Thanks for posting this. Now, what was supposed to be a reasonable trip (late summer 2009) is starting to get very expensive.
First, I plan to rent an apartment and aside from paying the rent for a week, I'll also be required to pay a cash deposit which equals the amount of the rent for a week. Expensive.
When renting an apartment in Paris, for example, which cost the same as the apartment I plan to rent in BA, I only pay a $300. deposit which is deducted from my total amount and then I pay the balance, in dollars, 2 months before my arrival date. I also receive the apartment keys 2 weeks before departure. My apartment procedures in Bangkok are also very easy. In BA, I'll have to pay $1,000-$1,100 cash deposit up front. A lot of money. Now add this $131. dollars to that.

It's good I cashed in my frequent flyer miles for a free plane ticket. I still want to do BA, but I am starting to rethink it. What next?

Plus, I had thought of possibly going on a quick tour to Uruguay. So, I assume that might mean that I'll have to pay $131. again to get back into Argentina...depending on what is decided on this payment plan. Happy Travels!

As a US citizen (AVrooster, amigo, we'll debate the "American" label and just how proudly you would wear that in certain situations later), I am taking no position for or against the Argentinian government for this decision. It highly resembles an 8 year-old schoolyard fight; he slapped me and so I have every right to slap him - and so forth.

My own corrupt government (on both sides of the aisle) should take their greedy hands out of our pockets, and our guest's. They should use any visa charge to actually INVESTIGATE anyone applying for a visa if they are to charge for it in the first place. Otherwise it is simply another thinly disguised tax. And any tax that targets outsiders is a ridiculous tax only imposed merely for the purpose of taxing. So why is it imposed? Because they can. The fee for an US visa does not negatively impact the tourism industry.

As for my feelings towards this Argentinian entry fee, I am impervious. My wife and I catch a plane for Santiago tomorrow morning. We are beginning a 24 day honeymoon excursion through Chile, Uruguay and Argentina. I have travelled extensively in the past - she has only a few European countries under her belt. However, for both os us, this is the trip of a lifetime. We are not only talking about over 14 cities that we've never seen, but an entirely virgin continent for the both of us. We will be required to come up with an "entry fee" of $262 USD upon arrival on this adventure. We have known that since the trips inception just as plainly as we have known the cost of the cruise, the airfare, and the departure fees. One has a choice of getting irked by getting "taxed" at both ends, or just factoring it in as the cost of doing business and enjoying everything from there. I choose the latter. The costs, at all ends, were all a part of the planning and decision making process. If, after the plans had been set in motion 9 months ago, the Argentine government had added a new entry fee to our ships arrival, or even increased the exit fee (which it still may do at any moment without any warning) we would not have changed our plans, only our budget.

I venture to say that this thought process would be typical for most first time guests to Argentina. Any new "fee" or "tax" (or whatever label one wishes) that may be imposed will simply be factored into the budget of crossing this corner of the world off the list of "Must sees". It WOULD NOT, for the most part, put a significant dent in the quantity first time visitors.

The real fiscal impact of this decision, logically and mathematically, would be it's impact on the visitor who has fallen in love (or severe like) with this country and wishes to make many return visits. These are the people who would carry the bulk of this "tax". This, at first glance, appears to be the "target audience". That is, until you factor in that the money paid lasts for the life of the passport. I think the Argentinian government has certainly done it's homework in this matter. Good decision / bad decision aside, this fee will not affect tourism with a negative fiscal impact overall weighing income -vs- potential lost revenue.

Guenmai, I disagree with you on several things.

I rented an apartment in Paris last year and OF COURSE, I was asked for a DAMAGE deposit, which was returned to me when I left. It is the same here. My point is that you don't lose it, you get it back when you leave, unless you damage the apartment. Furthermore, the Paris apartment I rented cost FAR MORE than a similar one in BA. But I could see the Eiffel Tower from my bed! LOL!!!

The RESERVATION deposit is another matter. In Paris, as you well say, some firms ask you first for a RESERVATION deposit and then ask you to pay the balance of the rent as much as TWO MONTHS before you get there. Here, you usually have to send a RESERVATION deposit and pay the rest in cash, when you get here. The RESERVATION deposit is, of course, deducted from your rent.

Here, someone meets you to deliver the keys to the apartment, explains how things work, collects the balance of the rent and the damage deposit and makes you sign the contract.

Everything considered, as I don't mind carrying cash, I find our system better for the traveler than the one used in Paris. Among other things, if you have a problem and cannot come, you only forfeit the RESERVATION deposit, whereas, in Paris you would probably lose the amount of the whole rental.

Obviously, I cannot vouch for what our government will do, but I don't think that if you go to Uruguay and back to BA, you will be charged the U$S 131 again.

Todd: have a great honeymoon!

Avrooster...Different companies have different polices in Paris and other places. However, with the company that I rented from, it was VERY easy.
After calling the company to see if the apartment was available, I then just mailed them a personal check for a $300. deposit to hold the apartment. Then there was some manditory damage insurance for , I think $30.
I booked the apartment maybe about 8-9 months in advance.

Then 2 months before leaving for Paris, I mailed them the remainder of the amount by personal check....minus the $300. And as I said, I received the keys about two weeks before departure so I didn't have to worry about meeting anyone at the apartment. There was an instruction notebook, at the apartment, on how to operate everything and further instructions on different things in the info I received, from the rental company, before even leaving home. It couldn't have been easier and many fodorites have used the same company.

Now, what I'm understanding of the company I plan to use in BA is that I'll need to send them the full amount for the one-week apartment rental before I leave home. Plus, when I arrive and meet the agent, present him/her with another full-amount, in cash, equivalent to a week's rent. Then when I leave, that amount of cash will be returned.
Plus, the company will not allow reservations to be put in until 2-3 months before the planned arrival date and most likely 2 months before. A regular, over on the Asia forum where I'm also a regular, checked this out when I mentioned to him the name of the company I plan to use. He's also going to BA, but before me and was interested in the info. He contacted them. He's a bit nervous about waiting until only 2 months before his scheduled arrival before knowing if he has an apartment or not.
So, I'm just saying that quite a bit more money will be tied up than in my experience of my Paris rental or my Bangkok rentals. I'll have to reread the policy of the BA company again as I read it some months ago. But, when I read it, it really got my attention.
Also, it doesn't sound as if any money will be coming back if I have to cancel. Happy Travels!

So am I right to understand that each time one returns Argentina, a renetry fee must be paid? Is very different from the policy practiced in Chile where its for the life of the passport.

Confucious say: Sometimes I appreciate a good hearty laugh in the middle of chaos. It does the soul good.

Guenmai: would you mind telling us the name of the "company I (you) plan to use in BA"?

I ask, because I feel that is NOT the normal way things are done here.

Perhaps you should at least check with another firm?

Also, Guenmai, would you please share the name of the rental firm you use in Paris?

After all, that is that the forums are for....

Travelme: at this writing, we are not even absolutely sure this "reciprocity fee" will be applied and we know even less about how it will work.

My hunch is that the fee will NOT be paid again "each time one returns Argentina", but it is just that, a hunch.

Thank you Avrooster. I hope your hunch is correct.

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35167470

travelme.. here is the thread that you posted asking about this.. in case you lost track of it

Avrooster- The apartment company that I used in Paris was the one that I posted to you, I think, last month. It's vacationinparis.com. They're located in New Jersey, but of course have contacts in Paris.

As for BA, I plan to go with one
that was mentioned here on the forum...buenosaireshabitat.com. I don't have time to reread through all of the stuff right now. Maybe I'll have time to reread it some days for now. But, I know that my fodors friend, from Asia forum, contacted them about when to book an apartment. He e-mailed me that info as I hadn't contacted them yet. I had the same question. Thanks. Happy Travels!

This is off topic but for Mr. Rooster and Guenmai about apartment rentals in Paris and BA.

Indeed the company Guenmai used is a good one and very easy to deal with, they have very nice apartments. We have a thread running on the Europe board specifically with Paris apartments that we have all rented and loved, here's the link:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35159017

Guenmai, I have just rented an apartment in BA for Feb, all I had to do was secure it with a cc. Indeed there are many other good companies that do not require so much up front/middle/end. If you would like my info let me know. I rented a 2 bedroom, 2 bath, all modern, balcony, lovely pool on the top floor, $120 a day.

Thank you Scarlett. I do remember that article now that you mentioned it. I hope that this visa however will be forgotten about or that they(government) look at the bigger picture and decide that they should encourage repeat visitors instead of imposing a rentry fee for each visit. I love Argentina and I have some life long friends that live there so I will return. It just urks me but whatever!

Thank you, Guenmai and Susanna for the info about apartment rentals in Paris and BA!

After years and years of staying in hotels, we tried an apartment rental in Paris. We loved our stay in the ParisPerfect apartment in the 7th.. we could see the Eiffel Tower from the dining room and our bedroom.
Not to mention how perfect the service/management was.. absolutely no complaints.
We will use them when renting in London too.

Does this fee apply to Canadians also? This is the first time I've heard about such a fee.

Thanks

Oh yes, the fee is for Canadians as well, unfortunately.

I believe Canada charges Argentines. I don't know how much.

Therefore, as this is called a "reciprocity fee", Canadians will probably be charged.

However, at this writing, no details are known on this subject.

Susana: What company did you use? For over a year, off and on, I've been looking at different companies and have a list of them filed away somewhere. The reason I finally came to selecting buenosaireshabitat.com is that it was the one company that had the type of apartments that I am looking for along with the locations. Plus, it was highly recommended in this forum.

As for paying this entry fee into Argentina, I was concerned about reentry because I remember when I went to Istanbul, in 1999, there was a cash $40 or $50 entry fee into Turkey that had been imposed and folks were in an uproar over it just like over this possible Argentina fee. As for the situation in Turkey, if one reenterd Turkey then, folks were told, that one had to pay again. A lot of visitors go back and forth between Turkey and Greece and that's one reason why folks were quite ticked off. I remember that I didn't add Greece to the list and just planned a trip to stay in Istanbul.

As for Paris, for those interested, we do have a "Paris Apartment Thread" as someone mentioned above. Although I didn't start that particular thread, I try to top it in order to keep it current.
I did, however, start a "Paris Hotels Right Bank Thread" and "Paris Hotels Left Bank Thread" where I have posters list hotels they've stayed at and liked and give a brief description of them. I've set it up as a list-of-hotels thread, not a back and forth discussion thread so that folks can easily print the information if they so desire. I try to top the two threads frequently to keep them current. They either end up in the first 50 or second 50 set of threads.
Over in the France forum, we get tons of questions about apartment rental and what hotel to stay in in Paris. It's endless. So, we needed those threads. Happy Travels!