hi Ashray, thanks for all the information about visas. Has come very handy especially for south america. I am starting my trip to south america in January in chile and then making my way up. The last line of the article mentioned that visa processes are easier in Iguazu, Brazil or Punta Arenas, Chile. Does that mean I have the option of applying for an Argentinian visa before entering the country in Santiago or Punta Arenas, Chile or would you recommend doing that in the US before i start my trip.
    Thanks

    • Ashray Says

      I would definitely recommend doing it before you start your trip. It’s possible to get a visa on the road, more possible at border cities like Punta Arenas or Iguazu but it’s always better to get paperwork done before you leave if possible. Saves a lot of stress.

  • Jayant Says

    Hi Ashray,
    We are living in Sao Paulo since last 2 years. We are planning to visit Iguassu falls from the Argentinian side as well. I was reading your post where you mention that you did not pay for the Argentenian visa. I inquired about visa requirements at Consulate of Argentina in Sao Paulo and they suggested 150 USD as visa fee. Please inform how did you manage or did we get your post wrong?

  • Palvinder Says

    Hi

    I want to study in chile. Wht will you suggest mme?

  • Yogi Says

    Hi Ashray,
    Your Blog has been amongst the very few truely helpful ones.Thank you very much. I’m planning to visit Argentina to be with my boyfriend who is Argentinian. i have an Indian passport with a fairly good travel history. I have a few questions if you could kindly guide.
    the first one is i wish to be there for 6 months atleast, which ill try to extend once there. but to start is it a standard 90 days tourist visa or do they can give for lesser days.
    Also if i wish to travel in first week of March, what is the best time to apply. Not sure but if we plan to get married, do you have any info on what documents will i need.

    thank you again and might ask a few more question if i need some guidance.

    • Ashray Says

      I don’t know anything about marriage in Argentina or how that works, perhaps your boyfriend should look into it? Also, the maximum stay on a tourist visa is 90 days. However, you can extend it for another 90 once in Argentina. They will give you a visa, most likely, according to your itinerary. So if you say you’re going for 90 days and show the appropriate bookings, reservations, etc. then it should be 90 days. If you’re traveling in the first week of March it’s best to apply in late December or early January since you’re supposed to use the visa within 90 days of getting it as well.

      • Yogi Says

        Thank you very much for a quick reply.
        If I have some more queries, will bother you again … sorry and thank you. Take care

  • Nidhi Sapra Says

    Hi Ashray!

    Thank you so much for your detailed post. And for keeping this forum going for the past 2 years! Super helpful. I am an Indian citizen with a US permanent resident card, living in California. My Indian passport is valid for 5 months beyond the end of the trip instead of 6 months. Do you know if that’s a strict requirement by the Argentinan Consulate for US residents?

    • Ashray Says

      I don’t know about that but you could just renew your passport. It’s a fairly quick process these days.

  • Gio Says

    Excellent article and blog. Thanks so much!!
    For the Argentina tourist visa – you mentioned that you attached bank statements. Did those include statements for the last six months? I did not read the fine print and only attached my latest bank statement. I am wondering now if my application will be rejected. It’s been over two weeks since I applied at the Washington Consulate and haven’t heard back. Should I call them to see if I could send in the additional statements or just wait and see?
    Many thanks for your thoughts.
    gio

    • Ashray Says

      Hi Gio

      I did submit 6 months of bank statements. If the consulate wants them, they will get in touch with you. They probably won’t just reject the visa because you attached a statement for just one month. That’s highly unlikely. You could get in touch and ask them if you can actually reach them easily.

      • Gio Says

        Thanks Ashray. I finally received a reply to my email, and they have asked me to come for an interview in another 3 weeks. So the total elapsed time will be 6 weeks since I applied! And The same process for Chile took me 4 weeks.
        Looks like one really needs to keep these timelines in mind when planning a visit.

  • sahithi Says

    Hey, Can you let me know if it is possible to get visa from third country if i am not resident? I plan to start from USA and come down to Argentina and the usual validity of Visa is only 90 days. i don’t think i would make it in 90days

    • sahithi Says

      Hey i found the answer in one of the comments that i can… Thanks for this amazing resource though…!

  • Shreya Banerjee Says

    In first paragraph you told that you have heard that it is little difficult in the U.S or in India, then again you are saying that the tourist visa is free for Indians?

    • Ashray Says

      Yes, it’s free. That doesn’t have much to do with how much paperwork is required.

      • Shreya Banerjee Says

        then you are saying that tourist visa is free for Indians? Actually we are planning to go to Argentina in February after my 12 board exams, so there was a doubt that wheather a tourist visa is needed or not? So when you have travelled you haven’t applied for a visa to argentina right?

        • Ashray Says

          The visa is free but you still have to apply for it and get it stamped in your passport. You don’t need to pay for the process, that’s all.

  • Shreya Banerjee Says

    then actually it means tourist visa is totally free for Indians but still we shouldn’t take any risk, so for that we have to get it stamped in our passport?

  • Shreya Banerjee Says

    OK, thank you so much.

  • sudarshan Says

    If i am not employed or i just resign before go to Argentina or brazil
    then am i eligible to visit.
    I can provid Invitation letter, financial proof etc.

  • Rakesh Says

    I’ve been following your blog for a while now. Thanks for all the hard work in documenting these processes. One quick question: Do you know if I get an Argentinian visa in Santiago without being a Chilean resident? Also, do you know anyone who got a Chilean visa in Peru?
    As of 2018, with a US visa, Indians could travel all of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. It’s only Chile and Argentina which have these long processes.

    • Ashray Says

      The Argentinians definitely wanted me to be a resident. I got my Chilean visa in Ecuador and they managed to do it, haven’t tried in Peru though it should be possible. For an Argentina visa your best bet is near the border. I remember in Iguazu (Brazil) they were willing to do it although they said it would take a few days.

  • Aloksharma Says

    Hey mam
    How are you I already applied the visa for chile with the multiple entry but i want to visit Mexcio and Argetina then how can i apply the visa? For near by country of the chile? Should i apply the visa in in for these countries? What is the process? Please tell me ?

  • Abhishek Says

    Does this apply to an Indian Citizen with an H1B visa?

    • ROHAN KHANDUJA Says

      Abhishek – I am in the process of planning to visit Argentina too, I am also on H1B visa, how did you go about it?

      • Sajith Says

        @Rohan I’m plannin to visit end of year 2019. i’ve emailed emabsyy but haven’t gotten dates for interview yet from embassy in chicago. Did u have to email embassy for appt? Is notary signature from work required? Letter template on webpage has NYC embassy address. Did u have to change embassy address in employment letter?

        Thx

  • Kruttika Says

    Firstly let me thank you, cos I came to know about Argentina e visa through your blog. I sail with my husband on merchant vessels…we had started from Indonesia n heading to Brazil n then midway we came to know we wld go to Argentina next! That’s when I started googling n came up here. Said that, I did not get any info on people’s experiences with the procedure. So here’s what happened–
    Once I read about evisa I was so excited that I didn’t read about the time taken. I applied on 10/06, I had to 1st make the payment(50USD pp)n then I rcvd a pin no. With this no. I had to upload my data and ALL the scanned pages of my passport. And then began the WAIT!we were supposed to be in Argentina by 24/06 but luckily for me,there were a lot of delays and we will reach Rosario tom. Throughout June we were in touch with ships agents in Argentina who were in touch with immigration there. Sometimes we were told that just the AVE payment receipts will do etc. The fines for ships with passengers without a visa are very very high you see.
    I finally got my AVE yesterday, 5/07…almost a month later!n just before the loong weekend there!
    So a word of advice for whoever is planning on an AVE…do it well in advance! And also don’t bother to check the “status”..it just doesn’t change!

    • Kaushik Saha Says

      Hi Kruttika,
      I need a small help.
      I paid the fees today.But now in the itineary section i am clueless as they are asking for flight details but i will be going on road from Santiago Chile

      • Srijita Patra Says

        Hi Kaushik, did you visit Argentina ? After getting AVE, did you still have to get any visa stamp in first port of entry in Argentina ? Or AVE print out sufficed ?
        We will also enter Argentina by road, wondering what is the process !

  • Kaushik Says

    Hey. I am living in Chile with US B1/B2 visa. I had very bad experience.
    I applied for visa from Santiago in December 2018. I wrote an email asking for appointment and was wondering when they will give. Meanwhile i purchased my flight ticket and hotel bookings. They responded after 3-4 days saying the next appointment was available 1 week prior to my flight. I reached there and submitted all my documents and then they said i need to change the date of journey. I lost a lot my money and spent my vacation at home wondering why i applied for Argentina visa. I believe they are incompetent. If the appointment process was transparent i would have scheduled my vacations for some other time. In December 2018 i dont think the e-visa option was available. Bad timings. Did you travel with evisa or the regular visa. For the e-visa, all this documentation will be required ot not?

  • Raghavaiah R Says

    I want to visit Argentina for 15 days as a tourist.
    I am an Indian with Indian passport and Green Card.
    I understand ETA is sufficient.
    If so where can I get the forms, visa fees details, etc

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