Exchanging Pesos for Dollars

[NeilS]

NeilS, I imagine you tried Banco Nación? Even they said no? Is there anything related to your status here that could have affected this? (Obviously I'm not asking you to be specific).

Yesterday I went to the AFIP to ask about bringing funds into the country (which my Argentine husband earned abroad as a government worker, everything is declared/taxes paid etc.), to buy an apartment. Of course, they told me we should be fine once we bring the money into the country. Apparently, the AFIP analyzes how much money is in your bank account to decide how many dollars you are authorized to buy. If you don't have the money here in the bank, you can't get authorized for that amount.

The AFIP guy told me once we have the money in the bank, we have to bring a bunch of documentation to the AFIP, they will analyze our case, and say yes or no. He told me they should say yes. Of course, this is extremely risky, what if they say no?! Apparently there is no way to ask permission until the money is here. Neil's comment makes me wonder if we could buy the dollars even if they say yes.

However, at least in theory my husband can buy up to 20,000 pesos worth of dollars at the moment, according to his account on the AFIP website (you can check this if you have a clave fiscal). He has to do some unrelated trámite with the AFIP first, then we are going to give it a shot, we'll see...I'll let yall know.

I was also told in a casa de cambio that tourists can change back the dollars they changed to pesos, BUT only with a receipt from a casa de cambio, NOT with an ATM receipt.

Actually it was quite interesting to chat with the AFIP guy, he said they analyze your income, how much money you have in the bank, your credit/debit card spending, if you have private health insurance, if you send your kids to private school...and then they decide if you have the possibility of saving, or not. Kind of ludicrous if you ask me, I understand they (supposedly) want to prevent money laundering, but what if my mother in law who lives off her pension wants to live on one potato a day and save the rest?

Well it's been a little while now since I have tried so I don't know if anything has changed. Fortunately I have had friends from the US visit so I just have them bring the dollars I need for rent and anything else I use informal.

I will just say I was told about 5 different things by AFIP and then the banks on how to get dollars. Each time I would do what they said, there would be some new excuse. So I just gave up, it was obvious I was getting the run around.

That doesn't mean you shouldn't try, by all means give it a shot! Your case might be different as your husband has an Argentine bank account and I have only US banks. But set your expectations low, there is a very good chance you may get some BS answer from someone and you will have wasted a lot of time.

 

[2estrellas]

Well it's been a little while now since I have tried so I don't know if anything has changed. Fortunately I have had friends from the US visit so I just have them bring the dollars I need for rent and anything else I use informal.

I will just say I was told about 5 different things by AFIP and then the banks on how to get dollars. Each time I would do what they said, there would be some new excuse. So I just gave up, it was obvious I was getting the run around.

That doesn't mean you shouldn't try, by all means give it a shot! Your case might be different as your husband has an Argentine bank account and I have only US banks. But set your expectations low, there is a very good chance you may get some BS answer from someone and you will have wasted a lot of time.

Thanks

Clearly the AFIP has no clue, some guy there told my husband he could just transfer the dollars directly to an account here in dollars! Idiot. Even my escribano said you could do this! Clearly she will not be working for us anymore. Bringing in dollars directly (legally through a bank account) has not ever been possible (or at least not since 2001) and there is a law against it. Which is of course what every bank has told me (Citi, HSBC, Galicia, Santander Río). The financieras wouldn't charge you 1% to bring it in en negro otherwise, duh.