Can I get a visa stamp at Ciudad del Este?

chilady

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I am going to Iguazu Falls this weekend, however we are staying on the Argentine side. I am in need of a visa stamp this month. Is there any way I can get stamped at Ciudad del Este? Is there even border patrol there checking passports? Someone told me that everyone just comes in and out without going through any customs/immigration.

Thanks!
 
chilady said:
I am going to Iguazu Falls this weekend, however we are staying on the Argentine side. I am in need of a visa stamp this month. Is there any way I can get stamped at Ciudad del Este? Is there even border patrol there checking passports? Someone told me that everyone just comes in and out without going through any customs/immigration.

Thanks!

I've heard the same thing regarding lax border controls in CdE. If you're not a U.S. Citizen, Canadian, Australian, etc., you could head to Brazil. If you're a U.S. citizen, you should know that Paraguay (and Brazil) requires U.S. citizens to have a visa before entering. Single entry Paraguayan visas cost $65. For more information, head to the website for the Embassy of Paraguay in the United States.
 
And is it possible also to enter Argentina with a vehicle but without being controlled ?
 
hello

there is no crossing from Argentina to Paraguay, it goes from arg, (ruta 12) to brazil than (ruta 277) to ciudad del este.

on weekdays there is hardly any wait on the friendship bridge (brazil/paraguay) so you most likely just cross in and out without any one checking documents. but on weekends it is a crazy wait so people go to by fake goods :p

so if the issue is renewing your visa, it will be based on arg/brazil crossing, which you do need a visa to enter brazil. now i heard that brazil does provide temporary visa if you are just going to the Brazilian side of the falls, but i could not confirm this since i was good to enter brazil with my passport.

my understanding is that paid border/land crossing visas are required for all border countries, excluding Uruguay and chile

hope this helps steve
 
actually, just to add to my post about the temp visa, from foz de iguazo i took a bus to rio and before getting on the bus, they did check my passport for a visa, so this could a a control for the temp visas holders to not leave the foz area. i really don't know for sure if that was the case, since i had everything in check.
 
rockbodyrock said:
hello

there is no crossing from Argentina to Paraguay, it goes from arg, (ruta 12) to brazil than (ruta 277) to ciudad del este.

on weekdays there is hardly any wait on the friendship bridge (brazil/paraguay) so you most likely just cross in and out without any one checking documents. but on weekends it is a crazy wait so people go to by fake goods :p

so if the issue is renewing your visa, it will be based on arg/brazil crossing, which you do need a visa to enter brazil. now i heard that brazil does provide temporary visa if you are just going to the Brazilian side of the falls, but i could not confirm this since i was good to enter brazil with my passport.

my understanding is that paid border/land crossing visas are required for all border countries, excluding Uruguay and chile

hope this helps steve

For citizens of the U.S., Canada, Australia, etc., legal entry in Brazil requires a visa, which can only be obtained from the Brazilian Consulate in Puerto Iguazu. There are no visas given at the border. This was the case when I went for the first time in 2008, and it was the case when I went in January of this year. Many taxis offer to drive you across, but I would not take them up on that offer.

Entering a country illegally is a bad idea for obvious reasons. Beyond the obvious, there are other issues one should think about. For example, many travel insurance companies will deny coverage to you if something happens. If you were to get killed (Heaven forbid), your insurance company -- assuming you have one -- may refuse to pay for repatriation. Repatriation is not cheap, and usually runs anywhere from $40,000 - $100,000 USD.
 
I was just at the falls a few weeks ago, and I did the Brazil/Argentina border crossing several times. I did a lot of research and I didn't come across anything about a temporary visa just to see the other side of the falls. As far as I know, US citizens have to pay for the full 10 year visa ($140 US). Public transportation across the border was a little tricky because you have to stop at both countries' border controls each way. It's a lot of getting on and off the bus--sometimes the bus waits for you, and sometimes you have to just get off and wait for the next one. Our 2010 guidebooks said you could get an exit and entry stamp on the same side, so this is probably a new policy.

If you need the stamp, I'd definitely recommend seeing the Brazilian side of the falls! The end of the catwalk through the Brazilian side is truly amazing. If you go this route, I'd also recommend flying into Brazil. I got a return flight with Pluna for $175 US, which was much cheaper than flying into the Argentine airport and seemed to be on par with bus ticket prices.
 
Thanks everyone for your help. It looks like I will just be staying on the Argentina side. I was trying to save money by not crossing into Brazil and paying the visa fee and thought I could get away with a visa stamp at CDE, but I guess not. I already paid 800 pesos for a bus ticket there and back. Being the long weekend it was impossible to find an airline ticket under $US1000!
 
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