Argentina Work Visa 2026: Requirements, Fees, Two Routes
Argentina gives foreign employees temporary residence as a contracted worker, and there are two ways to get it. From abroad, the employer asks the National Directorate of Migration (DNM) for an entry permit and the worker then collects a work visa at an Argentine consulate. From inside Argentina, a worker who entered regularly applies online through the DNM's RaDEX system. This guide sets out both routes, the documents, the fees, the visa rules for US, Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi citizens, and what the pages say about timing, as published by the DNM and Argentina's Foreign Ministry and read on 14 October 2026.
Quick answer
Your employer must be registered in the DNM's National Single Register of Requesters of Foreigners (RENURE). From abroad, the employer obtains a temporary entry permit for a contracted worker, valid for up to three years, and you apply for the visa at your Argentine consulate: the consular fee is US$250 (or the euro equivalent, depending on the consulate) and the migration fee US$600 for non-Mercosur citizens. Inside Argentina, the worker residence is granted for 1 year, extendable, and the DNM fee for non-Mercosur citizens is 100 UMSM. The pages we read publish no processing time.
The two routes
| From abroad: entry permit, then consular visa | Inside Argentina: residence application | |
|---|---|---|
| Who files | The employer, or its authorised representative, at the DNM | The worker, online in RaDEX, with an in-person appointment |
| Legal basis | Article 23(a) of Law 25.871 and Decree 616/10 | Article 23(a) of Law 25.871, regulated by Decree 616/2010 |
| Residence granted | Temporary residence for up to three (3) years | Temporary residence for 1 year, extendable |
| Condition | The worker then obtains the visa at the Argentine consulate | You must be in Argentina and have entered regularly |
Route 1: entry permit and consular work visa
What the employer files with the DNM
- Proof of registration in RENURE, its CUIT tax number, and proof of registration and the last 3 payments of VAT, gross income tax and income tax, unless it is a large national taxpayer.
- A request letter with your personal data, profession, education, country and city of residence, intended length of stay, the consulate where your passport will be stamped, your address in Argentina, the benefits the employer will provide such as housing, and a description of your tasks. The letter is signed by the employer and certified by a notary.
- A full, current copy of your valid passport.
- The employment contract offered, stating the parties, your tasks, working hours, duration, place of work and pay in pesos in line with the collective agreement for the activity, signed by the employer before a notary, with a clause suspending its start until you are cleared to work.
- Documents showing why labour from abroad is being hired, and proof of your work experience.
Once the permit is granted, the employer is notified and you can go to the Argentine consulate that corresponds to you to obtain the visa.
What you take to the consulate
- A passport valid for at least 6 months on the date of entry, with at least one blank page.
- Two recent 4x4 cm colour photographs on a white background.
- The completed visa application form (FSV), signed by hand.
- Proof of address in the consulate's jurisdiction. Work visas can only be applied for at the consulate for your place of residence.
- The employment contract showing the employer's RENURE number, with the representative's signature certified by an Argentine notary. You sign the contract before the consul.
- From age 16, an apostilled or legalised criminal record certificate from every country where you lived for more than 1 year during the last 3 years, and a sworn statement of no criminal record in other countries.
- Payment of the migration fee, and a consular interview.
Route 2: worker residence from inside Argentina
Your documents
- A valid passport.
- An Argentine criminal record certificate from the National Recidivism Registry, from age 16. It is built into RaDEX.
- From age 16, a certificate of no convictions or pending criminal cases from each country where you lived for more than one (1) year during the last three (3) years.
- Proof of address.
- Regular entry into Argentina.
Proof that you are a contracted worker
- A pre-contract signed by both parties with your tasks, working hours, duration of the job, place of work, pay in line with the collective agreement, and the employer's CUIT. Signatures are certified by a notary or by a DNM agent when the application starts.
- The employer's registration with the tax and customs agency ARCA and in RENURE.
- The employer's early registration of your employment (alta temprana) with ARCA, filed within thirty (30) calendar days of starting the residence application.
Documents issued abroad must be legalised by the Argentine consulate in the issuing country or apostilled. Documents in another language must be translated into Spanish by a national sworn translator and legalised by the College of Translators. The DNM states that the procedure needs no agent and that the only payments are those generated by the RaDEX platform.
Fees
| Item | Mercosur and associated states | All other nationalities |
|---|---|---|
| Consular work visa: consular fee | $250, in US dollars or euros depending on the consulate | |
| Consular work visa: migration fee | US$300 | US$600 |
| Permanent or temporary residence at the DNM | 50 UMSM | 100 UMSM |
| Entry permit and its renewal | 50 UMSM | 100 UMSM |
| Extension of temporary residence or change to permanent | 50 UMSM | 100 UMSM |
| Urgent processing requested by a RENURE-registered company | 100 UMSM | |
The DNM's fee table states the current value of 1 UMSM as ARS $1,000 (Argentine pesos). Minors under 18 who settle together with their parents are exempt from the residence fee. The consulate tells you when to pay the migration fee.
Processing time
The DNM and Foreign Ministry pages we read publish no processing time for either route. Fixed deadlines that do appear: the alta temprana is due within thirty days of starting a residence application, and an extension of temporary residence must be requested within the sixty (60) days before it expires. Companies registered in RENURE can pay for urgent processing.
Visa rules by nationality
| Passport | Tourist entry, per the DNM's visa table |
|---|---|
| United States | No visa requirement shown for an ordinary passport |
| India | Visa required, but entry without one is enabled for holders of a valid US visa or US green card, for stays of up to 90 days |
| Pakistan | Visa required |
| Bangladesh | Visa required |
Whatever your passport, a job needs one of the two routes above: a work visa from abroad, or the worker residence applied for in Argentina after a regular entry. Indian travellers using a US visa need one of the categories the Foreign Ministry lists: B2, J, O, P (P1, P2 or P3), E or H-1B. For the wider move, see our moving to Argentina guide.
Frequently asked questions
What are the Argentina work visa requirements?
An employer registered in RENURE, a notarised employment contract with pay in line with the collective agreement, your passport, photos, criminal record certificates from age 16, and, from abroad, a DNM entry permit followed by a consular visa application.
How much does an Argentina work visa cost?
At the consulate, a consular fee of US$250 (or the euro equivalent, depending on the consulate) and a migration fee of US$600 for non-Mercosur citizens, or US$300 for Mercosur citizens.
Do US citizens need a work visa for Argentina?
US ordinary passport holders have no tourist visa requirement in the DNM's table, but working needs temporary residence as a contracted worker, obtained from abroad with a work visa or from inside Argentina through RaDEX.
Can Indian citizens get an Argentina work visa?
Yes, through the same routes. For tourist entry India requires a visa, except for holders of a valid US visa in the listed categories or a US green card.
Do Pakistani or Bangladeshi citizens need a visa for Argentina?
Yes. The DNM's table shows a visa requirement for ordinary passports from Pakistan and Bangladesh. For work, the employer requests an entry permit and you apply for the visa at the Argentine consulate.
How long does an Argentina work visa take?
The pages we read publish no processing time. RENURE-registered companies can pay 100 UMSM for urgent processing of a residence.
How long is Argentine worker residence valid?
Up to three years when granted through an entry permit from abroad, and 1 year, extendable, when applied for inside Argentina.
Official sources
- Dirección Nacional de Migraciones — Temporary entry permit for contracted workers (Spanish)
- Dirección Nacional de Migraciones — Temporary residence as a migrant worker (Spanish)
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Argentina — Work visa (Spanish)
- Dirección Nacional de Migraciones — Migration fee table (Spanish)
- Dirección Nacional de Migraciones — Visa regime by nationality (Spanish)
- Embassy of Argentina in the United States — Tourist visa
All requirements, fees and entry rules verified against the official sources above on 14 October 2026. Information, not legal advice.