mariposa said:
exactly my experience! one year recently we did the whole DNI process and paid extra for mail delivery. that never happened. we finally found them ca. 5 months later after we spent half a day at the Registro Nacional de las Personas. we had to go twice, the first time it wasn't there because "it was in the mail", ja ja. the second time it was there. no mail delivery had ever been attempted. the following year same thing, we never got the things in the mail after waiting 2,3,4 months. we went back to the Registro Nacional de las Personas and it was such a nightmare situation that they didn't even let us in the door. they told us to come back another day at 6am and (presumably) wait all day. we finally paid a "dispachante" a fair amount of money to go there and get them for us. (no one is supposed to be able to pick them up for you but money makes the difference.) life is too f---ing short!
I wonder how long ago "one year recently" is?
Perhaps you are referring to the Registro Nacional de las Personas on 25 de Mayo? They stopped using that location in late 2009 for those applying for the DNI. I had good luck there: applying for, receiving, and getting my DNI stamped twice (2006-2008), It took almost three hours to apply for the the DNI, less than two to pick it up (90 days later), and less than one for the renewal stamps but I know after that it got much worse. There were no appointments, people were lining up at 4 AM to get a number, and many were not allowed in.
Is the Registro de Las Personas on 25 de Mayo still the place you have to go to "pick up" your DNI if it doesn't arrive in the mail? That's not a pleasant thought. Are there so many people in this situation that it takes all day?
Late last year my friend Patricia helped two expats apply for their visas. Both received their DNIs within 60 days.
Yesterday she helped a new arrival (who received his visa in his home country) apply for his DNI. Here is a quote from a PM I received from him today:
"Thanks for sending me Patricia's number.
We have met and she has accompanied me to Migraciones. There (after some waiting) we submitted the envelope I had from the Argentinean embassy in xxxxxxxxx, a Certificado de Domicilio which I managed to obtain by myself and ARS30.
My DNI will be delivered within 60 days.
While I may (?) have got there in the end alone, it was invaluable having bilingual assistance as Patricia was able to ask the officer to enter the address to which I am moving next week for delivery instead of my certified address, and we were able to answer the officer's query about the city in which I was born.
It was also interesting to talk to her about Argentina and Uruguay while we waited."