90 Minutes In Buenos Aires

[Napoleon]

Pre September 11th I landed in Istanbul and was told that I needed to pay a US$20 fee for a visa. I consulted my travel guide book that had been printed less than 12 months before and it said NOTHING about a visa. (This was before 2001 and before everything was found on the Internet.)

I was fairly certain that the guys at the baggage claim just wanted a US$20 tip. Even though they were nice and patient, I was skeptical because my guide book had always mentioned visa requirements for every other country that required a visa. But I paid the thing, I received a some kind of paper stamp that was stuck in my passport and I was allowed to leave. When I got to my hostel, I asked others if they had also had to pay a visa fee and they said that they had, so either we were uniformly scammed, or it was a new thing. But I quickly got over it and forgot about it... UNTIL THIS THREAD BROUGHT IT ALL BACK TO ME!!!!

 

[irina]

so either we were uniformly scammed, or it was a new thing. But I quickly got over it and forgot about it... UNTIL THIS THREAD BROUGHT IT ALL BACK TO ME!!!!

hahah don't worry, it must have been new. Just went and had to pay the $20, which they charged in the airport (very efficiently!)

 

[sleslie23]

Pre September 11th I landed in Istanbul and was told that I needed to pay a US$20 fee for a visa. I consulted my travel guide book that had been printed less than 12 months before and it said NOTHING about a visa. (This was before 2001 and before everything was found on the Internet.)

Your guidebook must have been out of date. I was in Istanbul in 1999 and it was a requirement that I knew about in advance, probably via Lonely Planet.

 

[Yogur griego]

Pre September 11th I landed in Istanbul and was told that I needed to pay a US$20 fee for a visa. I consulted my travel guide book that had been printed less than 12 months before and it said NOTHING about a visa. (This was before 2001 and before everything was found on the Internet.)

Even with such a nice suit and umbrella, getting into the Ottoman Empire was a bitch, indeed.

 

[stefano]

So what are you guys saying? How much in US Dollars does it take to enter BA thru customs?

 

[sleslie23]

So what are you guys saying? How much in US Dollars does it take to enter BA thru customs?

It depends on the country of the passport you use to enter Argentina.

 

[Matiasba]

curious of whos the guy that wrote the letter. (see bottom line)

 

[chancellor]

This reminded me of a story. I used to work for a Fortune 100 company (prior to my interim retirement) and one of my VP's had to fly to India to visit our team there. After a long (really long) flight from Atlanta (it was either through London and/or Dubai), he landed in Delhi and was promptly told that he cannot enter the country. After an attempted convincing arguement, a couple of security dudes showed up with machine guns, strongly recommending Jeff to board the very same plane he came on or he'll spend a night in Indian jail. He was back. We made all kinds of pranks.

 

[khairyexpat]

When I went to Chile in 2007, I was shocked right at Airport Immigration when they demanded right there and then US$130 (or something like that). But it was benign (I paid it, & they let me through). I never ever heard of such a thing before. I mean, if I forgot or was unaware of this fee and I am willing to pay it ..... then what the hell? I think it is a barbaric disgusting practice by any government (no matter which one it is) to ambush people. It is not a crime to forgot or to be unaware of different rules of different countries, punishable by a return flight of 10 or 16 hours. It is unreasonable crazy and insane.
Each government should enforce their own laws BEFORE any one gets on a plane heading to their country, not AFTER they arrive.

 

[Bajo_cero2]

There is no ambush. It is responsability of the air company to do not let you do the check in if you don t have all the proper visa/fee/passport, etc.
The government has no power on other´s contry territory, that´s why are the companies who are fined when they make mistakes like the one of the story.
And let´s be honest, he should check before he travel if there was any requirement. Spain for example, ask for a medical insurance and you can be rejected if you don t have it.