Border control at Argentina airports: what happens to travellers and their data

Arriving: the steps at the border

Migraciones says it controls 164 border crossings, 39 of them at airports. It recorded more than 76.3 million entries and exits in 2025. Inspectors carry out checks with the help of self-service biometric gates at some points ¹.

Migraciones says entry and exit control at every international airport with regular flights, and at the Buquebus ferry terminal in Buenos Aires, uses biometric technology ¹. The Airport Security Police (PSA) lists fingerprint and facial recognition among its passenger checks ⁹.

A decree of necessity and urgency, Decree 366/2025, changed the Migration Law in 2025. iProfesional reported that it made failure to declare criminal records, convictions or court warrants a ground to refuse entry or stay. It linked public hospital care for foreigners to health insurance or payment under rules set by the Ministry of Health. As of June 2025 the decree still needed implementing rules ⁶.

Entry permission: visas and the AVE

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs publishes a list of visa requirements by nationality. For example, Norwegian and Icelandic citizens with ordinary passports need no visa for tourism, unpaid activity or business stays of up to 90 days, which can be extended for a similar period. Nationals of OECD member countries with ordinary passports can visit for business for up to 90 days without a visa ².

Some nationals who need a tourist visa can apply instead for an Electronic Travel Authorisation, the Autorización de Viaje Electrónica (AVE). Applicants must travel for tourism, hold a passport from an eligible country, and hold a valid US visa in category B1, B2, J, O, P, E or H-1B with at least 120 days of validity left ^2,3.

The AVE costs USD 50, takes about 20 days and allows multiple entries with stays of 90 days. It is filed online with Migraciones and paid by card. Argentine embassies and consulates have no role in AVE decisions. A refused AVE does not stop a later visa application ².

In 2025 Argentina let some nationals enter with a valid US visa without needing either a consular visa or an AVE. Under Resolution 353/2025, Indian citizens with ordinary passports and a US green card or a valid US visa in set categories can enter as tourists for up to 90 days ⁴. Under Resolution 316/2025, Chinese citizens with the same US documents can enter for tourism or business for up to 30 days ⁵. In both cases the stay can be extended once, subject to DNM review ^4,5.

Biometrics and eGates

Migraciones runs automated border control eGates. It says they apply the same security rules as staffed booths and clear entry or exit in under 30 seconds. It says the gates follow recommendations of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). As of March 2019 there were 29 eGates at Ezeiza airport, the international area of Aeroparque Jorge Newbery, the Buquebus and Colonia Express terminals and Rosario airport ¹.

Official sources consulted for this guide do not say which foreign nationals can use the eGates or how long biometric data from the border is kept.

Passenger data: API and PNR

Argentina's border control runs on the Sistema Integral de Captura Migratoria (SICAM). Airlines and shipping companies send Advance Passenger Information (API) 30 minutes before each flight or ship departs ¹.

Airlines send PNR data 48 hours and 6 hours before the flight closes. Migraciones says PNR carries more detail than API, such as flight history and booking payment data ¹.

Watch lists and checks

Migraciones says SICAM connects to INTERPOL's I-24/7 network, which holds global records of restrictions. It checks the National Recidivism Registry for criminal records and confirms identity with the National Registry of Persons (RENAPER) ¹.

Migraciones says all crossings use the same online tools, drawing on personal data from national and international sources ¹.

Your data: the law and how to ask for records

Argentina's data protection law is Law 25,326, backed by Article 43 of the Constitution and Regulatory Decree 1558/2021. The Agency for Access to Public Information (AAIP) enforces it ⁸.

Under Article 14, people can ask for their personal data held in public databases. The holder must answer within 10 calendar days. Access is free at intervals of at least six months. A person who shows a legitimate interest can ask sooner. If there is no answer, the person can complain to the AAIP or go to court with a habeas data action ^7,8.

Article 17 lets public database holders refuse access, correction or deletion, in a reasoned decision, to protect national defence, public order and security, or the rights of others. They can refuse when access would hinder ongoing criminal or administrative investigations ⁷.

Article 23 says data processed for national defence or public security by the armed forces, security forces, police or intelligence bodies without consent must be limited to what their legal missions strictly need ⁷.

Who runs the systems

The Dirección Nacional de Migraciones runs border control, the eGates, API and PNR checks and the AVE ^1,2. As of 19 October 2026 its pages sit under the Ministry of National Security ¹. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs runs consular visas ². The PSA screens passengers and bags ⁹. The AAIP oversees data protection ⁸. Official sources consulted do not name the eGate supplier.

Security screening on departure

Under Airport Security Law 26,102, the PSA applies ICAO Annex 17 aviation security standards. It screens passengers, baggage, cargo and supplies boarding aircraft at airports in the National Airport System ⁹.

Passenger checks include travel document control, biometric identification by fingerprint and face, and walk-through and handheld metal detectors at the entrance to the restricted area. The PSA monitors the area by CCTV ⁹.

Checked bags go through X-ray machines and dogs trained to detect explosives and drugs. CCTV monitors every stage of baggage handling ⁹.