Arrival in Argentina & Uruguay
Immigration
Make sure that your passport is stamped by the immigration official when you arrive in your host country whether you arrive directly or via another country in South America.
For students arriving in Argentina, if you apply for a student visa through the online TIE24 platform, be sure to bring the documents you receive via email once your visa is approved. It is advisable to bring printed version of these documents, as well as to have the digital versions downloaded on your phone as a file you can easily access.
For students arriving in Uruguay, be sure to have your program letter from the School in Uruguay, your university acceptance letter, and your GeoBlue health insurance letter printed and ready to show.
How to Get to Your Host City
A few weeks before leaving for Argentina or Uruguay, the staff abroad will send you the contact information for your host family. The program will arrange a transfer service for you (at your cost), so you must provide the assistant director of your program with your arrival information. You should then communicate directly with your host to discuss the details of your arrival. If family or friends will meet you at the airport and you do not need a reservation for a pick-up service, please tell the assistant director in advance.
Buenos Aires
The program will make a reservation, in advance, for a transfer service called VIP Car to take you from the airport to your homestay in Buenos Aires. The assistant director will send instructions for locating VIP Car’s booth at the airport. The 21-mile ride takes about 45 minutes to an 1 hour, and the rate is about USD $48. The best way to pay for this service is with a U.S. credit card, which will give you the best exchange rate.
If somebody will be picking you up at the airport and you do not need the VIP Car service, please notify the assistant director before your arrival. However, we strongly advise taking a registered remis (a private, hired car service) or a registered taxi from the airport, booths for which are all based right inside the main arrivals hall. There are quite a few unscrupulous taxi drivers at the airport who take advantage of tourists unfamiliar with Buenos Aires, so it is best to stay safe and go with a registered driver that you request at a booth. The authorized companies located inside the airport are: VIP Car (remises) and Taxi Ezeiza (authorized taxis)
Middlebury staff will arrange for a remis driver (a private, hired car service) to wait for you at the airport. The driver will be waiting in the arrivals area of the airport with a sign with your name on it. They will also have your homestay family’s address and information, so they will know where to take you. The rate is about USD $40.
Getting Settled
It will take you some time to settle into your permanent lodgings and adjust to your new surroundings. This is why the program arrival date is often set for a couple of days in advance of the program orientation start date. We strongly advise against arriving on the same day orientation starts, otherwise you may be too tired to focus on all the important information, which will be imparted in a foreign language. You should not arrive in Buenos Aires or Montevideo without having either temporary or permanent housing waiting for you.
Temporary Lodging
If you plan to arrive in your host city more than a couple of days in advance of the official arrival date, please contact the assistant directors in Buenos Aires or Montevideo to determine whether they can assist you in securing temporary lodging until your homestay can welcome you. The assistant director will also be able to inquire with your host family as to whether they have an available room for you before the official arrival date.
