• Argentina ranked 21st on the Quality of Life Index 2009

  On a ranking of in total 194 countries, Argentina takes the 21st position of best place to live in the world, just after countries such as The Netherlands, Canada and the UK. The ranking takes into account different factors: cost of living, leisure & culture, economy, environment, freedom, health, infrastructure, risk & safety and climate.

  See complete ranking »

• Facts & Nice-to-knows

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  Argentina Facts & Nice to Knows

  

  • Capital: Buenos Aires
  • Population: 40.5 million
    • 12.8 million in the Greater Buenos Aires metropolitan area
    • 3 million people in Buenos Aires city
  • Area: 2,766,890 km2 (8^th largest country of the world)
  • GDP (PPP): USD 572,668 billion (23^rd of the world)
  • Time zone: ART (UTC-3)
  • Currency: Argentine Peso (ARS)
  • Literacy rate: 97%
  • Quality of Life Index: 13^th
  • Human Development Index (HDI): 49^th (2^nd of Latin America)

  • Official language: Spanish
  • Other common languages:
    • Italian (1.5 million speakers)
    • German (0.5 million speakers)
    • French
    • Portuguese
    • English is commonly taught at schools as a second language

  • Ethnic groups:
    • 86.4% European (mostly Italian and Spanish)
    • 8% Mestizo
    • 4% Arab and East Asian
    • 1.6% Amerindian

  • Famous for:
    • Steak
    • Tango
    • Wine
    • Football

  • Main tourist attractions:
    • Buenos Aires (gastronomy, culture)
    • Iguazu waterfalls
    • Patagonia (e.g. Perito Moreno glacier)
    • Andes mountain range (highest mountain peak of the Southern and Western hemisphere)
    • Mendoza (one of the eight wine capitals of the world)

  • Famous Argentinean people:
    • Diego Armando Maradona (football player)
    • Ernesto “Che” Guevara (Marxist revolutionary)
    • Eva “Evita” Peron (former First Lady of Argentina)
    • Máxima Zorreguieta  (Crown Princess of The Netherlands)
    • Carlos Gardel (Tango artist)
    • Jorge Luis Borges (writer)

Why work in Argentina?

Do you feel like exploring new horizons without getting “lost in translation”? Then Argentina might be the right destination for you!
Argentina is a blend of cultures where indigenous people mingle with European, Arabic and Asian people, and you will find something familiar wherever you come from, without losing the feeling that you are discovering something completely new.

The country is characterized by its variety of landscapes and climates, from the tropical climate of the Iguazú falls, to the Arctic cold of Ushuaia, going through the dry and hot climate of the Andean NOA (Noroeste Argentino or North Western region of Argentina), lush and green Mendoza, or the mild Pampa plains of the region of Buenos Aires.

You will have mountains to ski (Bariloche) or to hike (all through the Andean cordillera from North to South) and beaches on the Atlantic Coast; history (in the Northern part of the country) and culture (in Buenos Aires). So many places to visit during your holidays!

Buenos Aires is a very cosmopolitan city with an interesting cultural offering, such as theaters, cinemas, shows and museums. Argentineans usually go out until late at night which makes the city very lively until early in the morning. There is a big variety of bars, restaurants, night clubs in the neighborhoods of Palermo, San Telmo, Recoleta, Barrio Norte and Las Cañitas.

Your stay in Argentina could also be the opportunity to learn how to dance tango, as the city of Buenos Aires has a world class tradition of this dance and its music. Argentina, and mainly Buenos Aires, is also renowned for its design. You will find this back all over the city, in the stylefully designed restaurants, hip bars and the many parks the city has to offer.

During daytime, you’ll be able to visit places such as Tigre (up north from the city) where you’ll be able to take a boat ride on the Paraná river, go to the neighborhood of “Mataderos” where a market of local products is held every Sunday between March and December (you will also be able to see a show of native songs and dances such as “chacarera” and “samba” which are typical from the Northern region of the country), or go to walk the city in search of its history. An option you might want to explore is Eternautas, a group of students of history that organizes very interesting and original tours of the City and its surroundings (www.eternautas.com).

Standards of living

• Live Peso Exchange Rates

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Centrally situated districts in Buenos Aires

• Cheaper districts: Constitución, La Boca, San Telmo
• Medium priced and nicer districts: Congreso, Caballito, Almagro, Villa Crespo
• Very nice and more expensive districts: Palermo, Belgrano, Recoleta

Housing

• Youth hostel AR$ 600/month
• Nice room in a house shared with other people (for foreigners): AR$ 800 – 1.000/month
• A one-room apartment for one Argentinean person: AR$ 1.000 – AR$ 1.200/month
• Apartments for foreigners are usually a little more expensive due to the impossibility for foreigners to find a warrant (meaning the owner of an apartment in Buenos Aires willing to sign on one’s behalf).

Service costs per month (only if you live in an apartment)

• Water: AR$ 30
• Electricity: AR$ 30
• Gas: AR$ 25

Transport

One way ticket:

• Subway: AR$ 1.10
• Bus: AR$ 1.10/AR$ 1.25 (for trips in Capital Federal; to go outside the city, it is somewhat more expensive).
• Taxi: starting price AR$ 3.80. You can go from the Northern districts like Belgrano to the centre where the office is located for AR$ 20.

Food and drinks

• A meal at home: approximately AR$ 10
• A meal in a cheap restaurant: AR$ 20
• A meal in a nice restaurant: AR$ 80
• A bottle of water in the street: AR$ 2
• A beer in a bar: AR$ 5-8
• A cocktail in a bar: AR$ 13

Leisure:

• Cinema: from AR$ 14 to AR$ 25 (depending on the cinema and the day you go)
• Theatre: AR$ 50 to AR$ 300

How to apply for a work visa

If you are already in Argentina (e.g. on a tourist visa), please see the procedure below under “B. Residence or Radicación”. If you are not yet in Argentina, please see the procedure under “A. Entry permit or permiso de ingreso”.

A. Entry permit or “permiso de ingreso”

The ENTRY PERMIT (or “Permiso de Ingreso”) is the document you will have to process if you are outside Argentina and you want to come to the country with a working visa.
To get your Argentinean work permit, you will have to get some documentation in your country of origin, namely:

• Birth certificate

  You can get a standard format (in the language of your country of origin) OR the international format (which usually includes Spanish too). As you will have to translate the standard format into Spanish (which will cost you more money), we recommend you to get the international format (please make sure this includes the Spanish version).
  You will also:

  • Either have to get the apostil of The Hague (please check where to get it in your country of origin; in general you can get this in regional courts); Note: You can ask for the apostil in international format too!
  • Or have your document legalized by the Argentinean consulate located in your country of origin, which has the same value as the apostil of The Hague.

• Criminal records

  You will have to present the criminal records of the country/ies where you have lived for the last 5 years (with residence). If you have lived in different countries for the past 5 years, then you will have to present the criminal records of all the countries where you lived.

  For this document, you will need:

  • Either have to get the apostil of The Hague (please check where to get it in your country of origin; in general you can get this in regional courts); Note: You can ask for the apostil in international format too!
  • Or have your document legalized by the Argentinean consulate located in your country of origin, which has the same value as the apostil of The Hague.

• Translation of the birth certificate (with apostil) and the criminal records

  All fore mentioned documents will have to be translated.
  The translation will have to be issued by a certified translator. The list of certified translators in can be provided by the Argentinean consulate closest to your place of residence in your country of origin.
  Both birth certificate and apostil will have to be translated. If you could get a Spanish or international version of the apostil, do not translate it again. Otherwise, do not forget to do so.

• Valid passport

  (plus a copy of every page, whether they are written or not, with all the stamps).

• Consular fee (can vary between 100 and 200 euros)

• Photos

  

  Always contact the Argentinean consulates of your respective countries of origin so they can advice you in collecting those documents (institutions where you can get them, amount of the consular fee, required quantity of photos, changes that might have occurred, etc.). See http://www.mrecic.gov.ar/ and click on “Representaciones argentinas”.

B. Residence or “radicación”

This is the list of documents a foreigner has to present to get his/her work permit when he/she is already in Argentina:
From your country of origin
you can have a relative apply for below mentioned documents on your behalf in your country of origin and have them sent to you in Argentina

• Birth certificate

  You can get a standard format (in the language of your country of origin) OR the international format (which usually includes Spanish too). As you will have to translate the standard format (which will cost you more money), we recommend you to get the international format (please make sure this includes the Spanish version)
  You will also:

  • Either have to get the apostil of The Hague (please check where to get it in your country of origin; in general you can get this in regional courts); N.B: You can ask for the apostil in international format too!
  • Or have your document legalized by the Argentinean consulate located in your country of origin, which has the same value as the apostil of The Hague.

• Criminal records

  You will have to present the criminal records of the country(ies) where you have been living for the last 5 years (with residence). If you have been living in different countries for the past 5 years, then you will have to present the criminal records of all the countries where you lived.
  For this document, you will need:

  • Either have to get the apostil of The Hague (please check where to get it in your country of origin; in general you can get this in regional courts); N.B: You can ask for the apostil in international format too!
  • Or have your document legalized by the Argentinean consulate located in your country of origin, which has the same value as the apostil of The Hague.

  

• Valid passport

In Argentina

• “Certificado de domicilio” (= certificate of home address in Argentina)

  To get it you have to go to the police station closest to your place of residence in Argentina; you will have to go to the police station, tell the police your address, tell them what you need the document for (say “ANSES”), and pay for the required fee (in general approx AR$ 15); the day after, a policeman will pass by your house in order to check that you actually live there (in case you are not at home, it is recommended to leave your passport to someone like the janitor if you live in an apartment, or to the reception if you live in a hostel, so that they can certify that you live there).

• Argentinean criminal records

  You can get them from Dirección Nacional de Migraciones, Antártida Argentina 1355, Capital Federal; cost: 25 pesos (5 working days), 40 pesos (48 hours), or 50 pesos (24 hours) depending on how fast you want it.

  You will have to go to the Dirección Nacional de Migraciones from 7.30 a.m. Depending on the time of the year, many people may be going to Migraciones for the same reason. If so, you’ll probably need a few hours to get it (approx 3 hours).

• Photos

• Translations of Birth Certificate and Criminal Records of country of origin (which were previously sent to you by your relative who applied for them on your behalf in your country of origin).

  The translation will have to be issued by a certified translator. The list of certified translators is generally available on the website of the consulate of your country of origin.

  Afterwards the translation will have to be legalized by the Colegio de Traductores, Av. Corrientes 1834, (C1022AAC), Capital Federal, Tel/Fax: (54 11) 4373-7173.

  Note: Some certified translators can offer you to do the legalization of their translations for an extra fee (please check this with the translator you chose).