Argentina visa requirements for Canadian citizens

A visit can last up to 180 days

A Canadian passport is enough for entry as a tourist, with no advance visa application. The initial stay is up to 90 days; a prórroga from Migraciones, requested before it expires, adds one further 90-day period. Beyond 180 days, you need a residence application on file or must leave.

Tourist status does not permit a job with an Argentine employer. Emergency care in public hospitals remains free, but since DNU 366/2025 non-residents can be charged for other care. Travel insurance covers the gap during a visit.

Residence depends on where your income comes from

Passive income from foreign rent, investments or dividends belongs under rentista; a foreign pension such as CPP, OAS or a workplace pension belongs under pensionado. Each calls for at least five times Argentina's minimum wage (SMVM), about ARS 1.9 million or US$1,250 monthly. Both grant renewable one-year temporary residence, without permission to take a local job.

The digital nomad visa covers remote work for employers or clients outside Argentina for 180 days, extendable once for another 180. It provides no DNI, and the time does not count towards permanent residence or citizenship. An Argentine job offer or admission to an Argentine university instead points to work or student residence.

What happens after you file with Migraciones

The file brings together your passport, bank, investment or pension records proving income, and a Canadian criminal record check. Canadian documents require apostilles and Spanish translations by an Argentine sworn translator (traductor público). Filing with Migraciones costs 100 UMSM, currently ARS 100,000; a preferential appointment adds 50 UMSM (ARS 50,000).

After filing, a precaria gives you provisional legal status during the wait. It usually lasts 90 days and can be renewed; decisions typically take 3 to 12 months. Once approved, an appointment with RENAPER or Registro Civil produces your foreign-resident DNI. The first card costs ARS 20,000 and generally arrives by post in 2 to 6 weeks; residents with a DNI retain free public healthcare.

Two different clocks after temporary residence

Temporary residence renews annually. Canadians can apply for permanent residence after three years, provided at least half that period was spent in Argentina and no absence lasted six months or more. The shorter two-year permanent-residence route is reserved for Mercosur nationals.

Naturalization has its own threshold: two years of continuous legal residence, followed since DNU 366/2025 by an application to Migraciones rather than a federal court. Children of Argentine parents can claim nationality by option, but grandchildren cannot. A spouse or parent of an Argentine first receives temporary family-reunification residence, with permanent residence later available through arraigo, or settled ties.

Where the Canadian embassy fits

The Embassy of Canada in Buenos Aires is your contact for a Canadian passport or consular help in an emergency. Migraciones decides Argentine entry, extensions and residence applications. Questions about your pending Argentine status therefore belong with Migraciones rather than the embassy.