Obtaining Permanent Ba Drivers License:

[Buenaonda]

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,

 

[bobsnowpuppy]

You are required to obtain your license in the city listed on your DNI as your residence. I currently live in capital federal, but I am going to Tigre to get my license as that's my DNI residence. The process and requirements (I have found) can vary from city to city and area of the country. I went to the Tigre municipal website, was confused about what was required, so emailed them. They responded within 24 hours with a simple list of what was needed. I have an unexpired US license and am a permanent resident here, so not sure if it makes a difference or not. I don't remember the fee, but it seemed I could pay more to get a longer expiration period. Tigre requires from me:

DNI
Photocopy of front and back of DNI
Medical form showing my blood type
Appointment (made online at Tigre muni website)
Attendance at the 7 - 8 am safety lecture the day of my appointment
Have to take the written test, eye test, misc other tests
Vehicle and motorcycle I will use to take the driving tests

 

[steveinbsas]

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,

I have not recently obtained a driver's license in BA. In fact, I'm about to renew mine in Provinica Bs. As., but I am 99.9999% certain that you will not be able to get a "certificado de legalisation" from the Texas DMV for an expired license, so completing a course at an "authorised academy here in BA" is going to be preferable.

There have been posts about attending a driver's school/academy in fairly recent threads that have the words "drivers license" in the title. You can probably find them in an advance search in this site or a google search (adding "baexpats.org" to your search).

PS: Bobsnowpuppy is correct. If the address on your DNI is is in CABA there is no option regarding where to get the license.

 

[syngirl]

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.

 

[Buenaonda]

thanks you guys!

 

[Girino]

Tigre requires from me:

Curiously enough, I went to San Isidro's DMV last week and I was told they don't give a damn about my FL driving license or my Italian one.
When I was still staying at my in-laws in Vicente Lopez, I went to the DMV there and they said I just had to show my FL DL and do very little to have a local license (we didn't probe any further because I was still months away from even starting my residency application).

On the Italian consulate website they said that in CABA there is mutual recognition of Italian and Argie licenses, however I asked to an Italian acquaintance living in CABA and she said that you must surrender your Italian license to get an Argentinian one, so it is not worth it (getting a DL in Italy is very expensive and time consuming).

 

[steveinbsas]

Curiously enough, I went to San Isidro's DMV last week and I was told they don't give a damn about my FL driving license or my Italian one.
When I was still staying at my in-laws in Vicente Lopez, I went to the DMV there and they said I just had to show my FL DL and do very little to have a local license (we didn't probe any further because I was still months away from even starting my residency application).

I obtained an Argentine driver's license in the provincia with my valid US license and my DNI (with permanent residency) I had to pay the fee, provide the photo, copy a few line drawings, and take the eye exam.

On the Italian consulate website they said that in CABA there is mutual recognition of Italian and Argie licenses, however I asked to an Italian acquaintance living in CABA and she said that you must surrender your Italian license to get an Argentinian one, so it is not worth it (getting a DL in Italy is very expensive and time consuming).

Was your friend actually asked to surrender her Italian license when apply for an Argentine license or is this just something she was told about? I presented my US license when I applied for my Argentine license, but it was given back to me before I left the building.

 

[ElCordobés]

In Córdoba, I heard the same anecdotes about taking the US license away. They never asked to see mine. I went in to ask some questions so I could come back with the correct things. They told me I could take apply on the spot. so I did. I just had to do the written exam, have a brief physical...eye check. Then I took the practical exam, which consisted of me telling the guy I have driven for 20 years and didn't have a car with me... He said, you know how to drive? Me: Yes, sir. He just told me to bring a friend's tarjeta verde the next morning so he could write the patente (license plate) of the car that I "used" for the exam. Done. I have had it for 20 months. I have yet to show it. I drove to Patagonia and back over 6 weeks. Never pulled it out of my wallet. But my insurance DID ask for my Argentine license when I made a glass replacement claim.

 

[sgibson123]

Just obtained by DL from tigre. Easiest thing ever!!

But you do need a current DL not expired.

 

[Girino]

Was your friend actually asked to surrender her Italian license when apply for an Argentine license or is this just something she was told about? I presented my US license when I applied for my Argentine license, but it was given back to me before I left the building.

We actually chatted about this in impersonal term. She simply said "they keep and destroy your Italian license, so you will lose it", but I don't know if she was just told this or if they actually did it. An Italian would never surrender their Italian DL for the reason I mentioned previously, so actually getting to step 2 is highly unlikely.

That said, I am in touch with several Italians living in the US and apparently each US state has their rule about it. People in NY are asked to surrender their Italian DL, but people in some states reported that they were told their license would be confiscated, but that they could ask to have it not destroyed in case they planned to return to their home country for some reason. Others simply never mentioned they held a foreign DL since it was not recognized, anyway.

Personally, when I took my DL in Florida, I told the driving inspector I already had an Italian license - she took it and noted it in the system, maybe even made a copy of it. However she said I had to take the full exam anyway. I am curious why she wanted my Italian DL anyway... Plus, I also heard different stories from different persons taking the exam in different counties of FL. I took the preliminary course about Driving Awareness (4 hours online) before going to my DMV because it looked like I was a First Time Driver in the US, after all - and I was asked if I had taken the DATA when I applied for the DL. But another guy in Sarasota didn't take the course and they let him sit the DL exam anyway, without even mentioning the DATA.

From my understanding, if there is a convention in place, you can trade your foreign DL for a local one. 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.

My strategy is to go back to the DMV and hope to find a different lady to speak to. She will probably give me a different answer, anyway!