Anyone come back from the US in the past week or two?

[gouchobob]

Just for the record, I have travelled on one way tickets on a regular basis, and to date, have never been queried, either entering Argentina, or the US. And, yes, I have entered the US with both open tickets, and with no return ticket. One of the reasons for travelling on a one way, is uncertainlty of when leaving, or even where to.

I have also left with a different airline, and whilst having an onward ticket, I have never been asked to produce it, or show evidence of such a ticket. Maybe I am just lucky, or maybe, not being a US citizen, we are not scrutinised as much for some reason, I know not the reason.

As has been said many times on here, if you are planning on overstaying the 3/6 month visa, hence the reason why you are coming on a one way ticket, then simply buy the cheapest return ticket out of Argentina you can find before you arrive.

Still a bad idea, unless you want your trip delayed, canceled, or want a nasty shock at check in. Buying a R/T ticket and paying a change fee is still a lot cheaper than buying two one way tickets.

 

[Liam3494]

I meant buy a return ticket to Uruguay thereby showing onward travel....

Then again, maybe Ihave simply been lucky - Must be my honest face (Little do they know --)

 

[ndcj]

This is not exactly correct, the requirements to enter Argentina are in the following link.

http://www.traveldocs.com/ar/er.htm

I wouldn't trust this site. It doesn't maintain current information, and is far from authoritative.

The database that the airlines use is maintained by the IATA and is the authoritative source of document requirements. You can look it up by the combination of country of citizenship, country of residence, country of embarkation, transit country and destination country and it tells you the documentation requirements.

Argentina does not require proof of onward travel. Any airline or website that tells you otherwise is lying. Some airlines (UA in particular) like to make their own rules, as they are entitled to, but they're nothing more. Argentina, like every other country on the planet, does require that most people arriving as tourists are bona fide tourists and the simplest way to show that is proof of your onward journey, but it's not the only way.

If you fly an airline that does require it, you can buy a refundable ticket for travel 330 days from today from EZE to SCL for a couple of hundred dollars. This buys you peace and quiet when boarding planes for the next year as proof of your onward journey. When it gets close to the 330 days, just cancel the ticket and do it all over again

 

[BaltRochGirl]

when I checked in at the airport my ticket had been flagged and had to be "manually" printed by the agent, she asked for my itinerary and I told her I didn't have it planned yet, it wasn't required and Argentina did not ask for it, she queried "but if you don't have a ticket how will they know you'll leave" I didn't really give her a response to that just repeated what I already told her and she did some computer stuff and after a few mins printed my ticket. Of course when I arrived at EZE they did not ask me a single question and just stamped me in.

 

[gouchobob]

I wouldn't trust this site. It doesn't maintain current information, and is far from authoritative.

The database that the airlines use is maintained by the IATA and is the authoritative source of document requirements. You can look it up by the combination of country of citizenship, country of residence, country of embarkation, transit country and destination country and it tells you the documentation requirements.

Argentina does not require proof of onward travel. Any airline or website that tells you otherwise is lying. Some airlines (UA in particular) like to make their own rules, as they are entitled to, but they're nothing more. Argentina, like every other country on the planet, does require that most people arriving as tourists are bona fide tourists and the simplest way to show that is proof of your onward journey, but it's not the only way.

If you fly an airline that does require it, you can buy a refundable ticket for travel 330 days from today from EZE to SCL for a couple of hundred dollars. This buys you peace and quiet when boarding planes for the next year as proof of your onward journey. When it gets close to the 330 days, just cancel the ticket and do it all over again

If you are correct about the IATA being the final word (is that what you posted earlier) then it still appears a bit fuzzy. The document states evidence of onward travel is recommended. What does this mean? Does it mean its up to the discretion of the airline or authorities in B.A.? If its recommended then there must be a reason or purpose?

Your suggestion of buying another ticket might work but wouldn't just getting a round trip ticket accomplish the same thing. Take a look I doubt there is little or any difference in cost between a one way ticket and a round trip ticket. Showing up at the airport with a one way ticket and hoping they let you on the plane isn't something I would want to do.

 

[KaraVT]

I'm American and I flew into EZE on Saturday on a one way ticket and didn't have to show proof of onward travel.

 

[gouchobob]

I'm American and I flew into EZE on Saturday on a one way ticket and didn't have to show proof of onward travel.

Don't think very many people buy one way tickets so I doubt its a big problem. It would be interesting to hear from the people that did have problems. Just out of curiosity why did you buy a one way ticket? Are you a student? If you are your situation is different and assume you are traveling with a student visa. Sometimes students have the ability to buy one way tickets as their studies may take them beyond the usual stay for a tourist. This is about the only case I know of that a one way ticket might make sense.

 

[sesamosinsal]

Don't think very many people buy one way tickets so I doubt its a big problem. It would be interesting to hear from the people that did have problems. Just out of curiosity why did you buy a one way ticket? Are you a student? If you are your situation is different and assume you are traveling with a student visa. Sometimes students have the ability to buy one way tickets as their studies may take them beyond the usual stay for a tourist. This is about the only case I know of that a one way ticket might make sense.

It's not always convenient if you don't know exactly when you're going to travel. I just bought a one-way ticket to Buenos Aires for next week. I should only be in Argentina for a few weeks, and then I'll head to Ecuador for a few months. Then after that, I might have to be in D.C. or back in Missouri, my home state. So, I tend to prefer one-way tickets (sometimes you can get some deals) just because going out on a limb and guessing dates for a return and then having to change them is usually just as expensive or sometimes even more expensive. And for me, it's not just a guessing game with the dates, but it's also a guessing game with location.

 

[ndcj]

If you are correct about the IATA being the final word (is that what you posted earlier) then it still appears a bit fuzzy. The document states evidence of onward travel is recommended. What does this mean? Does it mean its up to the discretion of the airline or authorities in B.A.? If its recommended then there must be a reason or purpose?

Your suggestion of buying another ticket might work but wouldn't just getting a round trip ticket accomplish the same thing. Take a look I doubt there is little or any difference in cost between a one way ticket and a round trip ticket. Showing up at the airport with a one way ticket and hoping they let you on the plane isn't something I would want to do.

Well, the final word is the immigration officer at EZE. (S)he must be satisfied that your intentions are as you say they are. The simplest way to show you're a bona fide tourist is proof that you've got plans to return home, in the form of a return ticket.

It's possible at various times and on various different routes to buy a one way ticket for quite a bit less than a round trip. Most of the time, however, it's actually cheaper to buy a return ticket and discard the return portion even if you intend to travel only one way.

If it's cheaper to buy a one-way ticket and that's your motivation for doing so, you can buy a separate refundable one-way ticket to somewhere else outside Argentina and then cancel it, getting a full refund. This should keep even the most anally retentive airline off your back, being proof of your onward journey.

 

[mendozanow]

thank you all! now the real question is do I still have to pay that stupid tourist tax fee to fly around argentina?? I want to fly to mendoza

Well, at the moment you do not have to pay the reciprocity fee if you fly into Argentina at any airport other than the two in BA.

So, if you fly into Mendoza via LAN through Santiago (get your bags booked thru or you will have to pay the similiar fee for Chile) or via TACA thru Lima, you do not have to pay the fee.

But, if you fly to Mendoza thru BA, you will have to pay.