Argentina Travel Guide
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Guide
Argentina's best known road crossing into Chile just spent 33 days shut by snow. Paso Los Libertadores, also called Cristo Redentor, closed on 14 July 2026, left more than 1,550 trucks waiting on the Argentine side, and cost an estimated 200 million US dollars in stalled commercial traffic. It reopened in August after about a month, and it can close again for shorter spells whenever the weather turns bad in the high Cordillera.
Visiting Argentina is otherwise simple. Visitors from the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and most other countries enter visa free and are stamped in for 90 days, with the option of extending once for another 90 days at the national immigration office, the Dirección Nacional de Migraciones, before the first period ends. Guides advise having six months left on your passport.
The newer wrinkle is health insurance. A rule that took effect on 1 July 2025 says non-resident foreign visitors must carry valid travel medical insurance, and guides say proof could be requested at airports, land borders, and ports, though the sworn declaration meant to enforce it had not yet been implemented. In August 2026, Argentina also ended free non-urgent care at national public hospitals for non-resident foreigners without insurance, though emergency care stays free.
Border crossings
- Cristo Redentor, between Mendoza and Los Andes
The crossing runs from Villa Las Cuevas in Mendoza province to Los Andes in Chile, through the international tunnel on Route 7. The Argentine government's official listing gives its hours as 09:00 to 21:00, every day, with vehicle flow cut at 19:00 Argentine time and 18:00 Chilean time. In winter the hours are 09:00 to 21:00 in Argentina and 08:00 to 20:00 in Chile.
- Puerto Iguazú and Foz do Iguaçu
The Tancredo Neves Bridge crosses the Iguazú River to Brazil. Anyone going to see the falls from both sides passes through it, so check the Brazilian e-Visa requirement for your own passport first, since several nationalities now need one.
- What a long closure looks like
Mendoza's governor proposed a joint binational tender to privatize clearing snow from the route, complaining that too many agencies are involved. Whether or not that happens, a traveler with a fixed schedule should have a flight backup for a crossing that depends on a mountain pass.
Transit routes
- Mendoza to Santiago, by the pass
The road through the Cristo Redentor tunnel is the direct link between Mendoza and central Chile. The Argentine government's crossing page has carried forecasts of heavy snowfall and very poor visibility, so look at the current status the morning you travel.
- If the pass is shut, fly
When the pass is closed, buses and cars simply wait. Flying over the Andes is the alternative during winter weather.
Entry point notes
- Health insurance: rule in force, enforcement patchy
Guides describe the July 2025 insurance requirement as already in force, while also saying the related sworn declaration was not being asked for. Buying a travel medical policy that covers medical costs, hospitalization, and evacuation is the safe way through either interpretation.
- The stay can be extended once
Ninety days can become 180 by applying to Migraciones before the first period expires, which is not something to leave to your last week.
- A U.S. visa can substitute for Argentine visa for some nationalities
Argentina has introduced a policy that lets certain travelers enter without a separate Argentine tourist visa if they already hold a valid U.S. visa or a green card. Check the list for your own passport on an official source.