The route from perma-tourist to legal.

[esllou]

I've been here for 14 months, always doing the colonia run.

I don't work here, always using external earnings to live. I suppose I could go for the rentista visa, but I don't have the DNI or the residence permit or anything. I don't have a bank account either. In fact, I just have a lot of buquebus ticket stubs.

what would be the most pain-free path to some sort of more permanent legality? I don't have my birth certificate here, though I'm likely to be going to get it this summer (july/aug) so this would be for my return.

what do I need to get a DNI?
what do I need to get a residence permit?
do I need both of those to be able to get the rentista visa?

in short - ayudo!

 

[Alzinho]

I've been here for 3 years and it's taken me almost 2 years since deciding to 'go legal' to get to the point where I'm now just waiting for my DNI to be delivered (they told me 'between 5 and 60 days' (arf) and it's now 46 days and counting).

I firstly got my 'residencia precaria' which was just a matter of getting all the right documents together. Then I had 6 months to get a whole load more documents together to make it 'permanente'. Then the office dealing with foreign DNIs was shut for several months to 'update their systems'......which might have worked - ask me again in 14 days!

I have no idea what a 'rentista' visa is, or why you'd need it once you've got a DNI, which is as permanent as you can get without trying for citizenship surely?

Al xx

 

[jonnytownmouse]

Well there is only one avenue to become a resident and that is by going to immigration with all the necessary documents.

I would have thought a CUIT (your own unique tax number) would be as relevant to you as a DNI, as you are earning.

If you have been in the country more than 180 days a year, you are regarded resident for tax purposes, according to the AFIP website. Immigration may want to know how you can support yourself and how you have been supporting yourself for the last 8 months (when you stopped being a tourist).

Income earnt from abroad is unfortunately taxable under Argentinian law (as well as assets and rental income from abroad), so you may find yourself receiving a back payment for taxes and a fine, should immigration pass on your source of income to the AFIP (which you will have to declare yourself, should you take the "legal" route)

Personally it sounds like a lot more trouble than it's worse (with higher taxes than other countries), which is why I have chosen to return to Europe, before my tourist Visa expires.

 

[Dolly]

Well esllou, it's not easy, but these are your options
1) residency through a work visa (you need a sponsor- very difficult to get)
2) Retirement - don't think you qualify
3) Rentista is when you are not retired but can show that you receive and transfer (US$ 700 or $750 can't remember which) each month from your UK bank a/c to your Arg bank a/c. For this process you need
- your original birth certificate - and apostilled in your home country
- a clean criminal report from your own country - again apostilled in your home country.
- Some documentation from an accountant in your home country showing you have these funds coming in each month. Then notarised.
- Then you get a police report here in Buenos Aires

You submit all this and if they agree you get a residencia temporaria for 1 year. You renew this yearly for 3 years and then you are eligible for a residencia permanente. Then you can apply for a DNI

I hope I haven't missed anything!

 

[Dolly]

Oops I forgot to say..what is probably the obvious...you have to produce your passport also, with every page photocopied...this is becasue it's really important that you maintain your perma - tourist 90 day renewal update. So if you're thinking about applying for temporary residence, make sure you don't let your 90 day visa lapse.

 

[Alzinho]

I forgot to mention the reason for my residency (although some may have guessed from my posts elsewhere on this site) - I had a kid here. Which negates the need for 1, 2, or 3 of Dolly's options above!

 

[elhombresinnombre]

I hope I haven't missed anything!

Erme - well - as Alzinho said, being father or mother to an Argentine child counts too. So does marriage to an Argentine.

And as has been discussed previously on here, and as I'm sure SteveinBsAs can confirm, multiple issues of temporary residency no longer lead to permanacy.

 

[esllou]

thanks everyone for your comments so far. I think I'll tell the authorities here that I'm using my savings in the UK, so the tax issue would disappear, would it not?? (that's only half a fib anyway)

seems like I can't do much until I get my birth cert this summer anyway.

 

[Attorney in BA]

what would be the most pain-free path to some sort of more permanent legality?

You can see all the different visa categories accepted by Argentine law at http://www.visasargentina.com.ar/migraciones.html

If you have any questions just ask and I'll gladly help you.

I don't have my birth certificate here, though I'm likely to be going to get it this summer (july/aug) so this would be for my return.

Remember to get as well a certificate of criminal records from the country/countries where you have lived in the past 5 years, and the documents necessary to apply for the visa category that you choose.

what do I need to get a DNI?
what do I need to get a residence permit?
do I need both of those to be able to get the rentista visa?

First you must obtain a temporary residency. Once you obtain that, you may apply for a DNI.

 

[Attorney in BA]

- Some documentation from an accountant in your home country showing you have these funds coming in each month. Then notarised.

Recently Migraciones has been requesting more than just the accountant certificate.