Eligibility
Program Description
Visa and Travel
Orientations and Activities
Program Description
Argentina, a land of gauchos and tango, is also home to Iguazú Falls in the rainforest, glacier-topped mountains and penguin colonies. Sophisticated and lively Buenos Aires offers a variety of entertainment from the Avenida 9 de Julio—one of the widest streets in the world—to opera at the world-renowned Teatro Colón, to sipping mate (a kind of green tea) with friends. Argentina values culture, tradition, and hospitality.
Host Families
As with most AFS programs, you will be placed with a volunteer host family who will invite you into their home and provide room, board, and guidance during your time abroad.
Argentinian host families, like families around the world, come in all shapes and sizes. It is possible that you will have two host-parents and host siblings, but we cannot guarantee that will be the case. You may be placed with a single parent family or with a family that doesn’t have children. What we can guarantee, though, is that your host family will be excited to learn about you and your culture and that they want you to become a part of their family.
You may be placed in any region of Argentina, from the southernmost province of Tierra del Fuego, to downtown Buenos Aires, to the northern province of Jujuy. Most students are placed with middle-class families in cities ranging in population from 10,000 to 3,000,000 inhabitants. Few participants are placed in rural areas. AFS Argentina also places a few students each year in Uruguay, which is across the Rio de la Plata from Buenos Aires and shares many cultural traits with Argentina. Placements in Uruguay are usually in or around Montevideo.
Host Schools
Argentina has both public and private schools. They may be academic, vocational-commercial or vocational-technical. Most AFSers are placed in public coeducational schools in the fourth or fifth year (last or second-to-last year) with classmates ages 16 and 17. Most schools require uniforms (you should bring approximately US$100 to cover the cost).
The school year is divided into two semesters starting in mid-March and ending in early December. There is a two-week winter vacation in July.
You will attend classes Monday through Friday either in the morning (from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m.) or in the afternoon (1 p.m. to 6 p.m.), not both, depending on the school. Unlike the United States, teachers change rooms while you will remain with your classmates.
Extracurricular activities are limited mostly to sports clubs. Generally, a school will organize a class trip that you will be invited to join (your participation is option but if you choose to go, the cost is usually about US$350).
Although some year and semester program participants obtain academic credit for the coursework they successfully complete while abroad, AFS cannot guarantee academic credit for courses. Please discuss your plans with your school before you go abroad.
Language
Spanish is the official language of Argentina and is the language that your hostfamily will likely speak and that in which your classes will be taught.
It is not mandatory that you speak Spanish in order to be accepted into the program yet we suggest that you prepare yourself by learning as much as possible prior to departure.
Vegetarians
Eating beef is central to Argentinian culture and cuisine. Due to the high level of meat consumption in Argentina, applicants who require a vegetarian diet will not be accepted.
Learn more about families and schools in Argentina.
Eligibility
To be eligible you must:
- Be between 15 years 0 months and 18 years 0 months old at the start of the program
- Have a minimum 2.8 cumulative GPA (on a 4.0 scale)
- Be mentally, physically, and emotionally healthy in accordance with the AFS Medical Evaluation Policy
- Have an open mind, willingness to be flexible, and the ability to adapt to new a culture, school, and environment
- Be in possession of a United States passport, valid for at least 6 months after the program end date, and submit an electronic scan of the passport photo page along with your online application.
Visa and Travel
All international travel requires that you have a passport that is valid for six months longer than your intended stay.
The visa application process to Argentina requires pre-approval from the Argentine government. For that reason, it is critical that you have a valid passport at the time you submit your AFS application. Please submit your passport number, issue date, and expiration date to us as part of your AFS application.
Visa
In addition to your passport, you also need a visa to enter and reside in Argentina.
The visa application process for Argentina is detailed, time-consuming, and costly. It involves collecting a number of documents, some of which must be translated, notarized, and legalized with an apostille.
The current visa fee is approx. $240 ($40 to be paid to the Argentine consulate here in the USA when you submit your visa application and $200 to be paid to immigration officials in Argentina. AFS USA will bill you for the $200. This will appear on your invoice as “Visa Fee”).
These fees do not include the cost of obtaining, translating, notarizing, and mailing the required documents, nor the cost of traveling to the consulate if necessary, as some Argentine Consulates also require visa applicants to appear in person. Please note that these fees and requirements are determined by the consulates and are subject to change.
After you have been accepted into the program and in the months prior to your departure, AFS will provide you with detailed instructions regarding the required documents and how to apply for your visa.
Travel
You and your fellow AFSers will fly together between Miami to Buenos Aires, Argentina’s capital city. After you collect your baggage and pass through customs you will be met by AFS staff and volunteers and taken to an orientation site in the outskirts of Buenos Aires where you will take part in a 2-3 day arrival orientation.
After the orientation, you will travel by bus (or by plane if you are hosted more than 1110km from Buenos Aires) to your host community. You will travel as a group and be chaperoned by AFS volunteers.
AFS Orientations and Activities
In addition to the orientations that you will participate in domestically (the local Pre-Departure Orientation, Culture Trek, and the Gateway Orientation), you and your fellow AFSers will have multiple orientations while abroad.
Arrival Orientation
After your arrival into Buenos Aires you will be met by AFS staff and volunteers and taken to an orientation site in the outskirts of Buenos Aires where you will take part in a 2-3 day arrival orientation.
In addition to covering the rules and safety tips, there will be an emphasis on approaching your experience from an intercultural learning perspective. This is an international orientations so you’ll have the opportunity to meet other AFSers from around the world.
End-of-Stay Activities
In the week before your return flight you will be invited back to Buenos Aires for a 3-day evaluation camp. This is your chance to reflect on your experience and to share with other AFSers. You will also prepare for the cultural readjustment that is a part of returning home. You’ll also get a chance to tour the city and get a taste of what it has to offer.
Optional Activities
In addition to the orientations, many local chapters organize activities for students and host families throughout the year. These will vary from chapter to chapter but may include parties or excursions to other cities or regions in Switzerland. Unlike the orientations, these activities are optional and are at the student’s expense.
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