anthony5050 Posted January 12, 2012 #1 Share Posted January 12, 2012 Understand that Argentina has a $140.00 per person visa charge. No paperwork, just a payment of us140.00. They accept all types of payment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mura Posted January 12, 2012 #2 Share Posted January 12, 2012 I didn't recall needing a visa for Argentina when we visited back in early 2002 so I checked travel.state.gov which has this to say: ENTRY/EXIT REQUIREMENTS FOR U.S. CITIZENS: A valid passport is required for U.S. citizens to enter Argentina. U.S. citizens do not need a visa for visits of up to 90 days for tourism or business. U.S. citizen tourist and business travelers arriving in Argentina at either Ezeiza or Jorge Newbery airports must pay an entry fee. It can be paid in dollars, by credit card, or with traveler's checks, and is valid for ten years and multiple entries. It applies only to bearers of tourist passports. Travelers bearing diplomatic or official passports are not charged, nor are travelers transiting and not entering Argentina. U.S. citizens who arrive in Argentina with expired or damaged passports may be refused entry and returned to the United States at their own expense. The U.S. Embassy cannot provide guarantees on behalf of travelers in such situations, and we encourage you to ensure that your travel documents are valid and in good condition prior to departure from the United States. Different rules apply to U.S. citizens who also have Argentine nationality, depending on their dates of U.S. naturalization. For more information, check the Argentine Ministry of the Interior website, which is currently only available in the Spanish language. Argentine-born naturalized U.S. citizens who enter Argentina as temporary visitors may depart using their U.S. passports as long as they remain for the period granted by the Argentine immigration officer at the time of entry (typically 60-180 days). Travelers in this category who overstay will be required to obtain an Argentine passport to depart. Might you be thinking of Brazil? Mura Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wripro Posted January 12, 2012 #3 Share Posted January 12, 2012 I believe you are thinking of Brazil re: the $140 charge. And there is LOTS of paperwork required. It's all revenge for what we put Brazilians through to get a U.S. visa. However, I don't believe Argentina requires a visa at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plimsol Posted January 12, 2012 #4 Share Posted January 12, 2012 On our next cruise, we will be visiting both Brazil and Argentina. We have been told that no visa is required for Argentina but will need one for Brazil which BTW, is currently valid for 5 years. We went to Brazil a little over 5 years ago so we that visa has expired. Grace (and Don) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RetiredFL Posted January 12, 2012 #5 Share Posted January 12, 2012 Please note that when you arrive in Brazil you will fill out two pieces of paper, one of which is returned to you. When you leave Brazil you are required to turn in that stamped piece of paper or pay a fine, I believe $90. When we boarded our cruise in Rio they were collecting the paper at registration and if you did not have it then $90 was charged to your on board account (Later rescinded. Oceania may have absorbed) Perhaps 40-50% of the passengers did not have the exit paper. We complained to the Concierge who was sympathetic but stated he had also gotten caught and had to pay the fine. Oceania and the people at the airport do not make this requirement clear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lilybug Posted January 12, 2012 #6 Share Posted January 12, 2012 I just read about the entry fee, they started it in 2010 and they charge the amount that they have to pay for a visa to enter the US, I think it is $131.00 p/p. between that and Brazilian visa, I don't think I will pass through there again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShopperfiendTO Posted January 12, 2012 #7 Share Posted January 12, 2012 http://argentina.usembassy.gov/warden_messages/airport-entry-fee--december-11-2009.html It`s dated so the increase to $140 seems right...:( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baldercash Posted January 13, 2012 #8 Share Posted January 13, 2012 We sailed out of Argentina last April and we had to pay the visa fee at the airport and passengers, myself included were very upset that O had not bothered to warn us in advance. We had purchased the Brazilian visa in advance as they had notified us about it but for some reason they do not bother letting passengers know about Argentina. They have received many passengers complaints and are well aware of it, it would appear they just don't care. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShopperfiendTO Posted January 13, 2012 #9 Share Posted January 13, 2012 I`m far from an O-kool-aider, but I think the responsibility rests with the flight provider here because it only applies if you land at EZE airport, so I wouldn`t fault O unless you had cruise air. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baldercash Posted January 13, 2012 #10 Share Posted January 13, 2012 Yes O set up the air for us plus the other disgruntle passengers that joined us on the flight. It was not the cost that upset us but the fact we were not told. O cannot do anything about it but they can tell passengers about it but they choose not too even with written complaints. Very strange. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimandStan Posted January 13, 2012 #11 Share Posted January 13, 2012 Yes O set up the air for us plus the other disgruntle passengers that joined us on the flight.It was not the cost that upset us but the fact we were not told. O cannot do anything about it but they can tell passengers about it but they choose not too even with written complaints. Very strange. Section 8 of the Passenger Ticket Contract directly states that Visas are the responsibility of the passenger, as is having a valid Passport with you. A hard copy of this Contract was sent to you with your final documents, and also may be found on the Oceania Cruises Website: http://www.oceaniacruises.com/corporate/legal/ticketcontract.aspx Specifically, "You shall have in Your possession this Ticket/Contract, valid passport, visas, inoculations card and all other documents necessary for the scheduled ports of call and final destination. We, as Carrier, shall not be liable for any losses or delays incurred by Your failure, or that of others, to maintain all of said necessary documents. **The Italics and bold are mine, but the text is verbatim :o I can appreciate that you felt inconvenienced, but the fact is that you were given fair warning. That last sentence is pretty darned specific. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baldercash Posted January 13, 2012 #12 Share Posted January 13, 2012 I can appreciate that you felt inconvenienced, but the fact is that you were given fair warning. That last sentence is pretty darned specific. Jim & Stan you don't get it, O told us we needed a visa for Brazil they warned us we would not be allowed into the country if we did not have one. They neglected to tell us we needed one for Argentina. They did not tell us that without one we could not get on the boat. They are well aware that passengers get upset over this, it has been going on for a long time. Passengers complain about the lack of information / communication on this issue to staff, write and email to Head office to complain and voice their displeasure on this web site and others. O doesn't care, yet it is a simple thing for O to correct just include the information along with the notice for Brazil. If I was going on a land vacation to a country I would research the requirements for entry, when I do a cruise where a company is taking me to different destinations I assumed wrongly in O's case that they will tell me everything that is required not just partial information which is why I did not research entry requirements for Argentina,Montevideo or Cape Verda . So your defense for O is that they have a buyer beware blanket clause on the ticket and this justifies their thoughtlessness and shoddy communications? This is what you expect from O? P.S. There were passengers who did not have the visa for Brazil and O did get them on shore which does say something about O's service. In that case I could understand telling them you were warned and you are on your own! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShopperfiendTO Posted January 13, 2012 #13 Share Posted January 13, 2012 Yes O set up the air for us plus the other disgruntle passengers that joined us on the flight.It was not the cost that upset us but the fact we were not told. O cannot do anything about it but they can tell passengers about it but they choose not too even with written complaints. Very strange. If it makes you feel any better, we booked our own air through Air Canada and they didn't advise us of the entry fee either (I only found it out by research). The problem is that it technically isn't a visa but really just a reciprocity (entry) fee when you land at EZE. If you use any other method of entry into Argentina you do not pay this fee (This is different than Brazil which is set up as a full-fledged visa - you can't enter Brazil without it period). One can say then why don't airlines that have flights that end in EZE just add the fee to the airline ticket price then (this was my initial thinking as well)? The problem is that apparently you only pay it once and, provided you keep the paperwork, it's good for 10 years, so not every person who lands in EZE will be required to pay it (unlike security and other fees and charges that apply to everyone and on a per trip basis). With respect to the warnings, every document I've received from O has a warning that visas are required for Brazil. To make it consistent, O should consider including a similar warning for Argentina and other countries that have a similar sneaky fee if the itinerary starts or ends in the country and is likely to apply (e.g., leaving from Buenos Aires), such as "Passengers flying into EZE airport in Buenos Aires are required to pay an Argentinean government-imposed entry fee unless they have previously paid the fee within the last ten years and present a receipt showing this payment with them when they land" or something like that. There is a similar fee for passengers that land in Santiago International Airport (SCL) in Chile as well: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1088.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PRWeezer Posted January 13, 2012 #14 Share Posted January 13, 2012 Perhaps I'm getting too much into semantics, but with Argentina, my understanding is it's not a visa, per se, but rather an entry fee (reciprocity fee). It seems with Brazil the visa paperwork must be completed in advance, and with Argentina, one pays the fee on entry. Same thing in Chile, where the fee was $100 in 2007, $140 as of August, 2011 when my husband had to pay again on a new passport. FWIW it doesn't look like the fee was required on my first trip to Argentina in 2006, but was in 2010. I have paid both fees flying into Argentina & Chile, have not sailed into either country. At each airport, you pay the fee prior to clearing immigration, and they put a document in your passport that is good for 10 years or until the passport expires. Argentina put a sticker that covers up an entire page of your passport, Chile staples the document in your passport. Sure, it makes sense that a cruise line would inform passengers of such requirements/fees. But I also fall into the category of putting some of the burden on the passengers themselves. My husband works for an airline, he sees situations regularly where someone is denied boarding on a flight departing the US because they don't have the proper paperwork to enter the destination country. While unfortunate when it happens, it's not the airline's fault. ETA: Looks like I was typing as ShopperfiendTO was posting, hence very similar information. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShopperfiendTO Posted January 13, 2012 #15 Share Posted January 13, 2012 I have paid both fees flying into Argentina & Chile, have not sailed into either country. At each airport, you pay the fee prior to clearing immigration, and they put a document in your passport that is good for 10 years or until the passport expires. Argentina put a sticker that covers up an entire page of your passport, Chile staples the document in your passport. Sure, it makes sense that a cruise line would inform passengers of such requirements/fees. But I also fall into the category of putting some of the burden on the passengers themselves. My husband works for an airline, he sees situations regularly where someone is denied boarding on a flight departing the US because they don't have the proper paperwork to enter the destination country. While unfortunate when it happens, it's not the airline's fault. I don't think it's too much to ask for the cruise line to include a warning notice about fees that will likely apply to its main clients who will most likely be flying into the country to board the boat. The burden is on the passengers to pay the fee or to go through the visa application process themselves, arrange their own pre-cruise itinerary before embarking and arrange their own post-cruise itinerary after disembarking, arranging their port excursions, etc. (unless they want the cruise line to do it for them and pay a service fee for that service). Speaking of the entry fees, can someone who has paid it confirm how payment can be made? Is it only credit card or USD cash? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PRWeezer Posted January 13, 2012 #16 Share Posted January 13, 2012 I don't think it's too much to ask for the cruise line to include a warning notice about fees that will likely apply to its main clients who will most likely be flying into the country to board the boat. The burden is on the passengers to pay the fee or to go through the visa application process themselves, arrange their own pre-cruise itinerary before embarking and arrange their own post-cruise itinerary after disembarking, arranging their port excursions, etc. (unless they want the cruise line to do it for them and pay a service fee for that service). Speaking of the entry fees, can someone who has paid it confirm how payment can be made? Is it only credit card or USD cash? I do agree that it's not asking too much to have such items detailed when appropriate for the itinerary. Maybe with enough feedback Oceania will amend their pre-cruise documents. But in general, because of my husband's line of work, we're over zealous about researching such things & understand that with international travel there are often paperwork & financial requirements depending on the country. So we don't necessarily assume somebody is going to take care of all the details for us. As for payment, I used a credit card in both Argentina & Chile, and don't recall other payment options, sorry. I recall on one trip with a group, the travel agent had told people cash (USD) was required, but in the end that wasn't the case. And now that I think about it, on my first trip to Argentina we had to pay a fee on departure from EZE, but now it's on arrival. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimandStan Posted January 13, 2012 #17 Share Posted January 13, 2012 I do agree that it's not asking too much to have such items detailed when appropriate for the itinerary. Maybe with enough feedback Oceania will amend their pre-cruise documents. But in general, because of my husband's line of work, we're over zealous about researching such things & understand that with international travel there are often paperwork & financial requirements depending on the country. So we don't necessarily assume somebody is going to take care of all the details for us. As for payment, I used a credit card in both Argentina & Chile, and don't recall other payment options, sorry. I recall on one trip with a group, the travel agent had told people cash (USD) was required, but in the end that wasn't the case. And now that I think about it, on my first trip to Argentina we had to pay a fee on departure from EZE, but now it's on arrival. The only country that we have ever visited where they insisted that the Visa be payed for in Cash (Dollars, not their currency) was Turkey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baldercash Posted January 13, 2012 #18 Share Posted January 13, 2012 You can pay by cash or charge card at the customs wicket. What also sets you off in the process is the agents actually seem pleased at the upset it causes amongst the tourists. Welcome to Argentina. O had us on the National Chilean airlines that flew from Toronto to Chile first with a stop over then to Argentina so not sure of the letters on the ticket. Not the flight I would have taken if I had booked it, it was a very long flight. After we returned we checked and we could have flown with our credit on Air Canada direct in 2/3rds the time at the same price. But I guess it is buyer beware as many have stated here, don't take anything for granted regardless of the company. We sailed an Azamara cruise in the Med and we visited 4 Turkish ports with a night over in Istanbul, we were told in advance there is some type of Fee / Visa we would be charged on disembarking. It was either waved or covered by the cruise line, we were prepared to pay it but it never was assessed. We sailed from Florida through the Panama canal and visited Ecuador, Peru then down to Chile disembarked and flew back to the US with no fee's but that was on Celebrity and a few years ago. We are doing a TA in April and I am booking my own flights not trusting the cruise line! We get to enjoy the amazing race aspect as well as the cruise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pacheco18 Posted January 13, 2012 #19 Share Posted January 13, 2012 It is an entry fee in Argentina and it is good for several years (do not recall how many), so that if you decide to return it will still be good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roothy123 Posted January 24, 2012 #20 Share Posted January 24, 2012 We went to South America last year and had to pay in the airport. Ugh. That was the first I had heard of it, and I wondered what people would do if they didn't have cash or a credit card. Together with the Brazil visa, that cruise in South America wasn't cheap! Grr! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
First Time 2008 Posted January 24, 2012 #21 Share Posted January 24, 2012 We went to South America last year and had to pay in the airport. Ugh. That was the first I had heard of it, and I wondered what people would do if they didn't have cash or a credit card. Together with the Brazil visa, that cruise in South America wasn't cheap! Grr! It's a reciprocity fee, to reciprocate for the fee that Argentineans (and Brazilians, and Chileans) have to pay to visit the U.S. If you think it's okay for them to pay to visit the U.S., then you should agree that it's okay the other way too. If you don't agree with the fee, you may have recourse. If you use a non-U.S. passport, then no fee. If you must use a U.S. passport and are upset at this, realize that the average Argentinean/Brazilian/Chilean is equally or more upset, and contact your U.S. government to stop the practice. I am sure that as soon as the U.S. stops charging they would reciprocate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baldercash Posted January 24, 2012 #22 Share Posted January 24, 2012 I am Canadian and payed the British do as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
First Time 2008 Posted January 24, 2012 #23 Share Posted January 24, 2012 I am Canadian and payed the British do as well. Canadians pay, but a different amount, to match the fees that Argentineans pay for Canadian visas. Australians pay too. And of course Americans. But that's it. I wonder where you got your info that Brits pay, but I suspect it's not quite right anymore. Here is the current (last updated 9/2011) official page from the government of Argentina: http://www.argentina.gob.ar/tramites/953-tasa-de-solicitud-de-ingreso-a-la-república-argentina.php Canadians and Australians, if unhappy with the situation, should also complain to their governments. The Argentineans are very clear that this is a reciprocity tax. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShopperfiendTO Posted January 24, 2012 #24 Share Posted January 24, 2012 The Argentineans are very clear that this is a reciprocity tax. It may be reciprocal in principle, but I wonder how many US citizens pay this compared to how many Argentineans do when they visit the US. BTW I've also read that Brits do not pay this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimandStan Posted January 24, 2012 #25 Share Posted January 24, 2012 Does it really benefit any of us to rehash every possible variation of who pays the tax and why? Having had personal experience with the Brazilian Government through their NYC consulate, I can tell you that they seem to actually enjoy "sticking it" to North Americans in retaliation for whatever perceived (or real) injustices have been inflicted on them. For that reason, although they do CLAIM that the tax is merely reciprocal, their glee in imposing it makes me think twice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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