Argentina Ups Entrance Fee on Americans to $140
Argentina has formally raised the entrance fee for Americans to $140, according to a “disposición” published Tuesday in the Official Bulletin.
The higher reciprocity fee, which apparently went into effect on June 4, is in direct response to a U.S. decision to raise the fee it charges Argentines to get a U.S. travel visa.
Argentina announced last year that it would start charging the fee to travelers of all countries whose governments forced Argentines to pay visa fees to visit those countries. In a message at the time, the U.S. Embassy in Buenos Aires issued the following statement:
“This warden message is being issued to alert U.S. citizens that on December 20, 2009, the Government of Argentina will begin charging American Citizens visiting Argentina for business or tourism an entry fee of $131 U.S. dollars. The fee will be collected only at Buenos Aires Ezeiza International Airport. Once paid, the fee permits multiple entries into Argentina for ten years in accordance with United States visa reciprocity. Americans may pay in dollars, by credit card, or with travelers checks.”
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the correlation coefficient between the visa fee and the entrance fee seems to be equal to 1.
… here we go again.
This fee will pnly hurt the Argentine tourism industry it should be working to support and enhance rather than create obstacle. Tourists love to spend when they are on vacation. Why give them a reason to choose another country that does not charge this high fee?? Ufa!!!! Que les esta pasando? Tienen ganas de tener una buena economia por una vez o que?
If they don’t have extra $140 to expend I really doubt how much they can support tourism. $140 is less than two nice dinners. It’s not about economy, it’s about reciprocity.
Let’s say you are talking about a family of four that would be $560 extra. If this was a short pleasure trip some people will indeed chose other options. Argentina cannot afford to play the reciprocity game. Business is business and tourism is Big business. Nickel and diming at the airport is not good business for the Argentinina tourism business and a punch below the belt to family member hoping to plan a visit durina a weak economy.
Not in Argentina it ain’t.
Its about 10 nice dinners (maybe 7, but way more than 2)
Are U.S. citizens with Argentine Residency (temporary OR permanent) being charged this fee as well?
Is this the same fee as the 10-year visa I just paid for in March 2010? Would I be grandfathered in for the life of the visa or this an entirely separate fee?
Are you sure that’s not just the entrance fee you paid? I have never heard of a “10-year visa”.
no, permanent residents do not have to pay
@Franco
http://www.clarin.com/sociedad/cantidad-extranjeros-duplico-universidades-argentinas_0_279572203.html.
If you take families as example, yes, granted, but IMHO the real meat are the couples (without children) and friends coming here in group.
In a family U$S 560 extra is half a plane ticket or even less.
You are right that is the “meat”, however the “primi piatti” “secundo piatti” and dessert and coffee completes the meal. Just “meat” will eventually kill you.
So this only applies if you fly into EZE? and not AEP?
Purely for economic reasons, I can fly to Lima, Peru and then to AEP through Cordoba.
so, what you’re telling me is that you agree with Kirchner??? I’m sure you are a pinguino then because the way the country is going, there won’t be much left soon. Can’t you see that the only reason why they are charging to American citizens this ridiculous fee is so they can steal more money!!! they don’t have anywhere else to steal from, so they decided to do it this way which is unbelieveable!!!! the reciprocity is only an excuse and because we are proud people, we say that it is correct to do it. We are still a pais bananero that won’t get anywhere if we;re going this way. I love my country but not its politicians. I really think the US should invade Argentina and take out of power these clowns that the only thing they’re doing is taking more and more from the poor to keep it for themselves. I feel terribly sorry to say that I’m Argentino but that I want the US to help clean up the garbage out of my country.
[...] already limited budget was decimated by the $140 tourist card that Argentina requires of American citizens, so another draw was the cheap bus fare to San Antonio [...]
I was in Buenos Aires and Iguazu in 2007 and loved it. I was planning to take my wife there on vacation this year but the $140 fee is too much. especially since the B&B I stayed in in 2007 has doubled its rate, air fare is more than 30% higher. Paying an extra $280 on top of all the other increased costs made the trip unaffordable. We went to Europe instead. As much as I love Argentina, I will never pay an entrance fee that high. I will also not got to Brazil because the fee is also too high. I’m sorry that the US increased fees for visiting Argentines, but this fee only hurts your business owners who will lose tourist dollars.
I now, It’s ridiculous but Argentinean have a bigger problem…..Violence in the city. If my family of 4 want to go and I have to choose, in addition to the $560 I will think about my safety. We know this government is trying to take any penny they can to cover their lack of skill to administrate the country…..Good luck Argentinean…from another Argentinean….to Franco (above): No , ellos no saben como tener una buena Economia….que es peor!!!
OK. Argentina is off my list. What a pity.
Marcos, It looks like your argument is not well supported except sounds more like what Danny is talking about.. They simply don’t know how to improve the economy which truly is worse.
You all gripe and groan about having to pay $140 for an Argentinian tourist card. A family of four, you say, would have to pay $560 to enter the country. None of you mention the fact that the US charges this EXACT same amount of money to Argentinians when they go to apply for a US tourist visa. And yes, Argentinians are required to obtain a US visa in order to enter the US, while the same is not true of US citizens wishing to visit Argentina. The $140 is “direct reciprocity” for the visa application fee. And FYI, the US turns down most visa applications from Argentinians– the US requires Argentinians to prove that they have “enough at stake” in Argentina (i.e. money, house, car) that would insure they return to Argentina after visiting the US (as if ALL Argentinians plan fake vacations in order to illegally immigrate to the US) and if your visa app is turned down, you don’t get your $140 back, the US keeps it. Also, in Argentina, a peso to them feels like a dollar feels to us in terms of buying power. But it takes 4 pesos to equal 1 dollar on the international currency market, so that $140 fee the US is charging Argentinians to apply for a visa, feels like $560 to them– per person. And for the family of four who wants to visit the US, it feels like having to pay $2,240 just to apply for a visa. Many countries have this same reciprocity fee in place– Brazil has done it for years. What the Argentinian government does with the money is another thing, but making US citizens pay the fee is totally fair.
The United States government charges $140 for each prospective visa applicant just to APPLY for a visa – the applicant is not guaranteed they will receive an American visa. Thank goodness Americans don’t have to fill a mountain of forms, line up for hours, and be told “no” after all that expense.
My daughter and I are traveling from USA to BA in March. I have already spent $3,500 in air line tickets. $ 140.00 on passport x2 =$280. And now another $280.00 so someone can line their pockets, because, seriously Where do you think that money is really going to!!! If I would have know about this Entry fee ahead of time I would NOT have choosen Buenos Aires, because of the principle of this rediculios fee!! Thats $4060.00 for 2 people just to enter the country! Now I remember why I left Argentine in the first place, (Politics). I have lots of friends that travel all over the world and some countries do charge an entry fee, but they are usually 50.00. When I tell them I will be paying 140.00 they are shocked at such a high fee, and of course the next sentence starts with “Well I won’t be visiting that country” The best way to fight this tax is to tell people, write article to travel magazines having them warn travelers of this fee. Get the news out!! Once Argentine sees their turning tourism away, they may wise up.(doubt it)
We are not turning tourism away, in any case we would be turning AMERICAN tourism away, but don’t worry, we can still live without you people .. !
You charge us the same amount for a visa APPLICATION… I definitely won’t be visiting YOUR country until you change that ridiculous policy.