Hey Friends and Forum Peeps!!
I arrived last night into Ezeiza from Miami. Loved taking the morning flight from Miami because I didn't arrive totally strung out like usual and also because there were no other planes here when we landed! I highly recommend the morning flight even though you will probably be awake for the entire 9 hours. (window seat daytime view was splendid too).
I don't know if it was the weather or what, but we arrived nearly 30 minutes early. I rushed out to the extranjeros line and had to wait maybe 5 minutes. I was nervous because I've been coming for 3+ years and just got my second overstay stamp the last time I left.
Here's how the conversation went down with the friendly immigrations lady (we were speaking in Spanish).
Her: You're coming as a tourist?
Me: Mmm, yes.
Her: How long do you plan to stay?
[I decided to go the semi-honest route at this point, as I'm starting my citizenship process next month]
Me: Well, I'm going to start the residency process because I'm living here with my boyfriend.
Her: OK, sure. [Looking through my passport briefly, then looks up at me]; you don't have anything started yet, do you?
Me: No no, I only just got my apostilled birth certificate and have it with me.
Her: OK, sure great.
Thumbprint, photo, See ya!!! YAY I'm in.
Then in less than 5 minutes wait at the carousel I got my two 23kilo each bags full of goodies from Costco and Target
and went to customs. Now, I was bringing some seeds of crazy veggies that I bought it a garden store and was worried about that.
My boyfriend told me to just put them in my pocket before going through but again I decided to take the honest route and I thought worst case scenario, they will get confiscated. So I declared them on the form.
There was no line at the scanner thing! Seriously - nighttime arrival is great! At the last minute, I decided to put the form in my back pocket and wait until someone asked me for it. Nobody ever did. I put my bags on the scanner and the lady who was supposed to be watching the x-rays literally looked away and started talking to the other customs lady right as my bags were going through. She didn't even look back at me, so I collected my bags and left.
In the past, the customs people have looked closely but I've never had any problems. When I came with a bunch of foodstuffs once, they just asked (seeing them on the screen), "what is in the jars?" and I told them it was just processed foods like peanut butter and tahini, nothing fresh or raw. And they didn't say anything else about it.
But last night takes the prize for easiest Ezeiza experience ever. Hope to see some of you soon!!!
I arrived last night into Ezeiza from Miami. Loved taking the morning flight from Miami because I didn't arrive totally strung out like usual and also because there were no other planes here when we landed! I highly recommend the morning flight even though you will probably be awake for the entire 9 hours. (window seat daytime view was splendid too).
I don't know if it was the weather or what, but we arrived nearly 30 minutes early. I rushed out to the extranjeros line and had to wait maybe 5 minutes. I was nervous because I've been coming for 3+ years and just got my second overstay stamp the last time I left.
Here's how the conversation went down with the friendly immigrations lady (we were speaking in Spanish).
Her: You're coming as a tourist?
Me: Mmm, yes.
Her: How long do you plan to stay?
[I decided to go the semi-honest route at this point, as I'm starting my citizenship process next month]
Me: Well, I'm going to start the residency process because I'm living here with my boyfriend.
Her: OK, sure. [Looking through my passport briefly, then looks up at me]; you don't have anything started yet, do you?
Me: No no, I only just got my apostilled birth certificate and have it with me.
Her: OK, sure great.
Thumbprint, photo, See ya!!! YAY I'm in.
Then in less than 5 minutes wait at the carousel I got my two 23kilo each bags full of goodies from Costco and Target
and went to customs. Now, I was bringing some seeds of crazy veggies that I bought it a garden store and was worried about that.
My boyfriend told me to just put them in my pocket before going through but again I decided to take the honest route and I thought worst case scenario, they will get confiscated. So I declared them on the form.
There was no line at the scanner thing! Seriously - nighttime arrival is great! At the last minute, I decided to put the form in my back pocket and wait until someone asked me for it. Nobody ever did. I put my bags on the scanner and the lady who was supposed to be watching the x-rays literally looked away and started talking to the other customs lady right as my bags were going through. She didn't even look back at me, so I collected my bags and left.
In the past, the customs people have looked closely but I've never had any problems. When I came with a bunch of foodstuffs once, they just asked (seeing them on the screen), "what is in the jars?" and I told them it was just processed foods like peanut butter and tahini, nothing fresh or raw. And they didn't say anything else about it.
But last night takes the prize for easiest Ezeiza experience ever.
Hope to see some of you soon!!!
