What Do You Use When Going Over The Border, Dni Or Passport?

[johnw100]

I`ve travelled over to Uruguay, Paraguay, Brazil and Chile a number of times and I receive mixed messages from officials as to whether I can use a either my Passport or DNI. But twice now I have been told off my officials for using my DNI as i`m a foreigner and narrowly avoided a fine. So i`m sticking to Passport from now on,just wondered what others have used in the past and their experiences. I`m not talking air travel, only road or boat travel.

Thanks

 

[Bricky]

Are the rules different if leaving over land than leaving via the airport?

I can only offer my experience when leaving via air, in which case the answer seems to be that both are expected. I always felt that I should be able to *leave* the country with just my passport, but as soon as they scan my passport they always ask for my dni also.

Entering: ditto - they expect both (but that makes sense, as they're granting a visa).

 

[Nicole_Ramirez]

I use my DNI when going to Chile by car. They have never asked for a passport. ( I do bring it though just in case)

 

[Tilda]

I cross by car to Chile with only my DNI extranjero, I don't bring my foreign passport. My reasoning is that I will have to show my DNI when re-entering. We are a mixed family of nationals and foreigners though, and nationals don't need a passport. I might add that we have permanent residency, maybe there is a difference there.

I don't bring the children's passports either, but I do bring their birth certificates since we don't have a libreta familiar and our parental permits to bring them over the border on our own. Just in case something happens and one of us has to return alone with the kids.

 

[johnw100]

Thanks for the replies. With the DNI should you have a small form filled out showing where you`re going and address, which is stamped for 90 days? I found in the past going to uruguay/colonia by ferry they just accepted my DNI. But going to other countries by car I`ve used the passport apart from 2 occasions which I showed my DNI and I didnt receive any document, and then got told off for not being on the "system" showing i`d left Argentina.

 

[johnw100]

Any other opinions, preferably anyone who has gone over to Paraguay or Brazil as we`re off to Iguazu at the end of Jan and would like to know if we can go over to the other countries just using our Extranjero DNI .

Thanks

 

[ElQueso]

If a visa is required to Paraguay or Brasil due to your country of origin on your passport, you will need a visa in your passport. The very fact that your DNI says "extranjero" tells anyone that you are a foreign resident of Argentina (a Mercosur country), not an Argentine who is also a member, therefore, of the Mercosur.

You have to have a visa for either Paraguay or Brasil.

I've always had to show my passport when crossing anywhere. Paraguay has always checked to see my visa, even though I start off by giving them my permanent residency DNI.

Paraguay is fairly easy to get a visa from. And it lasts for the life of your passport. If you are trying to decide between Paraguay or Brasil to get a visa to cross the other side, I'd go Paraguay. Also, you could visit Ciudad del Este and maybe get some good deals on a few things you might need living here.

But if you manage to cross a border with just your extranjero DNI, you were very, very lucky.

 

[ajoknoblauch]

If a visa is required to Paraguay or Brasil due to your country of origin on your passport, you will need a visa in your passport. The very fact that your DNI says "extranjero" tells anyone that you are a foreign resident of Argentina (a Mercosur country), not an Argentine who is also a member, therefore, of the Mercosur.

You have to have a visa for either Paraguay or Brasil.

I've always had to show my passport when crossing anywhere. Paraguay has always checked to see my visa, even though I start off by giving them my permanent residency DNI.

Paraguay is fairly easy to get a visa from. And it lasts for the life of your passport. If you are trying to decide between Paraguay or Brasil to get a visa to cross the other side, I'd go Paraguay. Also, you could visit Ciudad del Este and maybe get some good deals on a few things you might need living here.

But if you manage to cross a border with just your extranjero DNI, you were very, very lucky.

You can get same day Brazilian visa service from the consulate at Puerto Iguazú, and it's valid for five years if I recall correctly.

 

[ElQueso]

Yeah, I wasn't sure about that, I'd heard some people saying they'd gotten a visa there. But here in BA, I've heard of people I know not getting much more than a week or ten days (the length of their trip) from the Brasilian consulate here, for those looking to get a visa ahead of time.

 

[johnw100]

ok thanks , just that i`ve travelled to Uruguay (Colonia) many times on just my Argentine DNI and not shown a passport. And according to http://http://visados.com
Uruguay accepts Argentine DNI along with Paraguay and Brazil. So shouldnt I be able to just use my DNI for Paraguay and Brazil?

Also, Have been to Brazil & Paraguay at least 5 times each , never required a VISA just used a passport in the past.

EDITED

Ignore that , I just noticed that only Uruguay accepts Foreign DNI for Argentina. The other countries dont.