Visa Types
Temporary Residence Visa
The temporary residence visa is the most common type of visa issued for corporate immigration for a foreign national to work in a company in Argentina. There are several types of temporary residence visas depending on the nature and purpose of travel.
These include:
- Labor contract residence – For foreigners who are regularly employed by local companies for a long period.
- Intracompany transfer residence – For those who are transferring from a home country company to an Argentinean company.
- MMERCOSUR temporary residence – Applies to foreigners born in the MERCOSUR countries who will work for a long period.
- Investors – Those who intend to invest in Argentina.
This visa is issued by the National Directorate of Migration (DNM). All types of temporary residence visas are valid for up to one year, and can be extended indefinitely by applying to the DNM.
Required documents:
- Contract of employment with company in Argentina
- Translated and certified birth certificate
- Marriage certificate
- Passport with validity of one and a half years
- 3 passport photos
Cost: Approximately US$160 reciprocity fee, depending on country
Transitory residence visa
These visas are issued for short-term assignments, which allow the individual to work for up to a maximum of 90 days. There are several types of transitory residence visas, including technical residence, for workers who will perform technical activities for a short time, and business visas, issued to those who were invited by a local Argentine company.
The transitory residence visa may be issued up to two times per year for a 90-day period each, and may not be extended.
Required documents:
- Visa request form
- Valid passport
- Notarized letter of invitation from the company in Argentina
- Letter of the employee’s home country company requesting the transitory visa
- Return flight tickets
- Hotel reservation document
- 2 passport photos
Cost: Approximately US$160 reciprocity fee, depending on country
Permanent residence visa
The permanent residence visa allows the foreigner an indefinite right to reside and work in Argentina. This visa is issued in limited cases, such as workers who are already on assignments who have a Temporary Residence visa, or those from a MERCOSUR country. Those with spouses with a permanent residency status in Argentina may also obtain this visa.
Documents required:
- Valid passport
- Identity Card of the Argentinean citizen if applying through relation
- Translated and certified birth certificate
- 4 passport photos
- Transcript of criminal record
- Medical statement issued by consulate
- Receipt of visa payment
Cost: Approximately US$160 reciprocity fee, depending on country
Visa Application
Argentina has a relatively open view to encouraging foreign workers to embrace the country, ensuring that all foreigners benefit from all civil rights of citizens and will not be subject to any additional charges or requirements because of their status, as declared in Article 20 of the National Constitution. There are also less stringent rules, such as no minimum language requirements, no industry quota limits and no medical screening required.
Immigration laws governing foreign workers come in three forms:
- Federal immigration laws
- Bilateral treaties
- MERCOSUR decisions
These laws define the status of residency for foreign entrants into the country for work purposes, and outlines the conditions that residency and visa documents must be obtained, such as nationality, purpose and duration of stay. The process of corporate immigration is administered by the Argentine Immigration Department (Direccion Nacional de Migraciones, DNM) through their nationwide and consular jurisdictions.
Employers should note that companies wishing to hire foreign nationals must go through a process of registration prior to sponsoring foreign employees.
The process of sponsoring a foreign worker in Argentina requires an appropriate visa and an entry permit for the employee. In most cases of corporate immigration, a temporary residence visa is obtained. Prior to that, the employer must take the necessary steps to register with the relevant authorities to have permission to employ foreign workers.
1. Registering company with sponsorship authorities
The first step is to ensure the company have the permits the hire foreign nationals. The company incorporated in Argentina must enroll in the National Immigrant Sponsors Registrar (Registro Nacional Único de Requirentes Extranjeros, RNURE).
Registration with the National Registry will permit local companies to employ non-MERCOSUR foreign staff for different visas and an identification number for the sponsored employee.
Once the company has enrolled with the registrar, they must ensure all foreign employee related data must be updated, and all changes to the employment of expatriates must be notified to the registry office with 15 days of occurrences. Immigration authorities also may undertake random inspections to verify immigration compliance.
Documents required by employer:
- Document with legal address of the company
- Completed proof of legal status of registration with the corresponding Argentine authorities
- Statute or Social Contract legally registered with the General Inspection of Justice (Inspección General de Justicia, IGJ)
- Attested legal documentation for any relevant documentation registered with the IGJ
- Proof of registration with the tax system with the Federal Public Revenue Administration (Adminstracion Federal de Ingresos Publicos, AFIP)
- ID card and a photocopy of the company representative performing procedure along with any required proof of authorizing power
- Accredited designation of an applicant as a delegate of the organization
2. Document procurement and legalization
The necessary documents must be legalized and procured by the employee, who is the applicant for the visa and entry permit. Different cases and visas will require different documents, though in general the required documents will be similar. These documents must then be provided to the employer in Argentina.
Documents required by employee:
- Birth certificate
- Marriage certificate
- Police clearance certificate
- Domicile certificates in Argentina
- Copy of corporate tax document
- Copy of corporate registration certificate of company
- All documents must be translated to Spanish and legalized with an apostille from the Argentine Sworn Translators Association
Time: 2 – 4 weeks
3. Obtaining an entry permit
The employer applies for an entry permit (Permiso de Ingreso) for each employee that is to be hired. This is done through the Argentine Immigration Department (Direccion Nacional de Migraciones, DNM), where the employee’s application and supporting documents are provided by the employer to the Department. The Department will be reviewed by the immigration authorities and will be issued if there are no objections raised.
Documents required by employee:
- Entry permit application
- All supporting documents provided by employee in Step 2
Time: Approximately 30 days depending on location
4. Temporary residence visa application
Before the permit is approved, it will be sent to the closest Argentina consulate in the employee’s country of residence, where he/she will be apply for the residence visa. The application may also be filed in-country, which will take less time.
An application for a temporary residence visa is submitted to the DNM, where the employee must appear personally at the local Argentine consulate for an interview. Once the employee is cleared, he/she will be provided with the entry permit and residence visa.
All workers travelling to Argentina must pay a reciprocity fee of $US100 before entering Argentina. This is paid to the DNM online, and is equivalent to a multiple-entry fee. Different countries may require different fees to be paid.
Documents required by employee:
- Valid ordinary passport with at least 6 months validity
- Return flight ticket
- Evidence of sufficient funds for stay in Argentina if required
- Document as proof of stay at an address
- Receipt for the reciprocity fee
Time:
- 5 – 15 days for consulate interview process
- 20 – 30 days for overall processing
Cost:
- US$160 reciprocity fee
- US$80 consular certification charge
5. Travel to Argentina
Once the visa has been approved and the entry permit acquired, the employee may travel to Argentina to commence work. Typically, final approval for the temporary residence permit may take up to three months. In these cases, an interim permit (residencia precariat) is granted to the employee, permitting them to legally work in Argentina as well as leaving and re-entering while the visa is being approved.
6. Application for the Work Identification Number
Once the worker arrives in Argentina, the employee applies for a work identification number (Código Único de Identificación Laboral, CUIL) so they can be enrolled on a local payroll. It also serves as an individual tax identification number for employers to withhold income taxes of the employee.
The CUIL may be applied for by the employee or employer at various locations, including online through the National Social Security Administration (Administración Nacional de la Seguridad Social, ANSES), in person at an ANSES office, or by telephone.
Documents required by employee:
- DNI or driving license if a permanent resident
- Proof of address, including name of applicant
- Entry permit issued by the Argentine consulate
- National Population and Migration Certificate (Certificado Nacional de Población y Migraciones)
Time: 24- 48 hours
Cost: Free
7. Application for a National Identity Card
The employee must apply for a National identity Card (Documento Nacional de Identidad, DNI), which functions similar to a social security number. The worker will use this as a national identity document, and will be required for renting and purchasing property, creating a bank account and entering into contractual agreements.
To obtain the DNI, the employee must register with the local population office (Registro Nacional de las Personas) within 90 days of arrival in Argentina. Each family member must obtain a DNI if they travel to Argentina as well.
Once the DNI is approved, the employee may continue to work legally in Argentina under the employer.
Documents required by employee:
- Proof of address
- Certificate of residence issued by the DNM
- Original birth certificate, legalized in the country of origin or have a Hague apostille stamp attached if employee is from a Hague Convention signatory country.
Time: 2 – 3 months
Cost: approximately $40 pesos
