"US, UK, Canada or Australia? It'll cost more!" Argentina Warnings Or Dangers Tip by 850prc

Beware and be prepared for the "reciprocity fee" upon entering Buenos Aires by air from outside the country (at EZE) if you're from the US, Canada, Britain or Australia. After 9/11, when governments from the countries above greatly tightened airport and air security, their demands cost the Argentine government a good number of pesos to meet standard. Soooooooo "in return", the Argentinian government charges citizens of the countries above a "reciprocity fee" when they arrive in Argentina at EZE international airport from abroad.... anywhere abroad.

Now, they only charge this fee once, and after that - you will have a sticker in your passport that is good for multiple re-entries into Argentina through EZE for the next ten years. But on that first pass into the country, Americans, Brits, Australians and Canadians get popped for about US$140 each. The reciprocity fee. It's the Argentine government recouping as much of the expense thrust upon them by the US, UK, Canadian and Australian governments as they can, FROM only the citizens of those countries.

PS and FWIW, Argentine airports are generally pretty well run. But it's my opinion - and only my opinion - that they're not QUITE doing as much on the security front as the American government thinks that they are. That "second" canvassing we went through before boarding our return flight was basically a bunch of gate agents and ticket agents just asking questions and fiddling around with carryon baggage. They were nice and quite helpful - almost apologetic, but.... I honestly don't think they've had much training in profiling suspicious individuals trying to board the plane. But, just MHO.

On the plus side, it does encourage us to do something that we really think we'd like anyway, ie visit Argentina again, just to get our money's worth on those reciprocity stamps.