A regulation demanding travelers show proof of health insurance to enter Argentina is set to go into effect on July 1. The norm, which is already a common policy in many other countries and is part of the migratory reform passed in late May, will require airlines to confirm passengers have insurance at check-in. An Aerolíneas Argentinas spokesperson told the Herald that those who do not have it will not be able to board. 

Permanent residents and citizens are exempt from the requirement.

Final details regarding the documentation, however, are still pending. A source from the migrations office told the Herald that “technical teams” are working on the topic to iron out details as to what type of insurance will be needed and what its specific requirements are.

“We still have a few more days to work on the subject in order for the information to be clear for everyone,” they said.

The new law also changes access to free healthcare within the country. Starting on Tuesday, state-run hospitals and clinics can deny free care to foreigners who are not permanent residents or citizens. In order to be attended, they can be asked to present a health insurance certificate. According to the government source, which health care facilities a person can use will be determined by the type of coverage their insurance offers. 

Tighter controls on “border hopping”

The new regulations are also set to crack down on two types of expats in particular — those who cross borders frequently to renew their tourist status and those who overstay their visas.

Foreign nationals who have repeatedly entered and exited the country using the 90-day tourist visa — sometimes referred to as “border hopping” — may now face denial at the border, Gabriel Celano, a partner of Celano Law, explained to the Herald. Upon entering Argentina, all travelers now have to make a statement about the purpose of their trip. If someone claims to be a tourist, but the inspector doesn’t believe it to be true, then they can be denied entry and potentially given a five-year ban.

For individuals who are overstaying their visa, there’s a new regulation that allows authorities to order their removal from the country directly, without previous notice. The earlier policy required 30 days notice that gave the individual a chance to become legal.

The best way to stay in the country long-term, Celano advised, is to apply for a visa legally — whether through work, a relationship, or a digital nomad program. While the reforms are technically already in effect, how they’re going to be implemented is still undetermined. 

Changes in how to obtain citizenship

The new legislation changed the criteria over which foreigners can apply for Argentine citizenship. According to the text, in order to gain citizenship, applicants now can’t leave the country for two years, a requirement Celano calls “unconstitutional.” 

In regard to criminal background checks, the regulations now say that a conviction of any crime makes an applicant inadmissible.

The text also adds the requirement of proving people have “sufficient financial means to subsist in the country” to obtain a permanent residence. In the meantime, they may be granted a temporary residency (called precaria), but from now on, it will last 90 days instead of the former 180 and will no longer serve as proof of roots to obtain citizenship or permanent residency.

Other notable changes in the reforms include a new citizen-by-investment option, where individuals can invest a certain amount of money in order to receive an Argentine passport. 

The government’s stance

Among the reasons given for the policy change announced last May, the new legislation mentioned the mass deportations set by U.S. President Donald Trump as a cause of “new risk” for Argentina.

At the time, the decree claimed that 1.25 million immigrants had been expelled from the U.S. and that, since that number would grow, it was “likely that an important proportion of those deportees” would settle or try to settle in Argentina.

The rationale for the new legislation is that Argentina made it easy for foreigners to enter the country and use “health and education services free of charge.” According to the decree, this has caused an “impact in the economy and the essential services of the population.”