Traveling to Argentina & Uruguay
Students traveling to Argentina: If you have not requested an entry permit before traveling and are planning to get a Student Residency Permit in Argentina, please book your initial return flight for within 90 days of your arrival in order to comply with the 90-day tourism allowance (if you will not be traveling on a U.S. passport, please contact the advisor for the School in Argentina). You can then change your ticket once you are in Argentina and know your final exam dates. A few students have faced reluctant airline agents who insisted they needed a return flight that didn’t have them overstaying their tourism allowance, and they risked missing their flight!
Students are responsible for their own travel arrangements. Consult the School in Argentina or the School in Uruguay calendar when planning your travel dates. Please understand that the universities may change their dates even after they have published their calendars. If you are going to a country for which you need a visa or entry permit, you should not count on being able to travel much in advance of the program start date, as when you are booking your ticket it is impossible to know when your visa or entry permit will be ready and you will be able to leave. Student travel agencies often offer inexpensive or free one-time changes to your tickets, so they offer the most flexibility to students who are not sure of the dates when booking their travel. Students should keep in mind, however, that they will likely also need to pay the difference between their original ticket and their new ticket on top of the ticket change fee, which can sometimes be several hundred dollars depending on the time frame of the change and the time of year. Students are encouraged to plan accordingly.
It is especially important that you not plan your return home or travel to another destination before the date of the last final exam and/or the official Middlebury program end date. Exam dates cannot be changed to accommodate students’ travel plans, even if individual professors agree. No exceptions will be made, so please don’t ask. Keep in mind that you cannot leave the country before you have completed all of your academic duties; even if you have finished all university-related work you will most likely need time after final exams to complete work associated with Middlebury’s writing course and the final internship paper. 
TSA Regulations
The Transportation Security Administration regulates what items may be carried aboard the aircraft and, as these regulations are subject to change frequently, you should consult their website close to your date of departure.
Airline Luggage Regulations
You should contact your airline to confirm exact luggage allowances. We strongly suggest you stick to these guidelines or be prepared to pay excess baggage fees, which can be quite expensive. Students continuing on a domestic flight within their country of destination should be aware that domestic flights usually have stricter baggage requirements than international flights and you should check to see if excess charges will apply in-country.
We also suggest that you consider insuring your luggage through a comprehensive travel insurance policy.
Customs
If you plan to bring any new, non-U.S.-made articles of value, such as cameras, phones, computers, or jewelry that are less than six months old, you should register them with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) before departure (CBP Form 4457). Alternately, you can carry your original sales receipts to prove that you purchased them in the U.S. This avoids your having to pay a duty upon your return. Customs regulations vary from country to country; there are usually limitations on liquor, cigarettes, and other goods.
You should also declare those items upon entering Argentina or Uruguay and keep the CBP form in case it is requested when you return to the U.S. The flight attendants will give you the form on the airplane before landing.
To register your items, download and complete the form available online at and present it with your items to a Customs and Border Patrol Officer at an international airport.
Registering with the Department of State
All U.S. students are required to register themselves with the U.S. Embassy in their host country through the U.S. Department of State’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) before departure from the U.S. In the event of international, political, or family emergencies, or in the event that a passport is lost or stolen, the U.S. Embassy will be much better able to assist registered students. Please visit the Department of State’s website and follow the links to register. Registration is fast and costs nothing. Please print the confirmation page after you have registered; leave one copy at home and take a copy with you to show to your director. Students of other nationalities should check to see if it is possible to register with their embassy in their host country.
