If a foreign national travels to the Argentine Republic for tourism and stays at the home of a resident of Argentina, the host must write an invitation letter to be sent to the Argentine consular authority abroad.
The purpose of the invitation letter is only to commence the visa application procedure. It does not guarantee the granting of a visa.
Requirements:
This is an informal letter and must meet the following requirements:
1. It must be written in Spanish.
2. It must be addressed to the relevant consular authority (e.g. To the Consul of the Argentine Republic in ....).
3. It must contain all the personal and contact information of the resident of Argentina extending the invitation: full name, identity document, address, landline or mobile phone number and e-mail address.
4. It must contain all personal data of the foreign invitee: full name, nationality, date of birth, passport number and type, telephone number, e-mail and any other contact data in their place of residence.
5. It must explain the purpose of the trip, the relationship between the host and the invitee, the stay period in Argentina, the place of stay and the estimated dates of arrival and departure.
6. It must state that the person signing the letter will be responsible for the departure of the foreign national from Argentina at the end of the authorized stay period.
7. It must include the following paragraph: “As a person inviting a foreign national, I have read and understood the provisions included in Chapter VI of Law No. 25871, sections 116, 117, 118, 119, 120 and 121”.
8. It must bear the signature of the inviting person, certified by a Notary Public and the relevant Association of Notaries Public as appropriate.
9. The original must be posted to the Argentine Embassy or Consulate to which the foreign national submits the visa application.
Observations:
Notice: If a group of foreign nationals hires the services of a travel agency, and provided all applications are submitted to the same Consular Office, a sole invitation letter with the list of all travellers may be submitted. This list must contain the full name, date of birth, nationality, type and number of travel documents, and contact information (phone number and e-mail) of the foreign invitees. The list should be included in the letter of invitation (not attached to it), unless it is particularly long. In case of attachments, they must bear the signature of the host, which must be certified by a Notary Public and the relevant Association of Notaries Public. If travellers are part of a family group, a sole invitation letter for all may be accepted.
IMPORTANT:
Promoting or facilitating the illegal stay of foreign nationals in Argentine territory to obtain a benefit is punishable by 1 (one) to 6 (six) years' imprisonment. It is recommended that all hosts read Chapter VI of Law No. 25871 on Migrations, which deals with migratory offences. For information on this norm, visit: