Argentina Semester, Year, and Summer Visa Guidelines (TIE process)

IMPORTANT: BEFORE YOU START

The visa process is complex and takes time! It is important to remember that you will be working with a foreign government, requesting permission to live and study in Argentina. We strongly recommend that you bookmark this page in your web browser to reference while you complete the application requirements. AFS-USA is here to provide guidance; however, it is your responsibility to: 

• Read this entire webpage and download our E-VISA CHECKLIST.  
• Visit the Argentinian Immigration Office and Consulate’s websites. 
• Research and confirm your visa requirements before you begin. 
• Collect the documents necessary for your visa application. 
• Submit your visa application materials to [email protected] and provide timely responses to email updates.  

Please Note: Our webpage provides general guidance on the visa process. It is important for you to confirm your official requirements with your consulate. Each consulate can require specific or additional documents at their discretion regardless of the general process established by the Argentinian Immigration Bureau.  

TYPE OF VISA REQUIRED FOR YOUR PROGRAM

You must obtain an “Informal Studies” visa type. The visa will be issued in the form of a pdf document via email.  

OVERVIEW OF VISA APPLICATION PROCESS 

The visa process starts in Argentina. AFS Argentina will apply for an entry permit to Argentina on your behalf. Once approved, the entry permit will be sent to your consulate in the U.S. After the entry permit is granted, AFS Argentina will work on submitting a visa application on your behalf. In order for AFS Argentina to obtain the entry permit for you, you must send us scans of every page of your current passport, including the front and back covers. We CANNOT move forward in your visa application without this entry permit. Therefore, it crucial that you provide us with scans of every page of your current passport by the deadline noted below.

• You must email a color, high-quality scan of every page and both covers of your passport no later than October 16, 2026. 
  • • Please ensure that the image is of the highest quality, in color, with no lines, aberrations, fingers in the image, or extra marks. If the scans are not perfectly clear, they will not be accepted.
• Please attach these scans (in a single multi-page PDF) in an email sent to [email protected]
  • •  If you are having trouble emailing because of the file size, the website www.smallpdf.com may be useful to you.
• Confirm your birth date, country of birth, and consulate of your jurisdiction (where you will be applying from) 

STEPS TO APPLY 

Now, follow the steps below to obtain the visa. 

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STEP 1:  REVIEW THESE VISA RESOURCES 

• List of Consulate in the U.S.  

• • Find a consulate that has jurisdiction over the state in which you reside and review their process and visa requirements.  

• The Argentinian Government’s TIE Visa Guidance 

• • Review the TIE Visa process and requirements. Do not start an online application as AFS Argentina will be doing this on your behalf. 

Notary Process 

• A notarization is the act of a licensed notary public witnessing someone signing a document. The notary adds a signature, stamp or seal, and statement as part of the evidence that they have verified the identity of the person signing a document. A notarization must be done in person before the licensed notary public. If a document needs further certifications like an Apostille, it needs to be notarized first. Notaries are commonly found in banks, attorney offices, and more. 

Apostille Process

• Apostilles are the highest level of certification by the Federal Department of State or your state’s Department of State. Apostilles are issued by the Federal Government or the Secretary of State’s office in the state where the document was certified or notarized. Your document must be apostilled by the state that it was issued in or by the Federal Government if it was federally issued (i.e. an FBI Background Check). The process for obtaining an Apostille varies by state. An Apostille (or, in some cases, a State Authentication) may or may not be needed for your visa process. Find more information on the Apostille process in your state. If the document needs an Apostille, it needs to be notarized first. 

Translation Process

• Your visa process may require the official translation of a document such as the Birth Certificate or FBI Background Check into your destination country’s official language. The translator must be capable of translating the document in its entirety and must include a signed, notarized “Certificate of Accuracy” proving that their translation is accurate and complete. You do not need to notarize the document that has Certificate of Accuracy enclosed. You can send it directly to the Secretary of State to be apostilled. Keep in mind that, if you need an Apostille for your translation of the document, it must be issued by the state in which the translation was notarized, regardless of where the original document was issued or apostilled.  

AFS-USA Visa FAQs   

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STEP 2: COLLECT DOCUMENTS REQUIRED FOR YOUR VISA APPLICATION 

Document Checklist: 

• All pages of your passport 

• Passport photo 

• Apostilled Travel Authorization and Parental Consent Form (Venia de Viaje & Delegacion Parental) with Copies of Parental IDs (passports) 

• Apostilled Birth Certificate (English) 

• Apostilled Translated Birth Certificate (Spanish) 

• Apostilled FBI Background Check – English (Only for applicants age 16 and older participating in the year program)  

• Apostilled FBI Background Check Translation in Spanish (Only for applicants age 16 and older participating in the year program)  

• Any other documents that your consulate may require 

Start collecting these documents immediately. It takes about 90 days to obtain the Apostilled FBI Background Check and 15 to 60 days to obtain other apostilled documents depending on the state in which you reside. 

TO COLLECT THE REQUIRED DOCUMENTS, CLICK ON AND FOLLOW THIS GUIDANCE. 

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STEP 3: EMAIL VISA DOCUMENTS TO AFS-USA

STEP 4: AFS ARGENTINA APPLIES FOR YOUR E-VISA

STEP 5: YOUR VISA APPLICATION IS PROCESSED

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STEP 6: UPLOAD YOUR E-VISA TO AFS DASHBOARD

REMINDER – **PLEASE CLICK HERE to review our guide on how to collect visa application materials.