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I'm living in the UK and plan to move to Buenos Aires, Argentina. I'm self-employed/freelancer working for remote clients.

Question: what are the requirements for me to get a work permit/visa so I can stay in Argentina and work there as self-employed/freelancer? And can I simply go there as a tourist and then do the paperwork to otain a work visa on the spot?

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    What is your citizenship?
    – phoog
    Commented Jun 16, 2015 at 16:38
  • I'm a French national, living in the UK.
    – drake035
    Commented Jun 18, 2015 at 11:40

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I lived almost 4 years (2007-2011) and most foreigners don't bother. Just set up as as freelancer in your own country for taxes and for the rest go in and out of the country every 3 months to renew your tourist visa stamp. The easiest is to take the ferry to Colonia from Buenos Aires, get a steak and come back (30 min / 1 hour ride). Nobody cares. It's very relaxed. DO NOT get a local bank account.

The country is so beurocratic, antiquated and corrupt that unless you are staying for a long time or getting hired by a company that will sponsor you or you are buying property is not worth the hassle.

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  • Thanks! I do plan to live there permanently though so getting in and out isn't really a solution :) Also the UK isn't my country (France is) and I plan to close all my UK accounts. Why not getting a local bank account? And is a proper work permit that complicated to obtain?
    – drake035
    Commented Jun 20, 2015 at 15:18
  • Proper work and permit are VERY difficult to obtain, even if you have an official reason to be in Argentina, which is doesn't sound like you do. In my case, because im colombian that gave certain migration advantages and i was entitled to a permit. Event so it took years just because things work very very slowly in Argentina. This is not an efficient modern country and it's highly beurocratic.
    – Juan Carlos Ospina Gonzalez
    Commented Jun 20, 2015 at 19:19
  • Regarding the banks : if you havent already read up on "el cacerolazo" please do.It is not smart to take Euro and just store it in local currency. Again: just do what the others do. Keep your bank in Europe even if you get a local account. If you are French then have your main account in France. The in an out can get tiring but it's what you will probably end up doing at least for the first years. Just relax and enjoy the slow pace of life, the great steak and the Argentine girls.
    – Juan Carlos Ospina Gonzalez
    Commented Jun 20, 2015 at 19:24
  • Well thanks for the piece of advice pal, I'll probably end up doing what you say. I'm married though, so much for the Argentine girls! My wife's Peruvian and her mother got Argentine citizenship, I'll see if that helps.
    – drake035
    Commented Jun 20, 2015 at 19:49
  • whatever you do, DO NOT OPEN A LOCAL BANK ACCOUNT
    – g3rv4
    Commented Jun 24, 2015 at 22:59
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I'm an American that has lived in Buenos Aires for the past year and a half. I can tell you that self-employed people in Argentina are called monotribuistas. AFIP, the Argentina agency in charge of customs and taxes, recently made changes to all of the rules regarding being a monotributo. You can read an articles about this, in Spanish, in La Nacion under the "Monotributo" tag.

I have an Argentine DNI, though I have one because I'm in a graduate program here. While I can't tell you the paperwork that would be required in your specific case, I would suggest that you contact Celano & Asociados. They are an Argentine law firm that specializes in helping foreigners with Argentine immigration issues. I also have a friend that is an Argentine accountant. If you are interested, I put you in contact with them.

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