When you enter the country at EZE now, you have to pay a new entry fee. I don't remember the exact amount, but I think it was $135.00.

You pay this fee before you go to the immigration agent. The fee is good for 10 years and a large stamp is printed and put into your passport.

Don't ask me what they do if your passport expires prior to the to the stamp put into your passport. I presume you would need to carry both your old and new passports to enter and exit Argentina. Ask me in a couple of years when my current passport expires.

I had not seen any posting about this so I thought I would inform all BA lovers about this.

The first time you enter Argentina and need to get this stamp, I think it should add about 10 - 15 minutes for your country in processing.

There are no exemptions that I know of that would allow you to escape this fee.

The fee is also different for other countries. I do not know what the fees are for other countries.

(Message edited by majormajor on January 30, 2010)

Thanks for the tip-off.
Chile has had something like this for years. It only applies to flying into the country, doesn't apply to entering by land or sea, and has a sliding scale for various countries; I don't know if you have to pay it to fly out. Looks like the Argies have picked up on it.

MM, where are from? That sounds like you did an airport-arrivals visa, which for the duration (10 years) and price (the same as we charge Argentinians for an interview) seems logical. But, there is no requirement for US citizens to have a visa to enter Argentina.

You should check into this - you may have been a victim of the latest "revenue enhancement" program the Argentinians have.

Cat:

I was just in BA 2 weeks ago. Everyone that gets off the plane goes to the new charge window.

You are correct. There is no visa requirement. However, you still need to pay for this stamp, and then you go to immigration.

American Airlines actually told me about it prior to my arrival in BA. The way way explaned it to me was this was the same as when you enter Chile. Now I have never been to Chile, but at least Argentina is doing whatever Chile does.

The US embassy in Argentina has the following information about the fee:

http://argentina.usembassy.gov/warden_messages/airport-entry-fee--december-11-2009.html

If I understand this correctly, you only pay at EZE. This might mean that if you wanted to visit Montevideo first, and then you to the downtown airport AeroParque, you might not have to pay the fee that way.

Anyway, if you enter Argentina at EZE, be prepared to pay the fee.

If you are going to the interior (Cordova, Mendoza, Rosario, etc), you can get flights to these locations direct from Brazil or Chile. So this might be another option if you did not want to pay the fee.

Sorry about the bad news Cat. So I did not get a visa. You just have to pay it as a sort of entry tax.

MM

That is shitty news. I was thinking about popping down to BA next time I go to Porto Alegre, but not now. They can take their shitty economy and shove it.

Well, it's the same price as the US visa interview fee. This is along the lines of Brasil, where the visa is "free" but you have to pay the $131 or whatever for the non-existent "interview" at the Embassy or consulate in the US. At least it's for 10 years and not for five which is the length of most Brasilian visas.

Plenty of countries charge entry/exit fees, or they have a tax which is basically the same thing. Usually it's lumped in with your ticket, which is the way to do it, although it hides the fact. We each pay $36 every time we leave Brasil, but you don't have to pony up the cash right there on the spot. I remember when Panama had a $20 cash exit fee, that was a pain in the ass if you didn't have cash on you. Guatemala, Costa Rica, a lot of Latin American countries have them.

However, they're not $135 in one shot, and not as you get off the plane. I don't know if it would stop me from going to Argentina, but if you weren't aware of it, or just planned on going once, it's a rude greeting at EZE.

BD:

Take the bus from PA to Montevideo, and then the boat to downtown BA. A little more time consuming, but something different, and then you don't have to pay the EZE entry fee.

MM

As of January 7th, 2013, they started enforcing online payment ONLY of the reciprocity fee and requiring proof of payment at all ports. The fee is currently $160 for US citizens and is good for 10 years but you MUST save your printed documentation to bring with you to the airport, they will not accept an online copy on your mobile or other electronic device. Australians pay $100 but for only 1 year and Canadians pay $75 for three months of $150 for five years.

To pay this fee one must visit: https://virtual.provinciapagos.com.ar/ArgentineTaxes/Default.aspx

That fee is a bunch of BS. Sorry to hear they are gouging tourists like that...

For what it's worth, the reciprocity fee is no longer in effect for US citizens.