US or AR Drivers license

[NickF]

If any one is studying for the written driver test and wants to take it in Spanish, I have created flashcards on quizlet.com. The flashcards have the questions on one side, and the answers on the others. You can find it by searching Buenos Aires City Driver's Test.

By the way, I've found quizlet.com to be a great resource for improving my Spanish vocab.

 

[earlyretirement]

I lived in Argentina almost a decade and had a car most of that time. The car was in my name, I had a DNI and permanent residency. I NEVER had any problem at all not having an Argentine driver's license. I never even bothered to get one.

I just used my US driver's license and I also went to AAA and got an International Driver's License that included Argentina in one of the countries. They have one for South America. The best thing is that AAA never put a date in the International Driver's License (It's just a white booklet with your photo and stamp in it).

I got pulled over several times and I just pulled out my US driver's license along with the International Driver's License and NEVER had any problems.

I didn't have any problems with insurance either. And I left the country many times and never had any issues either with my US license.

I doubt anyone is going to have any problems having a US license but it's probably a good idea to get the International Driver's License to accompany it. It was only like $10 at any AAA office in the USA.

 

[Motherboard]

To avoid getting a "Principiante" license (with which for 6 months you cannot drive over 70 Km or on avenues or highways and for another 18 months with various restrictions) you have to show a previous drivers license, either Argentine or foreign with the form "Certificado de Legalidad". (Too bad nobody tells you this before you spend hours with written, driving, etc. tests). If however, you know this beforehand and you have a valid US license, the US Consulate in Buenos Aires refuses to issue a "Certificado de Legalidad" which is required by the city of Buenos Aires. Anyone have any ideas besides going to the US where your US licence was issued, certifying it at an Argentine Consulate, with an apostille and returning to Buenos Aires to the Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores translated it by an official translator to validate it? Whew!

 

[Gringoboy]

I drove around with a UK licence for about four years, but later discovered that you can do that for about 60 days, but then need an Argentine licence.
As I've mentioned in my bike thread, I just got tired of having to explain myself every time I got stopped by the police.
I don't mind a bit of dramatic pantomime from time to time, but when some officious cop offered to relieve me of my bike and ask me to walk home, I decided to get the licence.
And believe me, getting a licence here is child's play if you have perm res and an existing driving licence.
It takes a week maximum.

 

[camino no tomado]

... I just got tired of having to explain myself every time I got stopped by the police.

Assuming you drive each in the same manner, is Argentina like so many other countries, where you're more likely to get pulled over in the first place on a bike than in a car?

 

[Gringoboy]

Yes.
I've been pulled over once in the car and more times that I can remember on the bike.
It's just one of those things.