Argentina (AR)

Valid for at least 6 months beyond planned stay. Bring the original plus 3 certified photocopies — DNM, AFIP, Registro Civil, and escribanos all require copies. Carry a laminated colour copy daily and leave the original secured at home. Cost: home-country renewal fees apply (UK: £88.50; US: $165; EU: €60–120). Processing time: 3–10 weeks depending on nationality — renew before departure if expiry is within 18 months.

Required for DNI application, family reunification, marriage registration in Argentina, and naturalisation. Must be apostilled in the issuing country and officially translated into Spanish by a Traductor Público Matriculado registered with the CTPCBA (ctpcba.org.ar). Apostille costs: UK FCDO online £15 (3–5 business days); US Secretary of State $20–50 per state (1–4 weeks); EU issuing authorities €15–50 (1–4 weeks); other countries vary. Translation cost (Buenos Aires): ARS 15,000–40,000 per document, 2–5 business days. DNM requires criminal records issued within 90 days — birth certificate has no expiry but get a fresh certified copy to avoid legibility disputes.

Required for family reunification residence, adding a spouse/partner to your DNM application, and marriage registration in Argentina if the ceremony took place abroad. Must be apostilled and officially translated into Spanish. Processing: same timelines as birth certificates (UK FCDO online £15, 3–5 days; EU €15–50, 1–4 weeks). Divorced applicants must also bring the divorce decree (apostilled + translated). Note: Argentine Registro Civil accepts same-sex marriage certificates from countries where same-sex marriage is recognised — Argentina legalised same-sex marriage in 2010.

Required for dependent residence applications, school enrolment (public and private), ANSeS asignaciones familiares registration, and any healthcare registration in the child's name. Must be apostilled and officially translated into Spanish. For children born in Argentina to foreign parents: the Argentine birth certificate issued by the Registro Civil requires no apostille for Argentine use, but does require apostille for use in your home country. Processing abroad: same costs as adult birth certificates. Each child requires their own apostilled document — bulk discounts available from some translators when submitting simultaneously.

Degree certificates, transcripts, and professional licences. Apostille and official Spanish translation are mandatory before submission to the Argentine Ministerio de Educación — Secretaría de Políticas Universitarias (SPU) for professional revalidación (recognition). Regulated professions in Argentina (medicine, law, engineering, architecture, pharmacy, accounting) require full SPU revalidación: process takes 6–18 months and costs ARS 30,000–100,000+ in filing fees plus translation costs. Non-regulated professions: apostilled translations are typically accepted by employers without full SPU registration. Apostille + translation per document: ARS 30,000–80,000. Submit certified copies, never originals, to SPU.

Mandatory for all temporary and permanent residence applications at DNM. Required from your home country AND every country where you have resided for more than 1 year in the past 3 years. Must be apostilled and translated into Spanish. Critical: DNM accepts certificates issued within 90 days of the application date — plan the timing carefully. Processing times by country: UK — ACRO Police Certificate (acro.police.uk): 2–3 weeks online, £65; US — FBI Identity History Summary (IdentityHistory.fbi.gov): 8–14 weeks standard ($18), 3–5 days via approved channeler ($75–150); Australia — Australian Federal Police (afp.gov.au): 2–4 weeks, AUD 42; Germany — Bundeszentralregister: 3–6 weeks, €13. Factor in apostille time on top. Translation: ARS 15,000–40,000 per document.

Required for Rentista (minimum USD 850/month from abroad) and Pensionado residence categories. Accepted as proof: 3–6 months of international bank statements showing consistent income; certified pension statements; dividend/investment income certificates from regulated financial institutions; rental income documentation with property title. Must be in English or Spanish — other languages require certified translation. If originals are in a foreign currency, provide notarised exchange rate conversions. The income threshold for Rentista (USD 850/month as of 2026 — verify with DNM) has not changed under the Milei government but enforcement has tightened. Bank statements showing USD deposits are strongest — peso or other currency statements require up-to-date exchange rate documentation.

Required for Trabajador Dependiente (dependent employee) residence applications. Must be from a legally registered Argentine company (verifiable by CUIT at afip.gob.ar). The letter must state: salary in ARS (minimum SMVM — salario mínimo vital y móvil, approximately ARS 280,000–350,000/month in 2026, updated quarterly), position, and start date. Must be on company letterhead and signed by a registered director. For multinational intra-company transfers (ICT): additional corporate documentation required — consult DNM or an immigration lawyer. The letter must be recent (issued within 90 days of DNM submission).

Bring your original home-country driving licence. Foreign licences are valid for 90 days from Argentine entry date. After 90 days — or upon obtaining a DNI or residency — you must convert to an Argentine licence at your local Dirección de Tránsito (Buenos Aires City: licencia.buenosaires.gob.ar for appointment). No new driving test required for most nationalities — conversion involves a medical/psychophysical examination (vision, motor skills, drug screen) done at the Dirección office (ARS 5,000–15,000). Conversion fee: ARS 10,000–30,000. Driving with only a foreign licence after 90 days: multa of ARS 10,000–50,000 and possible vehicle impoundment. If your licence is not in Spanish or English, bring a certified translation.

Proof of international health coverage is required during the period between arriving and activating Argentine obra social or prepaga coverage. Keep your home-country or international policy document (in Spanish or English) accessible for DNM and any private hospital admission. Once you are a resident, options: prepaga (private insurer — OSDE, Swiss Medical, Galeno, Medicus — ARS 60,000–200,000/month per person in 2026); obra social (if employed — union health fund, 3% employee + 6% employer contribution); or continued international insurance (AXA Global, BUPA, Cigna — USD 1,500–8,000/year). The coverage gap between arriving and obra social activation (30–60 days) is the most important period to have proof of coverage.

Required for Pensionado or Rentista residence categories where income derives from a foreign pension, annuity, or retirement fund. Must be certified by the issuing institution and translated if not in Spanish or English. State pensions: bring official government letter confirming monthly amount (apostille required if from a Hague Convention country). Private pensions or annuities: bring signed statement from the fund administrator on official letterhead. The minimum income requirement for Pensionado visa aligns with Rentista minimums (USD 850/month as of 2026 — verify with DNM). Annual updates from the pension provider are required at DNM renewals.

Required to bring pets into Argentina through SENASA inspection at Ezeiza or Córdoba airport. Mandatory documents: ISO 11784/11785 microchip certificate (15-digit chip); official government veterinary health certificate issued within 10 days of departure (from a government-accredited vet — not all vets qualify); rabies vaccination certificate (annual booster required — Argentina is NOT rabies-free); complete vaccination record for dogs (distemper, parvo, hepatitis, leptospirosis). If originals are not in Spanish or English: certified Spanish translation required. SENASA inspection: free, 30–90 minutes on arrival. Incomplete documentation: pet held in SENASA quarantine at ARS 20,000–50,000/day. Apostille is not required for health certificates — official government vet signature suffices. Apply to SENASA (senasa.gob.ar) 60 days before travel to confirm current country-specific requirements.

Argentine property transactions are conducted in USD cash and require both parties to have CUIT (not just CUIL). Non-residents must obtain CUIT from AFIP before any property transaction — process takes 3–10 business days (apply at afip.gob.ar or in person at an AFIP office with passport). Key documents for property purchase: Informe de Dominio (title search) from the DNRP (Registro de la Propiedad) — cost ARS 10,000–30,000, 5–10 business days; Certificado de Inhibición (lien check on seller) — cost ARS 5,000–15,000; certificate of ABL (municipal rates) — confirm zero balance with Buenos Aires City Rentas. Transaction costs: escribano 2% of purchase price (split buyer/seller); stamp duty (Sellos) 3.6% on declared value (Buenos Aires Province: 4.0%); agent commission 3–4%; legal fees ARS 150,000–400,000 if using independent lawyer. Total buyer transaction cost: approximately 7–10% of purchase price.