Review Of 'pasaporte Express' ( Passport Of Argentina)

Ceviche

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Recently, the pages on my Argentina passport ran out. So, had to apply for a new passport.

Step 1 :- Paid the 900 pesos fees here

https://virtual.provincianet.com.ar

You have to register and then it directs you to a page to pay. I used my American CC to pay. ( While paying, CC address is not asked) ( Was charged 99.17 USD by my CC company)

Once paid, you will receive a confirmation in your inbox ( email you registered with). Print this out.

Step 2 :- Go to Av. Callao 1065, without a appointment or turno. Just walk in. Have your print-out of payment and DNI with you.

A guard will question you at the door. Cos you may not look 'Argentine', the guard will be shocked that you are seeking a "Argentine passport'.

Av Callao 1065 - is 5 mins walk from 'Callao' subte station on Line D.

Step 3 : - In line 1, your DNI and payment slip will be checked ( takes 5 minutes wait in all)

Step 4 :- In line 2, you will stand in a line to make payment. Since you already pre-paid, the print-out, you have in hand will be stamped ( prepago) ( takes 5 minutes in all)

Note :- Cash payment is strictly not allowed. One could avoid paying online, and make a payment here but with CC or DC.

Step 5 :- In Line 3, you will sit down in front of a agent. The agent will take copy of your DNI, confirm your address, phone number. Then the agent will take your photo ( even tell you if your hair is wayward). Then the agent will take your finger prints of all 10. Then the agent will make you sign a paper confirming your address. Then the agent will hand you a peace of paper ( PP), which you must hand over to the postman when the passport arrives. She also told me, the passport will arrive within 48 hours from now.

Overall, in and out of Callao 1065 in about 15-20 mins

Step 6 :- Within 24 hours, a message arrived on the cellphone that the passport has been issued and dispatched to correo Argentina

Note :- One can see status of passport anytime, using the 'tramite number'.

http://mininterior.g...tramite-pas.php

Step 7 :- After 48 hours since I left Callao 1065 and passport did not arrive, I called up Correo Argentina

At number - 48919191

Choose option 4

Give the Tramite number to the answering agent. She told me the passport will arrive within 24 hours

Step 8 :- I left the paper ( PP) as listed in step 5 above with my portero. The passport arrived at 1400LT and the portero collected it on my behalf in exchange of the paper (PP).



Note 1 :- My previous passport ( with expired pages) had expiry date of 2011. The new passport has expiry date of 2015. ( I had assumed the expiry date will remain the same). The new passport had a different number as well.

Note 2 :- Four years ago, the passport express was faster. I had got the passport in my hands, within 15 hours from the time I had given the fingerprints. That time, OCA was the one who had delivered my passport. This time it took full 36 hours, delievered by Correo Argentina.

Note 3 :- There is a possibility of getting passport in 15 days if one pays just 500 pesos instead of 900 pesos. This process for 15 days can be done anywhere in any of the booths which are located at any nook or corner of CABA even in malls etc. However, one must make payment with CC or DC.

As per Ben's post below - One can even do passport express, at the mall. I personally can not vouch for it.

Note 4 :- There is a possibility of getting a passport at airport, if one has evidence of arriving or departing the same day. One must have the DNI for this. It takes about 2 hours. One hour standing in a que ( this facility seems heavily in demand - plus only 1 or 2 agents work at the airport (as compared to a staff of 25-30 at Av Callao) and one hour waiting for the passport to be manufactured and handed over. This costs 200 usd ( price is 200 usd and not in pesos), payable by CC only.

Note 5 :- When taking fingerprints, I showed my old passport to the agent explaining that I ran out of pages. She did not put any stamp , such as ( invalid etc) on the old passport. So not sure, if the old passport could have been used for one more trip, till the new one arrived.

Conclusion :- Overall a very efficient trouble free process. Only disappointment is that the website (http://www.mininteri...nicio/index.php) claims delivery within 24 hours in CABA but actually took 72 hours.

Hope, this is helpful to fellow citizens.
 
Re note 3 - it is possible to process an express passport at the mall. I've done it.

The fellow at the booth there gave me the website to make the payment, I made the payment online using my phone, got an email confirmation from Provincia Pagos immediately, showed the guy the number, he typed it into the system, done.

I don't remember exactly how long it took to have the passport, but it did come with OCA within a day or two.

The passport system is indeed modern, hence the posters that were literally plastered all over the city advertising the same. I cannot imagine the government of, say, Canada, trumpeting on billboards that getting a passport is now easy. Maybe on the passport office's website.
 
Thanks for the detail about this. The tramite at the CDR in Cordoba was really efficient. We have the Express and Immediate option here as well. (Aren't we fancy). We opted for the standard option.

Apparently the old passport was only 5 year validity? We happened to get the new pasaporte electrónico for my daughter on the very first day of issue when she 3 weeks old. I was surprised to see the 10 year validity for a baby.
 
Ah, of course...you just needed pages. (I skipped right by that!) They apparently can't add pages? For the US, I request the free upgrade 52-pages so there's no need to pay 100 bucks later to add additional. The US did my daughter's as a 52-page last time although we requested the standard as it's only valid 5 years.

We'll soon be traveling with 8-12 passports for a family of four. It's going to be a bit ridiculous already--and stamps will be spread out between US/AR/IT--thick passports are not going to help!

Ceviche, did you get a visa with your Argentine passport for the US? It's really about time Argentina regains ESTA visa waiver status. By 2017?
 
Ceviche, did you get a visa with your Argentine passport for the US? It's really about time Argentina regains ESTA visa waiver status. By 2017?

Argentine beef now has visa waiver status, but living flesh will have to wait longer.
 
We'll soon be traveling with 8-12 passports for a family of four.

Us too. The kids have 3 each and my OH has 2. I'm the loser with only 1 ;)

Getting the kids their Arg passport was remarkably easy. All of them were actually.
 
Without wishing to praise this govt excessively (cough,cough), stuff like passport and DNI renewals are definitely lightning fast.
My new dni appeared at the front door in about a week.
 
Lucky kids! Really.

If they make some smart moves, they can really use this to their advantage.

They are very lucky and will be able to work almost anywhere in the world when they're older. I have full plans of them supporting me some day! They're also all set if they want to engage in clandestine activities I suppose ;)
 
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