Unión Civil Convivencial & Permanent Residency Requirements

[whattodo]

Hello guys, first of all I would like to thank all that have contributed to this forum, and especially those that have helped me so far (eg. @nikad @steveinbsas @antipodean). It is much appreciated. I have some more questions regarding the process I am trying to undertake (namely permanent residency through a Unión Civil Convivencial) and again would be grateful for any and all help.

First a little background. I have been in Argentina for ~2.5 years, during which time I have spent ~80% of my time here. I have had various tourist visas, have overstayed once, and I am currently overstaying again. I will be leaving Argentina in mid-June, and plan to return in August. I am pursuing a Unión Civil Convivencial with my Argentine partner, with whom I have been in a relationship and co-habiting for over two years, here in Buenos Aires. We have a virtual appointment in a couple of weeks and, all being well, should have the 'acta de la audencia' available to download within 24 hours. I have no questions about this process, and think I have all the documentation in order.

Immediately after receiving the 'acta de la audencia', I will be applying for permanent residency based on the current rules. Obviously, this is now all subject to great change after yesterday's conference and, given the very short timeframe that I have before I next leave, and a desire to get everything right the first time - this is where my questions arise. They are as follows:

1. Is a birth certificate required? This is not listed as a requirement, and would be a bit of a hassle for me to get, but I have seen it mentioned - as recently as 2024 - as a requirement here on the forum

2. Need my UK passport be apostilled?

3. I haven't lived anywhere else for 'more than 1 year in the past 3 years', as is the requirement for providing a criminal record check from abroad. In your experience, should I still provide a criminal record check from the UK regardless?

4. Are copies necessary, and if so, should they be apostilled also? Again, I don't see that listed as a requirement, but I do see many people (here and elsewhere) saying they provided copies.

5. With regards to the 'Ingreso Regular' requirement, any idea what exactly that should be? It's exceptioanlly vague, unlike the rentista requirements which are far clearer for example.

6. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, when and how is a precaria provided? I would be leaving the country ~one week after submitting my permanent residency application, and would hope to have the precaria in hand to show customs officials if necessary.

I will no doubt have more questions and, in spite of scouring the forum for hours on the above topics, have undoubtedly missed some relevant answers. Apologies and thanks again in advance!

 

[Alby]

1. Is a birth certificate required? This is not listed as a requirement, and would be a bit of a hassle for me to get, but I have seen it mentioned - as recently as 2024 - as a requirement here on the forum. I HAVE NEVER HAD TO PROVIDE A BIRTH CERTIFICATE.

2. Need my UK passport be apostilled? I HAVE NEVER HAD TO APOSTILLE A PASSPORT (MIGRACIONES STRUGGLE TO UNDERSTAND MANY DOCUMENTS, BUT THEY DO AT LEAST KNOW WHAT A PASSPORT IS).

3. I haven't lived anywhere else for 'more than 1 year in the past 3 years', as is the requirement for providing a criminal record check from abroad. In your experience, should I still provide a criminal record check from the UK regardless? YES. GET IT, REGARDLESS. I WAS ADVISED THAT THEY WILL EXPECT TO SEE THIS DOCUMENT FROM THE COUNTRY OF ORIGIN (I.E., THE COUNTRY OF YOUR PASSPORT--UK) EVEN IF YOU HAVEN'T LIVED THERE IN THE LAST THREE YEARS. I HADN'T LIVED IN THE COUNTRY OF THE PASSPORT I WAS USING IN THE PREVIOUS THREE YEARS, BUT I STILL PROVIDED THE CRIMINAL RECORD CHECK FROM THAT COUNTRY, ON THE ADVICE OF MY LAWYER.

4. Are copies necessary, and if so, should they be apostilled also? Again, I don't see that listed as a requirement, but I do see many people (here and elsewhere) saying they provided copies. IT'S NOT CLEAR WHAT YOU ARE ASKING HERE. YOU PROVIDE THE ORIGINAL DOCUMENT, APOSTILLED. THEY DON'T ASK FOR COPIES IN ADDITION TO THE ORIGINAL, THEREFORE, NO REQUIREMENT TO APOSTILLE COPIES.

5. With regards to the 'Ingreso Regular' requirement, any idea what exactly that should be? It's exceptioanlly vague, unlike the rentista requirements which are far clearer for example. I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THIS.

6. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, when and how is a precaria provided? I would be leaving the country ~one week after submitting my permanent residency application, and would hope to have the precaria in hand to show customs officials if necessary. ARE YOU CLEAR IN YOUR MIND ABOUT THE PROCESS WHEN YOU SAY "Immediately after receiving the 'acta de la audencia I will be applying for permanent residency based on the current rules." AND "I would be leaving the country ~one week after submitting my permanent residency application"? UNLESS MY EXPERIENCE IS OUT OF DATE (OR THERE IS SOMETHING DIFFERENT ABOUT YOUR CIVIL UNION CATEGORY), I DON'T BELIEVE YOU CAN "APPLY FOR PERMANENT RESIDENCY" / GET THE PRECARIA UNTIL YOU'VE FIRST PROVIDED THE DOCUMENTS THEY REQUIRE, I.E., UNTIL YOU'VE LEFT ARGENTINA (AS PER YOUR PLAN), GATHERED THE APOSTILLED DOCUMENTS, AND RE-ENTERED ARGENTINA WITH THOSE DOCUMENTS READY TO UPLOAD TO THE MIGRATIONS SYSTEM AND THEN BEEN INVITED TO COME INTO THEIR OFFICES TO PRESENT THE HARD COPY ORIGINALS, HAVE YOU MUG PHOTOGRAPHED AND YOUR FINGER PRINTS TAKEN. ONLY THEN HAVE YOU ACTUALLY "APPLIED FOR PERMANENT RESIDENCY" AND ONLY THEN DO QUESTIONS ABOUT USING YOUR PRECARIA (WHICH IS JUST A ONE-PAGE DOCUMENT THEY ISSUE FOLLOWING YOUR VISIT TO THEIR OFFICE) TO LEAVE AND RE-ENTER THE COUNTRY BECOME RELEVANT. NOTE TOO THAT IT CAN BE RISKY TO BE OUT OF THE COUNTRY ON YOUR PRECARIA WHILE THEY ARE ASSESSING THE DOCUMENTS YOU PROVIDED (I.E., ASSESSING YOUR REQUEST FOR PERMANENT RESIDENCY).

No knowledge about a permanent residency application based on civil union, but see generic comments above inserted beside your questions based on several years of experience (in less fraught times than those that began yesterday) across successful temporary residency applications in two different residence categories.

 

[whattodo]

No knowledge about a permanent residency application based on civil union, but see generic comments above inserted beside your questions based on several years of experience (in less fraught times than those that began yesterday) across successful temporary residency applications in two different residence categories.

Thank you very much Alby, your response is much appreciated and has cleared up the vast majority of the doubts that I had laid out in the OP.

With regard to #6, as far as I understand it (through reading the relevant pages and discussions with a few persons whom have followed the same route) a precaria is sent via email when uploading the relevant documents to RADEX. The date of your appointment with Migraciones is sent along with the precaria, and said precaria is only valid until said date.

Penultimately with regard to the documents, I fortunately have family at home who are going to get them apostilled for me and sent over. It should only take a couple of weeks in total, which should just about work for me. Here's hoping!

Finally, totally understood about being called for an appointment etc., while I am out the country. I will just cut the trip short if that comes to pass and, with my temporary digital precaria, hopefully have no issues at customs.

 

[Alby]

Thank you very much Alby, your response is much appreciated and has cleared up the vast majority of the doubts that I had laid out in the OP.

With regard to #6, as far as I understand it (through reading the relevant pages and discussions with a few persons who have followed the same route), a precaria is sent via email when uploading the relevant documents to RADEX. The date of your appointment with Migraciones is sent along with the precaria, and said precaria is only valid until said date. OK. HOPEFULLY THAT IS CORRECT. IT DOESN'T SEEM RIGHT TO ME BASED ON MY MOST RECENT EXPERIENCE (AND ALL PREVIOUS EXPERIENCES), BUT MY APPLICATIONS HAVEN'T BEEN FOR "PERMANENT" RESIDENCY AND HAVEN'T BEEN IN THE CIVIL UNION CATEGORY. STILL, BE PREPARED FOR THE POSSIBILITY THAT IT IS AS I HAVE OUTLINED: THEY JUST EMAIL YOU THE DATE OF THE APPOINTMENT AND ONLY ISSUE THE PRECARIA AFTER YOU'VE PRESENTED TO THE APPOINTMENT AND THEY'VE ACCEPTED THE DOCUMENTS AND TAKEN YOUR PHOTO AND FINGERPRINTS. INDEED, THE PRECARIA ITSELF SHOWS THE PHOTO THEY TOOK THE DAY OF THE APPOINTMENT (WHICH AGAIN MAKES ME DOUBT THAT THE PROCESS IS AS YOU ARE THINK IT IS). BUT, PERHAPS NOW THERE IS A KIND OF PRE-PRECARIA: ONE PRIOR TO THE APPOINTMENT (WITH NO PHOTO) AND ONE AFTER THE APPOINTMENT (WITH THE PHOTO).

Penultimately with regard to the documents, I fortunately have family at home who are going to get them apostilled for me and sent over. It should only take a couple of weeks in total, which should just about work for me. Here's hoping! I WONDERED IF THAT MIGHT BE THE CASE AND WAS AMENDING MY COMMENTS TO TAKE ACCOUNT OF THAT POSSIBILITY, BUT RAN OUT OF EDITING TIME. BE AWARE THAT ACRO CAN TAKE A FEW WEEKS TO PROCESS YOUR REQUEST FOR THE UK CRIMINAL RECORD. THERE IS A COMPANY THAT CAN DO THE APOSTILLING OF THESE DOCUMENTS FOR YOU AND COURIER THEM TO YOU AS WELL AND IT ALL WORKS QUITE WELL. YOU JUST NEED A FRIEND WITH A UK ADDRESS TO RECEIVE THE ACRO CERTIFICATE AND THE FRIEND THEN FORWARDS IT TO THE COMPANY FOR THE APOSTILLE, WHO THEN COURIER IT TO YOU HERE. YOU CAN DO EVERYTHING YOURSELF REMOTELY FROM HERE, ONLINE. THE ONLY HELP YOU NEED IS ONE PERSON TO PHYSICALLY RECEIVE THE DOCUMENT AND FORWARD IT ON.

Finally, totally understood about being called for an appointment etc., while I am out the country. I will just cut the trip short if that comes to pass and, with my temporary digital precaria, hopefully have no issues at customs. IT'S NOT JUST NOT BEING PRESENT WHEN THEY CALL YOU FOR AN INTERVIEW. IF THEY SEE YOU ARE OUT OF THE COUNTRY AT THE POINT THEY COME TO ASSESS YOUR APPLICATION, I THINK THEY REJECT IT OUTRIGHT BASED ON THE FACT THAT YOU ARE ABSENT. THAT IS THE CASE WITH REQUEST FOR TEMPORARY RESIDENCY; I ONCE HAD TO RETURN AT SHORT NOTICE BECAUSE I WAS AT RISK OF THAT HAPPENING.

Great. You're obviously doing a lot of work on this. It is a stressful process and now a stressful time. See more comments above.

 

[whattodo]

Great. You're obviously doing a lot of work on this. It is a stressful process and now a stressful time. See more comments above.

And now 10x more stressful than I anticipated! I will be sure to check the comments out, thanks again.

 

[juls2208]

I am currently waiting for my permanent residency (applied March 16, 2025 with appointment on March 21, 2025). I am married to a Brazilian national who applied for PR at the same time and he has already received it on April 7, 2025 (resuelto).

When you submit your documents online, you have to submit a photo, which is then used on your first precaria. That precaria you receive by email almost instantly but is only valid until your appointment date. In my case, I submitted my docs on March 19 so the precaria was only valid for 2 days. After the appointmemt (not on the spot but the next day I think), I received a new precaria valid for 3 months from the date I had submitted my docs (so until June 19). That new precaria has the photo that was taken at the appointment.

Agreed with past comment that you should provide your UK criminal background check, whether you've lived there recently or not. In my case, I am Canadian but was born in France, I submitted background checks for Canada, France and Argentina (required since I has a preferred appointment). Do not hesitate if you have any questions!