Argentina

Argentina is visa-free for tourism for most Western travellers, including citizens of the US, UK, EU, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, for stays of up to 90 days. You get the entry stamp on arrival; it can in theory be issued for a shorter period at the officer's discretion, but 90 days is the norm. Extensions of a further 90 days are possible through the national migration office, Dirección Nacional de Migraciones.

Your passport should have at least six months' validity beyond your planned departure. The much-talked-about "reciprocity fee" that the US, Canada and Australia used to pay was suspended years ago and is not being collected — anyone asking you to pay it online before travel is running a scam.

One newer requirement to be aware of: since mid-2025, foreign visitors are expected to carry proof of health insurance covering their stay. Enforcement at the border is uneven, but travel insurance with medical cover is sensible anyway. Always verify the current rules for your passport with official sources before booking.

Argentina's currency is the peso (ARS), and the country has lived with high inflation for years — prices in pesos shift quickly and the exchange rate is volatile. For a long time there was a large gap between the official rate and the informal "dólar blue" (cash market) rate, which made bringing US dollars in cash by far the smartest move. After the reforms that began in late 2023, those rates have largely converged, and the gap is now small.

Crucially, foreign Visa and Mastercard transactions are now settled at the favourable MEP rate, so paying by card in restaurants, hotels and shops gives you something close to the blue rate automatically — without the hassle of swapping cash at a cueva. For most tourists in 2026, cards are now genuinely practical, where a few years ago they were a bad deal.

That said, still bring some US dollars in clean, newer bills as a backup — for small towns, taxis, tips, markets, and the occasional place that prefers cash. Tipping in restaurants is customary at around 10%, often left in cash even when paying the bill by card; round up for taxis and tip hotel porters a small amount per bag.

Argentines are warm and physically affectionate by default. The standard greeting — even on a first meeting, and even between men in many social contexts — is a single kiss on the right cheek. When you arrive at a gathering you're expected to greet every person individually, and to do the same again on your way out. Handshakes are reserved for more formal or business settings.

Everything happens late. Lunch runs from about 1pm to 3pm, dinner rarely starts before 9pm and is often closer to 10pm, and nightlife runs even later — clubs typically don't get going until 1 or 2am. Showing up 20 to 30 minutes after a social start time is normal, not rude. Adjust your day accordingly or you'll find restaurants empty and venues closed.

Mate — the herbal infusion shared from a gourd with a metal straw (bombilla) — is a genuine social ritual, not a tourist novelty. One person (the cebador) prepares and pours for the group; you drink your turn, hand it back, and only say "gracias" when you're done. Don't stir or fiddle with the bombilla. Football allegiances (especially Boca vs. River) run deep, and Argentines are proud of their distinctness — avoid lumping the country in with its neighbours.

In Buenos Aires, the Subte (metro) and the colectivos (city buses) are run on a single rechargeable SUBE card, which you buy and top up at kiosks, station booths or via the SUBE app. Registering ("nominalising") your card unlocks the standard fare; unregistered SUBE cards now pay a meaningfully higher price per trip. Taxis are plentiful, and ride-hailing apps (Uber, Cabify, DiDi) work well in the city.

Argentina is huge — Buenos Aires to Ushuaia is over 3,000 km — so long-distance travel is dominated by overnight buses and domestic flights. The bus network is excellent: major operators such as Andesmar and Flecha Bus run comfortable services in tiers (semi-cama, cama and cama-suite), with cama-suite seats reclining almost flat and meals included on overnight runs to Mendoza, Bariloche or the northwest.

For Patagonia and other long hops, flying is almost always worth it. Aerolíneas Argentinas is the legacy carrier, with JetSmart and Flybondi as low-cost alternatives — book early for the best fares to El Calafate, Ushuaia, Bariloche and Iguazú. The intercity passenger rail network is limited and slow; treat it as a novelty rather than a serious option.

The easiest way to get online is an eSIM bought before you leave home and activated on arrival — providers such as Airalo, Holafly and Nomad sell short-term Argentina data plans that ride on the local networks. The three main carriers are Claro, Movistar and Personal; Claro generally has the best coverage in Patagonia and rural regions, while all three are fine in Buenos Aires.

Physical prepaid SIMs from the local carriers exist but are fiddlier for visitors — registration requires a local ID number (DNI), so the eSIM route avoids most of the friction. Argentina's country code is +54, and mobile numbers are commonly written with a leading 9 when dialled from abroad.

WhatsApp is the default for almost everything — restaurants, tours, taxi drivers, your Airbnb host. Wi-Fi is widely available in hotels, cafés and restaurants in the main tourist areas, though speeds outside the major cities can be modest.

Argentina is broadly safe for tourists, but street crime — particularly pickpocketing, bag-snatching and distraction theft — is a real and well-documented problem in Buenos Aires. Be especially alert in La Boca (stick to the few tourist blocks around El Caminito and leave well before dusk), around the Retiro bus terminal, on the Subte, and in crowded markets like San Telmo on Sundays. Keep phones out of back pockets and bags in front of you.

Watch for the classic distraction scams — most famously the "mostaza" (mustard) trick, where a stranger sprays a substance on your clothes and a "helpful" accomplice steals your bag while another wipes you down. If anyone tries to clean something off you in the street, refuse firmly, keep hold of your belongings and walk away.

Tap water is safe to drink in Buenos Aires and other major cities, where it's treated by AySA and meets national standards; in remote rural areas, stick to bottled or filtered water. The general emergency number is 911, with 107 going directly to the SAME medical emergency service in Buenos Aires. Pharmacies ("farmacias") are easy to find and several chains run 24 hours.

Power: Argentina runs on 220V / 50Hz and uses two plug shapes — the angled three-pin Type I (the same as Australia and New Zealand) and the standard European Type C round two-pin. Travellers from the US or UK will need an adapter; check that your devices support 220V (most modern chargers do).

Language: the official language is Spanish, but Argentina speaks a distinctive variant called Rioplatense Spanish. The most noticeable features are the "sh" sound for "y" and "ll" (so "calle" sounds like "ka-shay"), and the use of "vos" instead of "tú" for the informal "you". English is spoken in hotels and main tourist areas but is far from universal — basic Spanish goes a long way.

Best time to visit: spring (September–November) and autumn (March–May) are the sweet spots in most of the country, with mild weather and lighter crowds. Patagonia is a summer destination (roughly December–March); the northwest and Iguazú are most comfortable in the cooler dry months.

Time zone: Argentina is on UTC−3 year-round and does not observe daylight saving time, so the offset from Europe and North America changes through the year as those regions shift their clocks.