A retirement visa is relatively easy to obtain for Argentina. It is recommended that you visit the Argentine consulate in your home country for the forms. The general required documents for a retiree visa are:
- A valid passport, which must remain valid for at least one year from the date of your entry into Argentina, as well as one full page left for the visa
- A completed visa application form
- At least four recent 4x4cm passport-style photos
- Proof of income: you will need a letter from your bank, Social Security or pension fund indicating your monthly income, which must be equivalent to at least AR$2,500. (Check with your consulate beforehand, as this minimum amount may increase.)
- Birth certificate
- Marriage certificate (if applicable), or other civil status certificate
- A police record of clean criminal background covering your place(s) of residence for the last 5 years
- Affidavit of no criminal record, to be signed at the consulate
- Fees (which vary according to country of residence)
If you are planning to relocate with your spouse, he/she must also present all of the above documents, minus the application form and proof of income.
Note that the proof of income letter, birth/marriage certificates and police records must be apostilled in accordance with the Hague Legalization Convention, as well as translated into Spanish by a licensed translator. Be sure to bring original documents with you, not just photographed copies.
The application processing time can be anywhere from a few days to several weeks, depending on your country of residence. A retiree visa is considered a temporary visa, and can only be valid up to 3 years, determined under the discretion of the consulate. It is possible to file for an extension while still in Argentina; however, you may be required to return to your country of origin if you wish to change your visa status.
For complete information, visit http://www.migraciones.gov.ar/. The main content is in Spanish, but the menu to the left is available in English and will take you to English explanations.
