Renewing a Visa

[Boomersic]

Can someone explain to me, which is the cheapest means of renewing a tourist visa?

Some people said the immigration office will charge 300 pesos and others say take a boat to Uruguay for the day...BucaBus, Colonia Express, etc...

 

[Boomersic]

also, is there a cheaper boat? what is the process?

thank you in advance.

 

[Rich One]

Seacat to Colonia

 

[Crema Americana]

Cheapest is probably just paying the fine (300 pesos) on your way out.

 

[ElQueso]

Big discussion on this in the past. Don't remember the thread name and hasn't surfaced for awhile. An Argentine immigration lawyer who specializes in citizenship for people who are here without residency contributed significantly to the discussion.

Summary:

• You can only renew your visa once per year, and you cannot stay past 180 days under the on-arrival visa issued for most tourists. You do that at immigrations. Going to Colonia does not officially renew the visa.
• You are not illegal if you overstay your visa, but you are "irregular"
• Going to Colonia or any other location never renews your visa. It just puts a stamp in your passport.
• Too many trips and you may be noticed. If an immigrations official decides to flag you, a court will issue an order to your known place of residence (if they even have one, whether you are actually there any more or not) that says you have 30 days to "regularize" yourself.
• If you fail to regularize yourself in the 30 days (whether you received the order or not) and are still in the country, you will have a deportation order placed on you and probably the next time that you leave and try to get back in, you won't be able to for at least, I seem to remember someone mentioning, 5 years.
• No reports have been made of anyone who overstayed, paid the fine and had no other issues against them being denied entry into the country later.

Bajo_cero, the lawyer, was the one who laid these concepts out. I hope I got them right.

I knew of one person, a year or more ago, who was once denied entrance. I knew the person in passing and her fate was relayed to me by a good friend of hers who lives here. At the time, I didn't know what I laid out above, and only knew that she was not allowed in because she had made too many visa runs. I suspect that what I described above happened to her, but can't confirm it. I don't think I've ever heard of anyone else.

However, why take a chance? Pay the fine when you leave and that's that. I have a friend who lives out in the sticks, has been here for almost 7 years now, and has left the country and returned a few times. He's paid the tax and had no problems.

I used to make that "visa run" a few years ago, and even then I started getting a few comments from immigrations officials every once in awhile.

It's not worth it. Expensive and doesn't do anything but put you in immigration's sights.

 

[Bajo_cero2]

The cheapest way is to pay the fine when you leave. Regards

 

[rrptownley]

Unless you need to get a valid visa stamp in order to sign some documents, then you must do the cannonball run to Colonia.

EDIT: Also, if your visa has already expired, it is not possible to do the renewal at migraciones.

 

[pompeygazza]

I always feel uneasy about the advice to 'wait until you leave and pay the fine'. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I was on a bus to Puerto Madryn a couple of months ago and the bus was stopped and boarded by police. All ID and passports were checked. I'd done my run to Colonia a few weeks before and thanked my lucky stars I had. You only have to catch one of those guys on a bad day... so my advice is: whether you go to Migraciones or Colonia, keep your visa in date.

 

[mactravels]

Just to clarify: I have an expired visa, can I pay the $300 pesos at the Colonia Express office on my way out of Argentina? In other words can I buy the Permicion de Salida at any border crossing? This is my second expired visa this year. Will I have problems coming back in? Thanks!

 

[John.St]

Just to clarify: I have an expired visa, can I pay the $300 pesos at the Colonia Express office on my way out of Argentina? In other words can I buy the Permicion de Salida at any border crossing? This is my second expired visa this year. Will I have problems coming back in? Thanks!

I have never had any problems coming back. Overstayed in 2012, left in December, payed AR$ 300 at exit, returned in February this year - stamp - stamp in 1½ minute; not for the first time. And I have never seen anyone on this forum, where many have overstayed, having more than words and stamp - stamp at entry.