Argentina

Work permit

Foreigners working in Argentina must get a visa authorising them to perform paid work. There are two alternatives to apply for a working visa:

• The visa application procedure cannot be started until the Entrance Permit is approved. Once approved, the worker must finish the procedure before the Argentine Consulate of the country of origin, or permanent residence in order to have the visa stamped on the passport.
• The application can be made completely in Argentina.

In both options, the local company must be registered in order to make the request on behalf of the foreign persons.

Temporary visas

Expatriate employees with long-term assignments in Argentina and any accompanying family require at least a temporary visa for one year. This visa can be renewed each year for an additional year. After three years, the expatriate may apply for a permanent visa.

Temporary and permanent visas are obtained by filing the company's documentation before the Immigration Authority and personal documentation, birth, good conduct, and health certificates duly certified before the Argentine Consulate in the country of origin or permanent residence.

An individual coming to Argentina not for working purposes (i.e. tourism) does not need a visa if staying for less than three months. However, if an expatriate intends to work in Argentina for a short-term period (e.g. 30 days), then a special visa must be obtained.

In order to obtain a work visa, a special employment contract issued from the local employer is required.

Foreign nationals coming to Argentina for a period not exceeding five years are considered non-residents, and are thus taxed on Argentine-source income only, provided they have documentation supporting that they came for work reasons. It is recommended that such individuals be provided at least with an assignment letter or similar documentation.

Holdings overseas and transactions reporting requirement

As of fiscal year 2011, individuals must file an informative return providing information about holdings in companies or entities (shares, private bonds, and other company ownerships) located abroad, owned at 31 December of each year. Individuals acting as trustees, trustors, or beneficiaries of trusts abroad must also report such information.

The informative annual return must be filed by the end of July of each year.

In addition to the annual tax return, individuals domiciled in Argentina must inform the tax authorities of purchases and sales of shares and other holdings in companies not traded in stock markets. Information about holdings from local or foreign entities with public offerings in stock markets must be provided only when they give rise to a modification in the corporate control. This information shall be submitted to the authority within ten days from the date on which the transaction took place.