Drivers Licence

[captdave]

Although I am still getting by with my US license, I have two American friends who have gotten Argentine DL, and neither has a DNI!
They did both have to take the classes and pass a written test, but only the friend whose license had expired had to take a road test.
They both reported friendly and helpful service at the exam center, but test IS of course in Spanish (as are the classes) and no translation is available.

Of course, as always in Argentina, YMMV...

David

jedard et al,

How does this guy get a DNI in 40 days? I am a resident with a work visa, everything done 100% above the board and 100% legal, and it will be a total of about 13 months from the time my visa was issued to the time I get my DNI in March of 2009 and that was WITH contacts at the interior ministry who got my "turno" to submit all the paperwork. I realize this isn't the point of this thread, but I had to ask.

 

[inthesouth]

Hi there ! thanks ! Ok, i have read somewhere in this forum that having an american or european drivers license is valid in Argentina, but it is not totally true, in fact, it depends on your documentation or kind of visa that you have. For example, if you are a turist (turist visa on your passport) you can use your own drivers license together with an international drivers license that you also get in your country before traveling, in the other hand if you have, or are into DNI proceedings you should have an Argentinian drivers license. The truth is that in both cases, (having DNI or not) it is recommended to obtain drivers license anyway because it is uncertain if you are allowed to drive or not, and you will get less chance to get into trouble, it happends so much that a cop stops you in your car using a foreign permit and gets you into troubles that maybe don´t exist, and probably five blocks away from there another cop stops you and says something totally different and let you go, for that matter it is better to have one, even you will not be worried. Other important thing is about insurance, having a local drivers license will cover you if you have an accident, and you will have extra benefits that you don´t get if you have a foreign permit. I dont want to be so long, but that´s "why" getting the permit. Now, having DNI it is easier to get the drivers license, if you have one, you can be temporary citizen or permanent one, temporary citizens have some kind of visa in "prorrogas"= "extensions or prorrogue" area in the DNI, that shows the time left to stay legal until you should renew again. Permant DNI´s (both look like the same) doesnt have "prorrogas" filled in, but it the second page it says "Permanent". You should bring you DNI renewed, in fact your permit will expire on the date you have on "prorrogas" section, bring your foreign permit, (English doesn´t need to have a translation from embassy or so), and thats all, once there you will be told whats next. If your foreign permit is not expired you should make a teoric Exam the same day if you want, if it is out of date you should take some classes and make teoric and driving test, and you should do it in at least three or four days depending on availability, but at least in both cases you wont get the famous "P" of "principiante" that means Learner driver or beginner that has some limitations in driving. Then for people not having DNI it is a bit harder. Should bring your passport with a valid visa, or DNI proceedings paperwork if you have, and bring a address certification from police department of your neighborhood (no older than one month) that says where you live in the Capital (Remember that this is only for people living in Buenos Aires Capital), depending on the kind of visa and other stuff it depends if you have to make exams, but this are the basics. I know theres a lot more you may want to know, but there is a lot of cases, and exeptions, please any detail you want to know just ASK !
Where to go? Av. Coronel Roca 5252 (Lugano, Cap. Fed), first floor, Foreigners AREA, (its better to get an appointment before you go, on www.buenosaires.gov.ar you can get one, you choose day and time.

Hugs.
Damian.

 

[2GuysInPM]

Thanks for all the helpful info Damian. One question.. You said:

You should bring you DNI renewed, in fact your permit will expire on the date you have on "prorrogas" section...

For a temporary resident; once the permit expires what exactly needs to be done in order to renew it?

Thanks again.

 

[TomAtAlki]

Although I am still getting by with my US license, I have two American friends who have gotten Argentine DL, and neither has a DNI!
They did both have to take the classes and pass a written test, but only the friend whose license had expired had to take a road test.
They both reported friendly and helpful service at the exam center, but test IS of course in Spanish (as are the classes) and no translation is available.

Of course, as always in Argentina, YMMV...

David

Not on this thread at all but, for us out of it old farts, YMMV?

 

[2GuysInPM]

Your Mileage May Vary?

 

[djlinse37]

They did both have to take the classes and pass a written test, but only the friend whose license had expired had to take a road test.

Of course, observing 99.9% of drivers in Argentina, it is very hard to imagine that any of them have every taken any classes or passed a written test about driving, much less a road test. Oh, unless the road test is "can you drive with the left side of your vehicle in one lane and the right side in another". They'd all pass that one with flying colors!

 

[inthesouth]

Thanks for all the helpful info Damian. One question.. You said:



For a temporary resident; once the permit expires what exactly needs to be done in order to renew it?

Thanks again.

You should bring your DNI renewed with your last address in Cap. Fed., Drivers License, Libre deuda de infracciones, (that you can get here) its a document that show current traffic infringements), if you have, you should pay them before starting drivers license, some of them can be paid here, but if theres a serious one, like passing a red light, you should pay it in other place, so before coming check traffic infringments on www.buenosaires.gov.ar by you DNI number. Bring copies of DNI too including last address and "prorrogas" section. You should take a teoric class of 45 minutes of duration, but no exam, exept your permit its expired more than three months. You should get an apointment on www.buenosaires.gov.ar before you come.

So its:
-DNI
-Libre deuda
-Drivers license
-The print of the apoinment

Damian.

 

[el_expatriado]

To get a drivers license as a foreigner, you need to first have a DNI. If you have a license from your home country, you'll need to take the class and a written test. You don't have to take the actual driving test.

Just go online to the government of buenos aires website and and you'll find a list of the approved schools to take the class and you can schedule and appointment to go to the autodromo to get your license.

 

[inthesouth]

You can get driving permit even without having DNI, theres no info about getting the permit with passport in www.buenosaires.gov.ar because that section is under construction. Theres my explanation somewhere in this thread about which documentation you should bring.

Damian.

 

[wnewman7]

Ok so this thread hasn't been written to in a while, but I wanted to add a recent experience of mine that is relevant.

If you are a foreign resident of Argentina you can only drive with your foreign license for one year (no matter how often you leave the country) from the date of issuance of your residence. The Police will not know (or care) and won't (at least in my experience) give you a hard time for a foreign drivers license provided it is not expired. However, where you will run into trouble is on insurance claims. I, for example, was in an accident about a month ago that was not my fault (nor was it serious, no one was injured). But basically I was stopped at a red light on Alcorta and Sarmiento in Palermo and I get slammed from behind and in a chain reaction hit the guy in front of me (me hicieron el sandwhich!).

Moral of the story is that I have Todo Riesgo insurance (the best you can get) and my company covered all the damage over $5,000 pesos and the $5,000 peso deductable is covered by the other's guys insurance as he caused the accident. My company paid me, the other company refused to pay the $5,000 as I did not have an Argentine license.

Obviously its a mute point as I did not cause the accident and what does getting the license after the fact have to do with not having it at the time of the accident, but thats the way things are here (anyone who has gone through enough beaurocracy and bullsh*t to buy a car should know that). So if you own a car, do yourself a favor, save yourself a MASSIVE headache and weeks worth of paperwork, and get your license out of the way. And...well, if you don't speak spanish you are screwed as the test is only in Spanish.