Hmm, interesting! I just got a note from Regent (via Ngaire) that Argentina is now charging Americans, Canadians and Australians a "reciprocity fee" to enter the country. For Americans it's $160 per person and you have to pay it online before you can enter the country. Why don't they just require a Visa? Anyway, I assume we charge their citizens to enter the U.S., and thus the "reciprocity" (but entering the U.S. is worth it -- not sure about Argentina ).

Are they capitalizing on song in musical - Evita?

Like Brazil, they are doing to us what we do to them.


If you want to go to Antarctica you probably will sail from Ushuaia, which is at tip of Argentina.

We're just doing part of the Circle South America cruise on the Mariner. We're getting off in Buenos Aires partly because I didn't want to mess with a Brazil Visa. At least this is just an online payment (for now) -- much easier than jumping through hoops to get a Visa.

Recently obtained another Brazil Visa - good for 10 years now - I should live so long!

Argentina charged us a whooping fee upon entry. It was MUCH higher than other nationalities. They did it right there at entry. Of course, it is good for 10 years. Going to have to keep my soon to expire passport "just in case" we go back.
But then, Argentina is an economic mess.
Tip: if you expect to be able to convert Argentina money back to US dollars (or anything else) upon exit, be sure to keep the receipt you should have gotten when you purchased the Argentine money. No receipt? No exchange.

Doug

Hmm, never had to pay an entry fee before in Argentina -- they say this one is new (we didn't have to pay it when we were there a year ago) and as of July, it has to be paid before you can even get on a ship or plane going to Argentina. We don't plan to spend any money there, so exchange won't be a problem--we're leaving the day the ship docks. When we were there a year or so ago, the guide on the tour bus was exchanging money at a much lower rate than the official exchange rate. We took the deal but managed to use it all on the hotel bill when we left.

what a racket!

The $160 fee is not new; it's been in effect several years. On our way to Ushuaia for Antarctica, Prince Albert, we paid the $160pp in Buenos Aires on February 8, 2010.

You used to be able to pay it on ARRIVAL in Argentina then it changed to having to be done on line and got more expensive. Not sure when that happened.

I don't remember paying it at all when we were there last December. Maybe Regent put it on our shipboard account or something. At least paying the fee online is easy...

I just checked my notes for that trip and our credit card charge was $262.80 for the two of us, so, it was about $130pp at that time.

The fee is assessed when you arrive by air but not by ship.

Jim, maybe that's what's changed. Regent is telling us to pay the fee online and present the receipt to even get on the ship in Miami. So we'll pay (unless they change it again before we go).

It must be new because we didn't pay it last December when we were there on the Mariner.

It appears to be new http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1130.html?action=/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_957.html

Olivia, thank you for link.

I have no plans to go to Argentina. I will be in Brazil soon with my new visa that's good for 10 years. Europe is much more enticing for me and I'm kinda sick of SA!

Thanks, Olivia -- mystery solved.

Ted, if you love Europe so much, why arent you sailing with us from Istanbul on October 7???? The single supplement is low on this one! Marcie and I would love to see you again! Are you on a Regent cruise to Brazil?

BCN to Rio next month.

Alas , I wish I was on your cruise but timing wasn't right .