Argentina Eliminates Visa Reciprocity Fee for US Passport Holders
Back in March, Argentina announced it was temporarily waiving visa fees for US passport holders. In the past, Argentina has charged a reciprocal visa fee, meaning US passport holders previously had to pay the $160 visa fee the US charges Argentina passport holders. This "reciprocal" strategy is utilized by other countries, such as Brazil — which is still waiving its visa fee through for the next three weeks.
Thankfully for US travelers, Argentina's temporary waiver is now permanent! Last week, Argentina's president Mauricio Macri issued "Decree No. 959/2016" to exempt all US citizens from the reciprocity fee.
Sadly for our neighbors to the north, the reciprocity fee still applies to Canadian (and Australian) passport holders. Argentina passport holders haven't been added to the US Visa Waiver Program — as some thought would need to be the case for Argentina's temporary visa waiver to be made permanent.
Prior to December 2015, Argentina pegged its currency to the US Dollar. Ever since Argentina has allowed its currency to float, the Argentina Peso has plummeted against the dollar. Two years ago, the official exchange rate was $1 to 8.4 Pesos. Now, the dollar is almost twice as strong: $1 = 15.1 Pesos. So, take advantage of the excellent exchange rate to visit an incredible destination.
If you're looking to book award travel down to Argentina, check out our in-depth dive into booking award travel to Buenos Aires. For those looking to fly directly into Argentina, there are about ten daily flights from the US to Buenos Aires (EZE):
- Atlanta (ATL) on Delta
- Dallas (DFW) on American
- Houston (IAH) on United
- Miami (MIA) Aerolíneas Argentinas, American or LAN
- New York (JFK) on Aerolíneas Argentinas or American
Will the elimination of the $160 visa fee make it more likely you'll visit Argentina?