Tourist Visa renewal - clarity please

[harrisonba]

Hi all,

I've been following the threads with interest pertaining to the enforcement of indefinite tourist visa renewals. I'm hoping to get some clarity on how I might be affected.

This is my first trip to Argentina (from Canada) and I've been here less than a month. Before my 90 day tourist visa expires, I plan to travel to Colonia/Montevideo, stay overnight and return the next day.

I hope to be issued another 90 day tourist visa upon re-entry. I then plan to go home before that 90 day visa expires (the return flight is already booked, and I have business to attend to).

Is there a chance that I could be denied re-entry, or be allowed in but given a short period of time to leave Argentina?

If I am allowed entry and given a "final" 90 day visa, how long do I have to be out of the country again (Canada, in my case) before I can fly back for another 90/180 days?

Thanks!

 

[steveinbsas]

Before the first 90 days are up you can go to the office of migraciones and ask for the prorroga de permanencia. It will be granted without any questions. You do not have go to Colonia, but you can if you want to. If you then go back to Canada you should be able to reenter Argentina whenever you desire, but you can only get one 90 day extension at migraciones in a 12 month period.

When you return from Canada you will receive a new visa for 90 days. Just before the end of those 90 days (if it's still within the first year), you can go to Colonia to get 90 more, After that, you may still be able to go to Colonia, but no one is really sure at this point. If you return to migraciones within the first year you will probably receive an "ultima prorroga" of 90 days. After that, a trip to Colonia will not get you more time.

 

[French jurist]

I agree with Steve, you won't have any problems at all.
Still, it's nice to go to Colonia once.

 

[harrisonba]

I've been getting confused and a bit freaked out by how the changes (to law, enforcement or both) apply to my situation. Thank you both for the clarity!

 

[esllou]

go to colonia. It actually works out cheaper and you have a nice day out...especially as you don't have to go over there on a rainy July day as I've had to...TWICE!!

If you only have to extend once, you should definitely take in colonia.

 

[steveinbsas]

go to colonia. It actually works out cheaper and you have a nice day out...especially as you don't have to go over there on a rainy July day as I've had to...TWICE!!

If you only have to extend once, you should definitely take in colonia.

Remember that you can only extend the tourist visa once at the office of migraciones. After that, you must leave the country to get a new 90 day visa. Thanks to the new decreto there is now a possibility that you would receive an "ultima prorroga" if you go to Colonia and reenter the same day, but they haven't started doing that. Going to Colonia is not the same as getting an extension even though the duration of the "stay" is 90 days in both cases.


As the OP plans to return to Canada within 180 days of entry it's simply a matter of choice. Getting the extension at migracions isn't much fun: they give you a number when you arrive as opposed to giving advance turnos. This is because there is no way of knowing how long each extension will take to process (it can be 30 minutes or three hours).

If the OP plans to return to BA within the year for more than 180 days I would suggest going to Colonia this time (if it's a nice day). That way there is still the possibility of getting a 90 day extension at migraciones during the next visit and then going to Colonia for a new visa if that is still possible. By then we should know how strictly the new decreto is being enforced. I would not wait until the very last minute to go to Colonia. They don't have to give you a new 90 day visa, but they haven't stopped giving them (yet). If they don't, you will still have time to go to migraciones to get an extension.

In the future I think migracones may start giving ultima prorrogas to anyone who has already been in the country for 180 days in a 12 month period and either asks for another extension or returns from a bordering country. The one exception might be for those who have left the country via EZE for more distant countries and not returned immediately. If migraciones stops giving new 90 day tourist visas to those who still have one as they reenter Argentina from bordering nations, those who go to Colonia with three days left on their visa may return the same day with only two days left to go to migraciones to ask for a prorroga. This way migraciones will get their $300 pesos for the extension (possibly an "ultima prorrogra") and finally put an end to the "abuse" of the tourist visa.

Keep in mind that if you go to migraciones after the expiration of your 90 day visa you will be fined $300 pesos and have ten days to leave the country. If you leave after the ten days you will be charged another $300 pesos.

 

[Moonwitch]

Gosh this gets scarier by the moment... can we all have an expat exodus and all go to Brazil for a weekend or something? Would be so much fun doing it all together...

 

[esllou]

Gosh this gets scarier by the moment... can we all have an expat exodus and all go to Brazil for a weekend or something? Would be so much fun doing it all together...

...and then rush the barriers on returning so they don't get the chance to deny entry.

 

[Jennifer]

Many thanks for the helpful information, Steve.

Two more quick questions:

1) Where exactly is the Oficina de Migraciones?

2) I am here with my family including two small children. Do we all need to go to the oficina or can I go alone (either with just my passport or with all of their passports)?

Saludos,

Jennifer

 

[steveinbsas]

Many thanks for the helpful information, Steve.

Two more quick questions:

1) Where exactly is the Oficina de Migraciones?

2) I am here with my family including two small children. Do we all need to go to the oficina or can I go alone (either with just my passport or with all of their passports)?

Saludos,

Jennifer

1) Av Antardida 1355


2) ask [email protected]

google: migraciones ar

http://www.migraciones.gov.ar/accesible/