Retired USA citizens applying for residency in Argentina

[steveinbsas]

I'm on the ''90 day plan''. I never go to Uruguay, but after reading this nonsense and hearing horror stories, a cruise to Colonia 4 times a year would be a pleasure.

Please tell us what your "90 day plan" entails if it doesn't mean going to Uruguay.

 

[surfing]

Which of these agencies are your refering to when you say the most recent entry stamp is required or they won't even talk to you: the US Embassy, Ministry of International and Foreign Relations, the Federal Police, the office that issues the penales antecedentes, or Migraciones?

I'll add it my "list" of reasons to keep getting new tourist visas.

Migraciones (at Antartidas Argentinas at least): they have a sign at every window in the prorrogas section basically saying if you don't have proof and a photocopy of your most recent entry into the country --- don't even bother to speak as we will send you packing. At he time , it occurred to me that it was just a way to catch some people off guard and give them the bum's rush as this is the first year I ever saw that requirement as so thus did not come prepared for it and had to wait in the one hour photocopy line!. Thank god I'm through with that phase.

 

[steveinbsas]

Thanks, surfing. This does not mean that the tourist (or any other) visa must be current (not expired), so I won't add it to the list.

 

[jantango]

Jantango,

You simply go to the Federal Benefits Window at the Embassy with your valid U.S.passport. They will print out a letter confirming your Social Security benefits' monthly amount and lifetime duration. The letter will be written in Spanish and signed by a Consular agent. This letter must then be taken to the Ministry of International and Foreign Relations (Esmerelda 1212 but the entrance is around the corner on Arenales #819). There is a special unit there who will certify the signature from the embassy. This now certified document is enough to prove your income.

They are also now requiring that you have proof of a bank account in Argentina to which the funds could be transferred ---even though the transfer is not currently required because it is too difficult.

You should have some ATM receipts as well (three or four showing withdrawals of cash).
There is a police station near the U.S. Embassy where one of the friendly officers will be happy to take your fingerprints for the FBI check which should be sent to the FBI by FEDEX, or DHL etc (I had mine sent from the FBI to a relative in the U.S. as I don't know if they will mail to Argentina).
As other have said: get the local background check last and CERTIFICADO de DOMICILIO (which you request at your designated comiseria and they deliver the next day to your home) which is also required to be current.

Also be sure that you have copied the page on your passport (it's best to have the whole passport copied --- all pages) with the most recent entry stamp or they won't even talk to you.

EVERY item must have at least ONE photocopy so don't forget that either!

And ---- YES ---- you will have to do the same process each year for renewal.

GOOD LUCK!

Federal Benefits only sees US citizens with an appointment. [email protected] A proof of benefits letter can be obtained online at www.ssa.gov. I requested one and received it in a few days from Baltimore, Maryland. However, it doesn't include all the information the migraciones wants for the temporary residency process. I am waiting to hear from FBU about the date of my appointment.

I don't have a local bank account. Rather I've been withdrawing my benefits from a USA account. Recently I received a letter through the Embassy that BANCO MACRO announced US Dollar Accounts with direct deposit of US federal benefits to retired US citizens living in Argentina. The Embassy included the direct deposit sign-up form with instructions. A foreign banking charge of $6USD is charged for the service by the US processing agent.

 

[surfing]

Thank you Jan for that VERY valuable piece of info about BANCO MACRO with direct deposit -- I am going to look into that ASAP! If you have any links please provide or PM me.

Also --- yes you are correct that the FBU now requires appointments; they didn't in all the years I have been here so this must have started sometime during 2011.

Cheers.

 

[clooz]

Jantango,

...
There is a police station near the U.S. Embassy where one of the friendly officers will be happy to take your fingerprints for the FBI check which should be sent to the FBI by FEDEX, or DHL etc (I had mine sent from the FBI to a relative in the U.S. as I don't know if they will mail to Argentina).
...
Also be sure that you have copied the page on your passport (it's best to have the whole passport copied --- all pages) with the most recent entry stamp or they won't even talk to you.
...
GOOD LUCK!

Re the FBI report request, vs the request to Apostille the FBI report.

When you send the request to the FBI, I learned the hard way that, you have to make sure that the request explicitly asks that the FBI sign and apply the department seal to the report, for the purpose of it being later Apostilled for use internationally. If you don't add this request for it to be signed the FBI can send it back unsigned. It is the signed and sealed doc that is then sent to Washington to be Apostilled. (I also had the FBI send the report to someone in the US who then sent it to be Apostilled in Washington, to avoid the additional round-trip to Argentina.)

 

[jantango]

Apostille information can be found at http://argentina.usembassy.gov/othe...us-documents/apostille-for-us-documents2.html

This site has been updated recently. On October 12, 2011, I sent a check for $5.00 to the Authentications Office to attach an apostille to my social security benefits letter based on information on the website. After a month and no apostille, I sent another check on November 14, 2011 to the Dept of State. A week later I received the apostille requested in October with a note that the charge was only $3.00 and to send another check. My first check finally cleared, so I didn't bother to remit another check. On January 23, I received the second apostile for the same document with a letter asking me to remit an additional fee of $3.00; the authentication fee is $8.00 per document. Two letters with different information in two months. The employees at the Dept of State do not know how to correctly attach the Apostille to the document. The first had the second page of the letter first; the second apostille was attached to the back instead of the front of the letter. Two months to get the apostille, and it was done incorrectly. Migraciones didn't accept my benefits letter from SSA with apostille, translated and legalized, so this was all a waste of time. I had all prepared before I knew that there would be a cost-of-living adjustment for 2012.


Surfing:
The Banco Macro account is only available to those who receive U.S. Federal pension benefits in Argentina. After reading the thread on closed bank accounts for those without a DNI, it's unlikely I'll be opening a local account to receive my Social Security benefits with Banco Macro. Every time I withdraw 1,000 pesos through Banelco, I am charged 17+ pesos in addition to $2.35 USD from my account. I would like to avoid paying so much to access my money, but there doesn't seem to be a good option at the moment.

Any retired US citizen filing income tax returns with a Buenos Aires address will receive mail from the US Embassy, such as the direct deposit account.

This was posted on Monday, February 6 at 10:00pm BA time. The post time isn't accurate.

 

[surfing]

Jantango,

Regardless of whether or not you open an account at Banco Macro Migraciones requires you to have a local bank account that would be theoretically able to receive wire transfers of your pension (they don't currently require that you do it).
I would just go to Citibank with passport and CDI (easy to get in a few minutes from AFIP). You don't have to put more than a few pesos in the account just to keep it active.
I would also call the FBU and ask if they can hurry up your appointment (that worked for me last time); they did not used to require appointments.

 

[clooz]

Migraciones didn't accept my benefits letter from SSA with apostille, translated and legalized, so this was all a waste of time.

The US Embassy in BA has an SSA office in the consular section here, that issues benefits letters, which are already in Spanish and signed in BA, so no legalized translation is needed. It takes about a week to get the appointment with the SSA office here - they print the letter while you wait. Apostille of a document signed in BA is done at 819 Arenales, they are open in the mornings. Sorry to hear that you went the other route and it didn't work.

 

[surfing]

The US Embassy in BA has an SSA office in the consular section here, that issues benefits letters, which are already in Spanish and signed in BA, so no legalized translation is needed. It takes about a week to get the appointment with the SSA office here - they print the letter while you wait. Apostille of a document signed in BA is done at 819 Arenales, they are open in the mornings. Sorry to hear that you went the other route and it didn't work.

I agree with this post. Unfortunately it probably was a waste of time to go the other route with the apostille. Migraciones, the Embassy and the Ministry (where you have the Embassy letter certified) are all very familiar with the requirements originating with the FBU letter.