Moving to Argentina

[Pensador]

Also not of center? Like even around the center that's not possible? TY

It will not work believe me unless you want to live in a villa and
they will eat you alive there.

 

[steveinbsas]

Here are some recent threads I found searching the words "cost" and living" in this site:

Show us your money. Renting in BA: what's the go?

My wife (Argentinian) claims you can live "well" on $1500 a month in Argentina. True?

Argentina is expensive. Really don't know how middle class here get by

Advice for moving to Buenos Aires

Here is a quote (made six months ago) in the last thread after the OP indicated he hoped to pay $400-$500 USD per month "at the top of (his) budget" to rent an apartment:

you won't get more than a room in a shared apartment for this price. or some tiny ancient run down place where nothing worked for the last half a century

Who knows, you might find a small studio for $500 USD per month. I haven't rented in Capital Federal since 2006 and then I was paying $600 USD per month for a beautifully furnished and NEW apartment at the corner of Guise and Charcas in Palermo.

As soon as you arrive I suggest you consider getting renter's insurance to cover your laptop and cellphone in case they are stolen from your temporary apartment. Unfortunately, I don't think you can get coverage for them if they are stolen from you in the street. Perhaps an international traveler's policy would cover that. The cheaper the place you rent, the more likely that is to happen. It would be a terrible thing to happen to a digital nomad who lacked the cash reserves to replace them, considering the relatively outrageous cost of such devices in Argentina.

 

[Idois]

I'm not sure what the current figure is, but (unless the laws have been changed recently) there is an income tax exemption of over $100K per year for anyone "from the USA" who is living (aka residing) outside of the USA more than 335 days of the year.

Careful with this:
That is true only if you an employee (you can take an exemption up to the amount and pay tax on earned income above this amount). If you are self-employed, on the other hand, the foreign income exemption does not apply, even if you reside in another country 360 days/year or a permanent traveler, or have another passport/established permanent residence. The only way for a 'self-employed' digital nomad who is US citizen to bypass this is to have an 'employer' (I.e. Estonian company for example that s/he owns, etc.).
For non-US citizens it is a whole different ball game.

 

[Joglide]

Also not of center? Like even around the center that's not possible? TY

I know one guy who stayed a couple of weeks with a BnB and then bargained a long term stay at 'hostel prices' (I don't believe him but he did get the landlord to give him a low rent). In your situation a sensible option is to rent a room in a house not an apartment IMO.

 

[Math1983]

TX all for the replies, really great answers. And yeh seems i have to definitely increase either my budget, or rent a room/share apartment and so on.

 

[MorganF]

It appears you are correct. I did not know this.

I know far too much about this topic so ask if you any questions. But aren’t you from a strange land that isn’t the US?

 

[ben]

I know far too much about this topic so ask if you any questions. But aren’t you from a strange land that isn’t the US?

Correct, that’s is precisely why I didn’t know about it.

 

[Joglide]

Careful with this:
That is true only if you an employee (you can take an exemption up to the amount and pay tax on earned income above this amount). If you are self-employed, on the other hand, the foreign income exemption does not apply, even if you reside in another country 360 days/year or a permanent traveler, or have another passport/established permanent residence. The only way for a 'self-employed' digital nomad who is US citizen to bypass this is to have an 'employer' (I.e. Estonian company for example that s/he owns, etc.).
For non-US citizens it is a whole different ball game.

I am opening up another line of enquiry but since you people seem to be very knowledgeable I hope its ok to post it here: in talking about moving, residence etc, I know that if you are employed by a company here then they often spin the wheels to get you perm residence within a reasonable time via their lawyers etc. For those of us not so placed, a friend told me confidently that if you set up a shelf company here you can not only buy a property as that company but also gain residency relatively quickly and without the bureaucratic tangle that awaits the ordinary person. Does anyone know if there is any merit in this idea? ie that its reasonably easy and safe to set up an enterprise legally and then this assists the residency passage?

 

[steveinbsas]

I am opening up another line of enquiry but since you people seem to be very knowledgeable I hope its ok to post it here: in talking about moving, residence etc, I know that if you are employed by a company here then they often spin the wheels to get you perm residence within a reasonable time via their lawyers etc.

In order to get a visa (temporary residency) to work in Argentina it is necessary to have a work contract and that contract must be approved by migraciones before the visa will be granted. I've never heard of anyone being helped in getting permanent residency by their employer. Lawyers are not required to complete this process.

On the third annual renewal, someone who has had temporary residency can, at least in the case of the visa rentista and the visa pensionado, request the cambio de category from temporary to permanent residency I once read this can be done on the second annual renewal of a work visa, but I don't know if that is correct. In any case, lawyers are not required to complete this process.

For those of us not so placed, a friend told me confidently that if you set up a shelf company here you can not only buy a property as that company but also gain residency relatively quickly and without the bureaucratic tangle that awaits the ordinary person. Does anyone know if there is any merit in this idea? ie that its reasonably easy and safe to set up an enterprise legally and then this assists the residency passage?

I believe your friend is overconfident. Buying a property as a "shelf" (did you mean shell?) company (or as an individual) does not provide a fast track to residency, either temporary or permanent. While their is an "investor visa" that may be granted by making a legitimate investment in a business in Argentina, I have the impression that qualifying for one involves a greater "bureaucratic tangle" than most if not all of the other categories of residency,

 

[Joglide]

In order to get a visa (temporary residency) to work in Argentina it is necessary to have a work contract and that contract must be approved by migraciones before the visa will be granted. I've never heard of anyone being helped in getting permanent residency by their employer. Lawyers are not required to complete this process.

On the third annual renewal, someone who has had temporary residency can, at least in the case of the visa rentista and the visa pensionado, request the cambio de category from temporary to permanent residency I once read this can be done on the second annual renewal of a work visa, but I don't know if that is correct. In any case, lawyers are not required to complete this process.



I believe your friend is overconfident. Buying a property as a "shelf" (did you mean shell?) company (or as an individual) does not provide a fast track to residency, either temporary or permanent. While their is an "investor visa" that may be granted by making a legitimate investment in a business in Argentina, I have the impression that qualifying for one involves a greater "bureaucratic tangle" than most if not all of the other categories of residency,

Many thanks for this: shell = my usage = off the shelf company in some english parlance I think. My friend is Irish and has worked for a company for 2-3 years and told me that getting perm residency was not a problem in her (big) company as their company lawyers handle it all. She no doubt had a proper contract (and is paid in USD).
On the investment side if one sets up a valid Argentine business enterprise (or perhaps a branch on a euro company?) then it may be possible to begin a process without a labour contract, though complicated, it seems. Many thanks.