On any travelers map, Argentina deserves a special pin. It’s one of the most exciting countries to tick off the bucket list, with everything from impeccable beaches to glacial mountains, bustling cities and remote wilderness.
The steaks, red wine and overall joie de vivre are pretty great too. Those bucket list pins had been put on hold for much of the pandemic though.
Argentina shuttered to outsiders, but as of November 1st, it is now open once again. Not only is it open, ready for visitors and a great place to visit right now, the country is offering a chance at some vaccine tourism too.
Argentina Is Open For Vaccinated Visitors
Fully vaccinated visitors can enter Argentina again, and the country has rolled back many of the most cumbersome elements of the travel process.
Now, travelers simply need a pre-flight covid-19 PCR test taken within 72 hours of boarding a flight, and to fill out a passenger locator form. Travel insurance covering covid-19 is recommended. Obviously, it’s good to have proof of full vaccination too. Children are now exempt from vaccination requirements.
Argentina is going a step further than just being “open” though. Visitors will have access to covid-19 vaccines, for anyone that wants it. The United States and Maldives were among the first to offer “vaccine tourism”, whereby anyone who visits is eligible to receive vaccination free of charge.
New York even created mobile vaccination centers in key tourism areas to help boost uptake, while the Maldives offered vaccines at airports and borders.
According to authorities, the country hopes some visitors will take the opportunity to visit to help get vaccinated. Argentinian citizens and residents are not subject to being fully vaccinated to enter the country, so many can come home to receive vaccination.
For parents who want their children vaccinated, it’s theoretically possible to do some vaccine tourism to Argentina to make that happen, too. Ultimately, Argentina’s vaccine tourism offer may be pretty niche at this point, but it’s there!
Argentina Is Open!
Either way, Argentina is open for quarantine free travel with highly reasonable rules in place, which makes it a fantastic place to add back to the bucket list, and earn that special pin!
Has Argentina issued a new decree modifying the originally published post-October rules? From the original decree in Spanish, the PCR test needed to be taken within 72 hours of entry into Argentina, not boarding a flight, which can obviously put a significant dent in that 72 hour window for those who have long connecting flights and/or who don’t live somewhere near easy availability of rapid PCR tests. Or is this how airlines are implementing it, regardless of the legal language? Just wondering. ( I’ve got a Solar Eclipse cruise to Antarctica transiting via EZE later this month)
Do you have any news about Chile’s restrictions, which, from what I can tell, are very cumbersome, requiring not only PCR within 72 hours of departure, but also immediately upon entry, with 24-48 hour delay for results? Also, evidence of $30,000 health insurance, and advance registration with the government.