Obtaining Permanent Ba Drivers License:

[Iwaslukky]

So I have permanent DNI and a US Texas drivers license that expired in October of last year. Has anybody out there RECENTLY gone through the red tape of obtaining a BA drivers license? I have read through most of the options, but I would like to know if anybody, personally, has done it recently and can advise.

Also, I understand I can take a drivers course from an authorised academy here in BA and believe it must be completed before the appt. (Can anybody confirm that? ) Has anybody out there completed a course recently with success and can recommend such a place. Believe it or not, this may be preferable to trying to get the "certificado de legalisation" from the Texas DMV, and getting an apostille for it.

Lastly is there any other location to take care of this "tramite" without having to go clear out to this place on Colonel Roca, to do it?

thanks,

Hi. I am currently in the middle of the process here in Capital. It is a little confusing the process but i think I am on the right way. I have a current European drivers license, but since I heard from some people that the legalization of the foreign card was less straight forward than doing it from zero here, I decided to do the whole thing from scratch here. Since i also have DNI permanente I think the option of driving with passport and foreign drivers license might be semi-legal (as I understand, driving is probably no issue, but insurance wise in the worst case scenario of accident or body injure, the insurance companies might be more or less helpful if you don't carry national license)

So far i have booked a turno for otorgamiento de licencia de conducir here http://apps.buenosai...rupo_tramite=3.

As far as I understand, that turno is for examen teorico and apto fisico/psicotecnica. You can book it in belgrano or the big centro en ROCA south capital. There are far less turnos here in capital and also if you do it in ROCA you can do the examen teorico and practico on the same day. For the examen practico you dont need a turno and you can also do it in Palermo after the examen teorico is approved. (but not the same day)

And before you can do the examen teorico you have to take a course and get a certificate from that. I did it 2 weeks ago, 6 hours. He said that they will change the set up "soon" so that the course will be at least two days. I took the course in an autoescuela on Cabildo. They seemed helpful and the price was ok. There are 3 or 4 schools closeby on cabildo so I compared a few of them. They gave me a CD with practise tests and study material.

These are the authorized schools: http://www.buenosair...ias-autorizadas

There is also the issue with the "P" for principiante that you need to use for 6 months after your license is new. With this "p" you can not drive on the autopista and bigger roads. If you already had a license in Argentina you can skip this and apparently also if you have a foreign license but then you are back to the legalization issue. I will try to do some semi-legalization of my European license to see if it´s enough to skip the "P"-part.

I have also understood that the process seems fairly different between capital and provincia.. so tips I have received from friends outside of the city haven't really helped.

Actually the wibsites of the city are quite good
http://www.buenosair...cia-de-conducir
http://www.buenosair...l-bibliografico

Lastly, dont know how your spanish is.. I did all in spanish... i have heard that you can do the examen teorico in english.. but dont know about the course etc.

 

[Iwaslukky]

The one thing I can help you with that has changed since I did a few years back is that the course is now offered as a few videos online. My husband accidently let his (local) license expire and had to redo the course before he could get a new license. So it is possible that this option is only available for those who have already had a local license, it's possible that for a first time issuing they make you do it in person.

However the "safety talk" is given by the driving schools as well. The driving schools can set up an appt at Rocas for you and get you in much faster than you yourself, but unfortunately there is no way to avoid going out there eventually -- you are going to have to do the driving test there and it is on a closed course. The driving schools can explain the course to you, it's ridiculous -- 4 steps: 1 parallel park in only 3 moves (no straightening out, must be X number of cm from curb), then I think there's starting on a hill, weaving through cones and my favourite: reversing around an oval without hitting anything or going off course. Seriously. That is the entirety of the driving test. There are no tests as to going through intersections, turning left, nothing. It's a closed course test -- so obviously no one actually is tested to see if they know how to drive when other people are around.

The written exam the questions and answers are all available online from the BA city website. Just google examen escrita licensia conducir or something similar and it should pop up.

You will need a car to do the test, so if you don't have one here and your license is expired (ie you can't rent one) you'll have to go with either a friend or a driving school, and you'll want to go out and practice at least once just to see this crazy course. The practice circuit is full of idiots and it is good for a laugh, I saw someone somehow lose control at about 15km/h, jump a curb and slam into a tree. It's a total zoo. And it explains SOOOO much about the drivers here. The driving schools can give you a car to do the test if necessary, though obviously you'll have to pay for the time/service. There's a place called ONE Auto I think, they are pretty much in every barrio now and teach driving lessons so you might want to talk to them and see if it's not just easier to do that.

The 4 schools I talked to all required you to take at least one hours class with them before you can rent a car for the examen practico. 2 of them said that the only office was sede ROCA and that you could rent a car with them and the bring you there...The third school said you can also do it the palermo sede which is much smaller and have fewer turnos.

And yes, when i took the course, a few people did not have the turno for the examen teorico so they booked it right there with him, but also for sede ROCA.

 

[Girino]

Just curious - how much does it takes to get a DL through a driving school? I have no car and I wouldn't mind having everything sorted out by a driving school if the price is fair.

 

[cbonanni]

I believe that in the province , you do not need the driving school. I did the test in Vincente Lopez. All I needed was my valid Florida d/l. also the photo's , copies , etc....

Really was very easy. I failed the written test by 1 wrong answer , but retook it the next day and passed.

Serafina , as you said earlier , go back and ask another person and you may get different answer.

Ciao !!

 

[nativexpat]

You can also become a member of ACA (Automovil Club Argentino) and do everything at their offices in Libertador y Tagle.

I believe that you can do the driving part right here in Capital, near the Planetario (they have a circuit behind Club de Amigos). I'll let you know as soon as I know, my husband will go there next week as his European license will expire next month and he will just get a new one from here.

 

[steveinbsas]

But you cannot be given a local DL just by showing your foreign one. Of course, as this thread shows, actual experiences and practices may differ.

It's somewhat surprising that in the Province of Buenos Aires the "practices" can vary from one location to another. They're all in the same state (provincia).

Though I had to take the eye exam and copy the line drawings (aka the psychological test), after showing my US driver's license I did not have to do anything to demonstrate my ability to drive or my knowledge of the "rules of the road" in Argentina.

I don't think anyone ever posted about taking the practical test in Palermo in the forum until yesterday. I wonder if it's possible to get a turno on line to take the test there and if all of the tramite is done at that location.

 

[Girino]

It's somewhat surprising that in the Province of Buenos Aires the "practices" can vary from one location to another. They're all in the same state (provincia).

As the lady at the San Isidro DMV said "You're not in Vicente Lopez anymore, Dorothy"

 

[ElCordobés]

You can also become a member of ACA (Automovil Club Argentino) and do everything at their offices in Libertador y Tagle.

I believe that you can do the driving part right here in Capital, near the Planetario (they have a circuit behind Club de Amigos). I'll let you know as soon as I know, my husband will go there next week as his European license will expire next month and he will just get a new one from here.

I joined ACA last year. They administer my auto insurance. I have found their service excellent. There are always promos to join. My first year was almost free. I had looked into getting my license through them, but it's not a service they offer up here. I suspect that they might be a bit more helpful in obtaining a license. They also do DNIs and Passports.

 

[Rich One]

I joined ACA last year. They administer my auto insurance. I have found their service excellent. There are always promos to join. My first year was almost free. I had looked into getting my license through them, but it's not a service they offer up here. I suspect that they might be a bit more helpful in obtaining a license. They also do DNIs and Passports.

Automovil Club in Palermo/Libertador can secure the Argie DL, the medical, written tests and practico/driving are conducted there , the DL is issued immediately there after approving the tests. The Service is provided for ACA members, CABA residents, with DNI with Residencia . Permanente!
ACA can provide a car for $150 pesos.

http://www.aca.org.a...acion/frame.htm

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[Iwaslukky]

I don't think anyone ever posted about taking the practical test in Palermo in the forum until yesterday. I wonder if it's possible to get a turno on line to take the test there and if all of the tramite is done at that location.

I am not 100% sure about anything hehe.. but as far as I understood, An my plan so far..you cannot book turno for the practical test anywhere in capital. you only book turno for examen teorico in ROCA or sede Cabildo. In ROCA you do the practical exam in the morning straight after your turno for the theoretical exam (thats why people do it there all in one day). I have my turno for examen teorico midday en la sede de Cabildo. In ACA in Palermo you just then show up at a certain time in the morning (only at that time certain days.. think its 7 or 8, dont remeber which days) with your certificado de examen teorico done and within 90 days i think after that exam.

Also... dont take my words for anything haha.. This is what I am doing so far.. possibly there are other ways or possible some parts of my process will not work.. Will keep you updated.