A bit lost: Applying for a Family reunification visa, Radex application next?

[desde_Holanda]

Hi,

While still being in the Netherlands, I have contacted the Argentine Consulate in my country, and asked them what steps to make to (1) Become a permanent resident in Argentina (2) Being able to buy a house on my and my wifes name in Argentina. My wife is Argentine.

The consulate asked me to send an e-mail and explain my situation. I did, and afterwards they send me info (documents needed) to apply for a permanent visa, in my case: Family reunification visa. Currently I am gathering together all necessary docs. After approval of digital versions, the Consulate will then invite me (and my wife) for an appointment. So all this will be done in the Netherlands, not in Argentina.

My question: is a permanent visa (Family reunification) the same as a permanent residence permit? The Consulate told me that after arriving in Argentina I need to apply for a DNI for foreigners within 60 days. So, does that mean that after arriving in Argentina I don't have to apply again within the Radex system (see for reference: https://www.argentina.gob.ar/servicio/radicaciones-residencia-permanente, which explicitly states that it's necessary to do so being on Argentine soil, see picture).

 

[Quilombo]

Your best approach is to simply enter Argentina as a tourist on your Dutch passport, and while here, schedule a turno with migraciones, via Radex, to do the procedure to get a DNI. I don't know why the consulate is even bothering, they must be bored/looking to justify their jobs because normally they just tell people to fly here and do it at Migraciones near Retiro.

You are Dutch or have citizenship from a country that doesn't require a tourist visa to visit Argentina, right?

If so, gather your documents before coming (background check, marriage certificate if you guys got married in Europe, etc.) and just do it here. Unlike many other countries, if you don't need a tourist visa to visit Argentina, you can simply change your immigration status once within the country, there is no reason to waste the extra time and money on a reunification visa which is mainly for people who are from countries that require tourist visas to visit Argentina who are looking to enter the country to unify with family here (i.e. say an Indian National who would need a tourist visa to visit Argentina. They're not coming for tourism, they're coming to live with their Argentine spouse, and should apply for that kind of visa).

Again, not sure why the consulate is telling you this unless they simply want to look busy...

 

[desde_Holanda]

Thanks for answering Quilombo. To be honest, the Argentine Consulate told me I cannot apply in Argentina if entering on a tourist visa....

 

[Ronnie Hotdogs]

I did it via the consular route and it’s the same PR that you get from applying here.
But costs you about $400USD.
The process to get your DNI once you get here is very complicated too

 

[Quilombo]

Thanks for answering Quilombo. To be honest, the Argentine Consulate told me I cannot apply in Argentina if entering on a tourist visa....

Yeah, they're lying to you. Glad to see that incompetence persists post-Alberto. You're supposed to take exams to work in the foreign service here, but immigration law is one of the areas the consulate employees are least competent in.

Anyways, I think Ronnie is the only person I've (digitally) met that has done it this route, almost everyone else on the forum, spouse or not, did it via coming to Argentina as a citizen of a visa free country and changing their residency once here via Radex or it's predecessors.

I obtained my permanent residency via marriage and did everything here after entering Argentina as a tourist, and that laws have not changed since 2021. My advise is to simply get the documents you need apostatized while still in Europe, and then come do it here, ignoring them since they're hablando desde su culo as people say.

 

[Stantucker]

We did it eight years ago in our city in the US through the Argentine consulate and found them very easy to work with. They allowed me to do all the translations of our documents into Spanish myself. I don't remember how much it cost. It was nice to have that already taken care of when we arrived in Argentina. I found it much easier working with them than with Migraciones in subsequent years. Ours was just the first of our temporary residences before we got permanent residency.

 

[Ronnie Hotdogs]

Realised I didn’t really answer your question desde_holanda. No they have another platform to fill everything in and all of the paperwork is done at the consulate. They then put a visa in your passport and then you have to get an appointment once your arrive in Argentina to turn your visa into a DNI.

I found it impossible to get an appointment to turn my DNI into a visa since no one in migraciones knows WTF to do with it, eventually had to pay a lawyer to get me an appointment since he knew the email of the person in migraciones who was giving out appointments.

It might be easier now since I was doing it in the middle of COVID.

You don’t need to do anything in RADEX.

Oh and according to London consulate it’s $600 USD.

 

[desde_Holanda]

@Stantucker: I am in the same situation. If the end result is the same, I prefer arranging it already here, even though it might be costlier. That being said: can I assume that if indeed the end result is the same, I can become a tax resident in Argentina, after having followed the Consulate route, and getting a DNI first after arrival in Argentina?

@Ronnie Hotdogs: that migration/DNI process doesn't sound very good. Thanks for warning me in advance.

 

[Stantucker]

@Stantucker: I am in the same situation. If the end result is the same, I prefer arranging it already here, even though it might be costlier. That being said: can I assume that if indeed the end result is the same, I can become a tax resident in Argentina, after having followed the Consulate route, and getting a DNI first after arrival in Argentina?

@Ronnie Hotdogs: that migration/DNI process doesn't sound very good. Thanks for warning me in advance.

If I understand your question correctly, you become a tax resident in Argentina once you get residency, whether that's through the consulate route or waiting until you get to Argentina to apply.

Also, just to be clear, even if you go the consulate route, you still have to go and request a DNI once you get here. And then wait for it to arrive.

 

[elhombresinnombre]

Thanks for answering Quilombo. To be honest, the Argentine Consulate told me I cannot apply in Argentina if entering on a tourist visa....

I think we might have a bit of a language problem here. I think the consulate are probably correct: you can not apply if you entered on a tourist visa. But if you are an EU citizen you will have entered visa-exempt which is whole different thing.