Guide for expatriates moving, living and working in Argentina, Buenos Aires City Guide, international Movers, aparthotel, relocation, concierge services to Buenos Aires,
Real Estate, with property search, relocation information, and shopping and services directories
Argentina Welcome - Austria Welcome - Baleares Welcome - Brasil Welcome - Bulgaria Welcome - Caymans Welcome - Chile Welcome - China Welcome - Denmark Welcome - Germany - Welcome - Greece Welcome - Ireland Welcome - Italy Welcome - Malasya Welcome - Mexico Welcome - Spain Welcome - Sweden Welcome - Swiss Welcome - Thailand-Welcome - Turkey-Welcome - Russia-Welcome

Argentina Welcome
The Guide for Living and Working in ARGENTINA
A guide, with information, advice and useful addresses..

Home Argentina Welcome Personalized solutions for expatriates Pensions, life insurance, economic disability, medical expenses, .. Links partners Free quote request (moving, relocate, insurance, health, Visa, Aparthotel, Hotel, Housing; concierge, home management, sitting services, ..) Relocation and Removals : Free quote request Expat1 Geographical situation Economy & statistics Agriculture Industry Expat2 Other sectors Population Languages Religion Weights, measures and voltages Money Main towns Climate Insects Expat3 Working in South Africa Formalities Entry formalities: Health & medicine Expat4 Connections with France Time differences Telecommunications Airports Car rental Hotels & restaurants Your suitcase Information Your car Banks Schools & schooling Guides Observations Cost of Living in Johannesburg : Accomodation

City Ville Guide  30 - Useful Addresses Useful addresses in France Argentinian Embassy 6, rue Cimarosa 75016 Paris Tel 01 44 05 27 00 Cultural service (which acts as a Tourist Board) Tel 01 47 27 15 11 Librairie hispano-américaine South American bookshop 26, rue Monsieur le Prince 75006 Paris Tel 01 43 26 03 79 Maison de l'amérique latine 217, bd Saint Germain 75007 Paris Tel 01 49 54 75 00 Useful addresses in Argentina Embassies, Consulates, etc... French Embassy in Buenos Aires Cerrito 1399 1010 Buenos Aires Tel : (00 54 1) 819 29 30 French Consulate in Buenos Aires Avenida Santa Fé 846 4th floor 1059 Buenos Aires Tel : (00 54 1) 312 24 09 French-Argentinian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Av, Presidente R.Saénz Pena 648, 9° A, (1035) Buenos Aires Argentine Tel : 00 (54-1) 331 66 50/ 343 22 04/342 99 11 Fax : 00 (54-1) 331 24 94. Union des Français de l'Etranger (UFE) Rodriguez Pena, 1832, 1021 Buenos Aires Tel : 813 78 17 Consulate agencies 8000 Bahia Blanca Fitzroy 49 Tel : (091) 21681 8332 General Roca San Martin 37 Tel : (0941) 23406 7600 Mar del Plata La Rioja 2065, Edificio Marino V Tel : (023) 40120 3300 Posadas, Ayacucho 1621 Tel : (0752) 26182 5000 Cordoba, Ayacucho 46 Tel : (051) 21 94 03 19000 La Plata, Calle 59 N°626 Tel : (021) 31616 5500 Mendoza, Houssay 818 Tel : (061) 23 15 52 3500 Resistencia Roque Saenz Pena 453 Tel : (0722) 24480 2000 Rosario, San Luis 846 Tel : (041) 24 84 61 30000 Santa Fe, Bd Galvez 2147 Tel : (042) 55 85 75 4000 Tucuman, Laprida 19 Tel : (081) 21 82 02 4400 Salta, Santa Fé 20 Tel : (087) 31 24 03   8400 San Carlos De Bariloche Elfein 13 - 1°A Tel : (0944) 41960 Comité des Associations françaises d'Argentine Rodriguez Pena 1832 1021 Buenos Aires Tel : 331 66 50 Schools Lycée franco-argentin Jean Mermoz Ramsay 2131 1428 Buenos Aires Tél : (00 541) 781 60 54 Fax (00 54 1) 782 81 49 Teaching goes from pre-school up to secondary 1st and 2nd cycles College Franco-Argentin de Martinez Lavalle 1067, 1641 Acassuso Tel : (00 541) 792 46 28 Fax : (00 54 1) 793 15 56   Union Européen - MERCOSUR Members of the section who can inform you on different economic sectors. Banque Supervielle Société Générale Fax : (54 1) 329-8090 Edenor S.A. Fax : (54 1) 348-2149 Paribas Fax : (54 1) 340-5400 Air France Fax : (54 -1) 312-1101 Gec Alsthom Int. de Argentina Fax : (54 -1) 311-4856 B.N.P Fax : (54 -1) 311-1368 Crédit Lyonnais Fax : (54 -1) 334-6936 Service Tichet Fax : (54 -1) 958-2392 Instituto Merieaux Argentina Fax : (54 -1) 33-7715 Total Autral Fax : (54 -1) 325-8273 Saplac Hierromat Fax : (54 -1) 313-2501 Acheco S.R.L Fax : (54 -1) 394-2290 Carrefour Fax : (54 -1) 313-8234 Quillet Fax : (54 -1) 811-7091 CIC Banques Fax : (54 -1) 313-7217 Office du Livre Français Fax : (54 -1) 374-4747 Framat Fax : (54 -1) 312-7993 Prodesca S.A. Fax : (54 -1) 381-8952 La Oxigena Fax : (54 -1) 865-3904 Usinor Sacilor-Matthieu Fax : (54 -1) 792-8970 Peugeot Argentina Fax : (54 -1) 331-0483 Sofregaz Fax : (54 -1) 312-2652

Copyright © 2007 Expats Welcome [Home] [Contact Us] [Directory]
[De] [It] [En] [Es] [Fr] [Pt]

The social situation has got worse, household consumption has gone down and unemployment has gone up. The official unemployment rate is 15.4%, and on top of that there is an under-employment which concerns 14.5% of the working population, which gives a total of at least four million Argentinians with employment problems. Labour charges are much higher in Argentina than in neighbouring countries, the gross average monthly salary is a little above 600 dollars, social charges are very high (the employers contribution is 33%), they are the highest in Latin America. Black market jobs have increased, which deprive the workers of any health, welfare or retirement benefits. The gap between rich and poor gets bigger all the time. Over two million Argentinians live with less than a dollar a day.

The budgetary deficit and unemployment are governmental priorities, measures are in the pipeline to reduce the deficit and the number of unemployed. De la Rua's government has made an effort to improve the fiscal balance as required by the IMF by hiking up taxes. However, a report recently made by the University of Columbia (USA), which studied all the policies implemented to reduce the fiscal deficit in Latin America, concludes that the countries which have reduced their expenditures have had long term positive results, whereas those who use the policy of raising taxes have failed, for you have to take into account the very strong resistance to paying taxes that exists in South America. Tax evasion is one of the favourite sports in Argentina and can be estimated at 20 billion dollars a year.

The market value of agricultural and mining raw materials has increased and this is a positive element.

Economic statistics

	1997	1998	1999	2000
economic growth (%)	8.1	3.9	-3.2	2.0
inflation (%)	0.3	0.7	-1.6	0.0
public balance/GDP (%)	-1.6	-1.4	-2.0	-1.6
rate of unemployment (%)	13.7	12.4	15.4	nd
exports (billions $)	26.4	26.4	23.8	26.3

importats (billions $)	28.6	29.4	24.4	27.7
balance of trade (billions $)	-2.1	-3.0	-0.6	-1.4
current balance/GDP (%)	-12.0	-14.7	-13.1	-12.8
external debt (billions $)	124.1	140.4	150.2	160.7
debt charges/exports (%)	43.4	52.9	66.0	67.8

General information

GNP 1999	278.88 billions $
GNP per inhabitant	8,260 dollars
Purchasing power parity (PPP)	9,140 dollars
GNP growth 1990-1997	+4,2% per capita per annum
Households with PPP +$30000pa	2,150,000 = 22%
Households with PPP +$15000pa	5,070,000 = 52%
Households with PPP -$5000 pa	880,000 = 9%
Aid 1998	12.723 billion $
Foreign investment 1999	23.152 billion $
Tourism revenues 1998	5.363 billion $

Division of the GDP by sector of activity :

agriculture : 5.7%
industry : 19.1%
mining : 9.6%
services : 65.6%

Argentina's main export partners:

Brazil	23.2 %
USA	11.1 %
the Netherlands	7.5 %
Chile	6.3 %
Italy	4.2 %

And its main import partners :

USA	19.4%
Latin America	31.3%
of which Brazil	22.6 %
Japan	4.6 %
European Union	27.6%

Imports to Argentina are subjected to two different regimes depending on where they come from. Products from outside Mercosur are subjected to an external rate which goes from 0% to 20%, the most frequent tax being 14%. The Mercosur agreement established the principle of free movement of goods within the zone. However, the four countries have maintained customs barriers on certain products which will progressively disappear.

Cars and spare parts are not subjected to the external Mercosur importation rates. Customs duties are fixed for each country. The trade of automobiles and spare parts between Argentina and Brazil is done in conformity with a bilateral agreement of zero duties, subject to compensation.

Other importations pay a tax of 0.5% + VAT on entry into Argentina. There are special procedures concerning the importation of pharmaceuticals or foodstuffs which have to go via the appropriate ministry.

Franco-Argentinian economic relations :
To encourage and help enterprises to set up several measures have been taken by the Franco-Argentinian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIFA).

The CCIFA works with several other organizations eg the Assembly of French Chambers of Commerce and Industry, is a member of the Union of French Chambers of Commerce and Industry overseas, and constantly deals with other countries like those of South America.

You can get aid directly from this Chamber, its activities are directed to and available to companies : trade fairs, exhibitions, a rapid courrier service between Argentina and the rest of the world, job centre, French language courses, etc.

French technology is more and more present in Argentina (EDF, Télécom, Bouygues, Groupe Accor, Peugeot, Renault, la Lyonnaise des Eaux-Dumez in Aguas Argentinas etc.) Over 200 subsidiary companies are implanted as well as several French sub-contractors.

The Mercosur
The Mercosur (the Southern Common Market), a fundamental step in the economic integration of Latin America, started with the Asuncion Treaty which was signed on the 26th March 1991 by the Presidents of the four founder-countries Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay.
The basic texts of this 'common market' laid down four main principles :
- the free circulation of goods, services and elements of production between the member states (interzone trade), basically via the abolition of customs duties, non-fiscal restrictions and other equivalent measures. - the establishment of a common customs rate for countries outside Mercosur (extrazone trade) with a communal trade policy
- the same macro-economic and sector related policies between the member states
- an arrangement to harmonize the different national legislations in order to consolidate the process of integration.
The model that the agreement is based on is that of the European Economic Community and the 1957 Treaty of Rome, which appoints an autonomous organization, doted with its own competence and a partial surrender of sovereignty on behalf of the Community.

(sources MOCI, Le Monde, le nouvel Observateur)

4-Agriculture
Agriculture
(in millions of tons, head, m³ for timber)

Production	1996	1997	1998	1999	Rang
Millet	0.047	0.044	0.046	0.057	27
wood	11.428	11.428	11.428	-	-
wheat	15.914	15.000	11.500	14.200	12
sugar cane	17.600	19.450	19.400	19.400	14
cotton	0.432	0.300	0.316	-	10
maize	10.518	15.536	19.360	13.183	6
oranges	0.504	0.919	0.984	0.780	15
barley	0.537	0.926	0.540	0.500
potatoes	2.275	3.080	3.412	3.450	14
rice	0.986	1.025	1.036	1.576	26
tea	0.047	0.054	0.057	0.049	13
wine	1.268	1.350	1.255	1.255	5
cattle	54.000	54.500	54.600	55.000	5
sheep	17.956	17.295	15.232	14.000	21
pigs	3.100	3.200	3.200	3.200
fishing	1.250	1.352	-	-	15

About 73% of the land is farmed.
The main crops are wheat, which cover 17% of the farmed land and maize which covers 9%.

Argentina has the fifth biggest vineyard in the world with 209,000 hectares. It is also the fifth biggest wine producer in the world, producting 17 million hectoliters of wine a year.

The growth of the agricultural production partly compensated for the industrial recession in 1999.
Argentina is one of the top agricultural exporting nations, it sells over 10 billion dollars worth of agricultural production abroad every year.

The foodstuff industry is expanding rapidly in spite of the fact that the equipment and the labour force are not good enough. New technologies and a qualified labour force are more and more in demand.

5 - Industry
The privatized electrical companies and the petrol and gas companies are still planning to build power stations, high tension lines and gas pipe lines to transport the energy which is plentiful in the Tierra del Fuego and Patagonia to the high consumption areas in the north and the west of the country.

Other sectors which are developing are : environment, mining and transport.

The environment is an economic sector which should not be overlooked, there are several problems, in particular due to the considerable increase in the population together with a large industrial developement. To this can be added a lack of investment in companies dealing with improving sanitization, treating waste and refuse and decisions which should be taken and are not. There is an enormous amount which needs to be done in Argentina to protect the environment. Drinking water is insufficient and badly installed, hospital refuse is not treated due to a lack of specialized companies, and proper rubbish dumps are nearly inexistent, it is necessary to find the means to fight the industrial pollution.

Mining

(in millions of tons, uranium, gold and silver in tons)

Production	1999	World Rating
silver	36 (1998)	26
natural gas	33.6	16
gold	11	23
petrol	42.8	21
uranium	35 (1998)	19
zinc	0.024	19

The automobile sector was particularly disturbed by the devaluation of the Brazilian real. A certain number of foreign companies which had chosen Argentina as a base within Mercosur, moved to Brazil, which could offer much lower production costs. Big companies like Fiat, Ford and General Motors transferred a part or all of their production and took with them some spare part manufacturers like Goodyear tires. In the long term the automobile sector is still one of the best growing. The authorities have noticed the start of a reversal tendency, Volkswagen announced in March 2000 that they were going to open a new factory in Argentina.

Another growth sector is in the petrol and petro-chemical industries. In 2000 the Spanish group Repsol managed to take over the old national company YPF and joined Shell and Exxon in the exploitation of the country's petrol reserves.

The railway network has been totally privatized.

Cycling has become a real economic resource for the country. This passion which is enjoyed by a large part of the country has encouraged the specialized factories, Marilo SA and the Casa del Bicicletero to turn out a massive production of bicycles and accessories, nearly 50,000 models each.
Other companies, working under licence, are installed in Argentina, eg Puma which produces its own models or assembles bikes from parts imported from Europe or Asia. China accounts for 30% of the imports, other Asian exporters are Hong-Kong and Taiwan, from Europe Italy and France export 6,000 models to Argentina and there are also other suppliers from Chile, Brazil and the USA.
The best known brands are Olmo and Puma, Spalding, Bianchi, Raleigh and Monark.
Other local companies make bikes for children : Mastiff, Fiorenza, Cosmos, Hernan and Junior. The production is distributed through specialized outlets or via big stores like Carrefour.

6 - Other sectors
Income distribution in Argentina is totally unequal and underlines the absence of a middle class. The structure of household consumption shows the degree of developement of the country : the main part of the household budget is still allocated to food. Less than one household out of two owns a fridge and a washing machine and only one out of three own a car. The weekly average expenditure of a family in a supermarket is 450 FF.

In Buenos Aires 80% of the consumers do their shopping in super or hyper-markets, especially younger people with a high socio-cultural level. For the moment large scale distribution is concentrated in the capital and some of the other larger towns. Elsewhere the lack of concentration of population makes it difficult to set up new outlets.

A new type of shop has started opening up : 'convenience stores', little self-services which are open 24 hours a day. Also specialized distribution is starting to appear.
All categories together, there are 474 sales points in Argentina. The market is dominated by 11 big groups which alone have 240 of these sales points and represent 95% of the large scale distribution turnover.

Franchising :
Franchising represents a turnover of about 800 billion dollars a year, approx. 140 franchising companies and 4,400 franchises in domaines as varied as fast food, the hotel business, beauty salons, automobile servicing, express cleaning and bakeries.

  7 - Population
There are 36,125,000 inhabitants in Argentina, the population density is 13 inhabitants per square km.
The working age population is 22 million, of which 14 million are working (89% in industry and services).

0-14 year olds : 28.16%
15-64 year olds : 62.29%
65 years and over : 9.55%
life expectancy : 73.34 years
urban population : 89.30%
Ethnic composition : Europeans (86%), Criollos or Mestizon (Créoles or Halfcastes), American Indians

demographic growth 1997-2015 (%) : +1.0
infant mortality (%) : 2.2
energy consumption per capita TOE : 1.67
population without drinking water (% pop) : 29
population without sanitary installations (% pop) : 32
n° of doctors per 1000 inhabitants : 2.7
n° of telephone lines per 1000 inhabitants : 191
n° of mobile phones per 1000 inhabitants : 56
n° of private cars per 1000 inhabitants : 127
n° of computers per 1000 inhabitants : 39.2
adult illiteracy (%) : 3
secondary schooling/age group (%) : 77
graduates/age group (%) : 42

8 - Language
The official language is Spanish. Guarani is also spoken.
Some American Indian dialects are still used in certain regions of the Andes.
French is not spoken much, except in some middle class communities, English (for business) and Italian are more widely used.
9 - Religion
The country is 89% Roman Catholic (of which less than 20% are practising RCs), 3% Protestant and there is a big Jewish community (2%) centred in Buenos Aires.
10 - Weights, measures and .......voltages
Electricity : 220 Volts or sometimes still 110 Volts (you will need an adapter for American flat pronged plugs). 

11 - Money
The currency is the Peso, 1 Peso = 1 US dollar
1 peso = approx. 7,25 FF (May 2001)
It is better to have dollars with you than French Francs. The exchange rate varies a lot and it is not always easy to change francs.

Be careful : avoid large dollar bills, they are often refused as there is a large counterfeit traffic.

All international credit cards are accepted.

12 - Main towns
The main towns are :

Buenos Aires (which has nearly 13 million inhabitants)
Buenos Aires was founded in 1536. It was built on the edge of the Pampa on the right bank of the Rio de la Plata. It is an important port of call and plays a triple role of industrial, commercial and financial capital. It is also an artistic and cultural centre, both for theatre and music, particularly pertaining to tango and tango songs, created in 1917 by Carlos Gardel. The centre of Buenos Aires was designed during the period of great prosperity that the country knew from 1880 to 1930, an epoch when Europe was the reference for local architects, so the architecture of the buildings look like those in Madrid, the cafés like those in England, the Opera like the Scala in Milan.... There are not actually very many historic buildings, the main ones are the Presidential Palace, the Casa Rosada, and the opera, the Theatre Colon. Buenos Aires is a town where it is pleasant to stroll, particularly in the evening on the wide avenues in the centre of town.
On the north side of town are the chic districts, on the south side the working class areas, strongholds of Peronist movements. The further you go from the centre the more Buenos Aires becomes Latin-American. The inhabitants of Buenos Aires, the 'Portenos' are recognizable from other Argentinians both by their accent and their superiority complexes!

Cordobá (1.2 million inhabitants) Founded in 1573, at an altitude of 387 m, Cordoba is situated at the foot of the « Sierras de Cordobá ». It is a tourist and cultural town and also an industrial centre, particularly car manufacturers.

La Plata : situated at 19 m above sea-level, to the south east of Buenos Aires, La Plata is an industrial and port town. It specializes in petrol refining and in foodstuffs and cattle industries.

Bahia Blanca is another refinery town, situated 650 kms from Buenos Aires. It is also a port on the Atlantic Ocean.

Rosario (1.1 million inhabitants) (25 m above sea-level) is an industrial complex and a river port on the Rio Parana.

Other main towns are Mendoza (0,8 million inhabitants), Santa Fé, San Juan, Santa Rosa, La Rioja, Santa Luis, Formosa, Tucuman, Ushuaia.

13 - Climate
Argentina has a southern temperate zone and a great variety of climates : a humid tropical climate, a hot sub-tropical climate in the north (with very hot summers and dry regions), a temperate and cold climate in the south and a Mediterranean temperate climate.

The best seasons to visit Argentina are
- for Buenos Aires, the end of September to the beginning of December (spring)
- for the rest of the country, from December to March

The seasons are inversed compared to Europe.
Winter is from July - September : it can freeze
In summer the climate is hot and humid.

Temperature averages (max/min)

Sea temperatures : monthly average

14 - Insects & Animals In the north of the country and around Buenos Aires in the Rio Parana delta there are mosquitoes, especially in the rainy seasons.

15 - Working in the country
There is a very high rate of unemployment throughout the country.
11% of the labour force work in agriculture, 5% in mining, 24% in industry and 60% in the other sectors.

Before leaving
You should take Spanish lessons, or improve your level. The quality of job you could aspire to may depend on how well you speak the language.

If you are employed locally
When you find a job, your employer will take in charge the formalities concerning your stay and get a visa from the immigration authorities equivalent to the length of your contract - usually for a year.
(Be extremely careful when you sign your contract to check that it is valid and that it gives you the possibility to resort to the local court if necessary).

With a French or international company
If your employer is a French or international company you don't have to worry about formalities. Usually the administrative services deal with all the formalities concerning the expatriate staff. Unless you are the only representative of your company in the country (sales representative, or in charge of a liaising office ...), in this case you will have to deal with the formalities yourself.

To get your residence card
You will have to give your employer certain administrative papers before you leave so that he can consititute your dossier :
- a copy of your passport
- a medical certificate
- your work contract
- your police record
- a copy of your birth certificate

Looking for work
You could start looking for information by writing to French associations installed in Argentina, to Trade Commissions, to commercial services of Argentinian banks in France or French banks in Argentina.

The French consulate in Buenos Aires has a job/training service and can put you in touch with local companies willing to employ French personnel.

 (See also in the Practical Guide for the Expatriate).

The French Chamber of Commerce also offers information about the job market, the most dynamic sectors of the economy, and edits a bulletin for French companies and local members. You could publish a job application in this bulletin.

The Trade Commission in Buenos Aires, or the CFCE in Paris can furnish you with a list of French companies established in Argentina.

The Oficina de empleo del Ministerio de Trabajo has job offers that you can consult if you are in Argentina. It is a free service.

Documents about the country are usually available in the cultural service of the Argentinian Embassy in Paris.

You can however prepare your trip in a more precise manner by making a personal appointment with the Latin American Chamber of Commerce in order to complete your information and get professional advice.
The international departments of the Chambers of Commerce and Industry often have information about the country available. Directories and useful dossiers from the country can be helpful in getting information on sectors of activity and the local economic life.

While you are hunting for information you could contact companies directly by sending a spontaneous candidacy proposing your services, saying that you are waiting for your visa. A prospective employer will not want to wait indefinitely and will only engage you if you have already taken the necessary steps to get a visa.

It is advisable to avoid the services of companies specialized in immigration.

Where to look for job offers?
In the French press (Le Monde, Le France Soir, Figaro, Moniteur du Bâtiment, etc...), for French companies sending people abroad.
In the local press (Clardin, a daily printing 730,000 copies, Piedras 1743-1140 Buenos Aires, The Nation, a daily printing 230,000 copies, Bouchard 557-1106 Buenos Aires)
The international press also prints overseas job offers, often for European companies.

French organizations abroad publish bulletins : 'Le trait d'union' is published by the Alliance Française and 'Perspectives' by the Franco-Argentinian Trade Commission.

During the recruiting
Your CV should be clearly set out, detailled and accompanied by a hand written covering letter.

Be well dressed for your interview, whatever kind of job you are trying for. Your appearance will weigh with the interviewer.
First interviews are often very short but can last several hours if your candidacy is interesting, depending on the post offered, and if you have to do any psychotechnical (graphological analysis) or aptitude tests.

Be careful not to appear pretentious about your know-how and don't exaggerate your professional competence.
Don't forget that nowadays the job market is a chronic problem nearly all over the world, so take an interview appointment seriously, jobs are not easy to come by.

Emphasize your real competence, your ease of adaption, your mobility, your ability to work in a team, your readiness to pool your experience.

The work market and the employment situation
The economic boom of the 80s did not profit everybody in the country, a large part of the population lives in dire poverty.

However, in spite of the dificult situation which the work market and the local economy are facing, job opportunities exist. In several sectors there are openings for highly technical posts or jobs where experience and professionalism make the difference (eg. hotels and restaurants).

Salaries are low if you are engaged locally.

Several infra-structural projects are being studied or carried out (highways, building, private projects...). Investments and loans (IMF) will hopefully boost the economy, encourage developement and improve the employment situation.

If you wish to live abroad with your family and your wife will want to work it is better to know that international companies and organizations, Embassies or consulates will rarely engage someone locally.

The advice of the Club
Go to Argentina for a French or international company or its subsidiary.

16 - Formalities
Entry formalities
You can enter Argentina with a valid passport, no visa is necessary, if you are staying in the country less than three months.
But if you are going to study the market or look for a job it it better to apply for a long term visa (1year).
This will be a great help in negotiating a contract with a local company.

Customs
Duties can be paid in cash or by cheque. There are over 2200 forwarding agents in the country. Goods which are dangerous or perishable have to be cleared at the port or airport of arrival. Other goods can be cleared within the country so long as you have made previous arrangements and given an advance payment. Goods can be grouped for bulk transport. Average clearance period : 48 hours if it is done on arrival, or 4 days if it is done within the country.

All documents have to be in Spanish.
 

17 - Health

In the main towns the sanitary conditions are modern and satisfactory. Doctors and medical staff are competent. There is a French hospital in Buenos Aires.

If you are travelling around in the country you have to be careful because of the climatic variations.

Vaccinations
No vaccins are obligatory to enter the country, but it is advisable to be up-to-date with your regular vaccins, tetanos, polio etc and to have medicine with you for tummy upsets.

18 - Transport
There are 11,097 kms between Paris and Buenos Aires.
The flight time is approx. 14h10.

Air France does daily flights (return flights from 5000 FF).
Most of the European companies, KLM, British Airways, Lufthansa etc have regular flights to Argentina.

Internal transport
Aerolineas Argentinas has daily flights to all the airports in the country.
They offer a "Visit Argentina" pass, which is valid for 30 days and costs approx. 3750 FF (Tel 01 53 77 15 00)
The railway network covers a large part of the country with 30,000 kms of railway line.
There is also a good bus network going from Buenos Aires.

19 - Time differences
Argentina is 4 hours behind France in the winter and 5 hours behind in the summer.

20 - Telecommunications and press
To phone Argentina dial : 00 54 + the town or regional code + the n° of your correspondent.
Buenos Aires : 11, Mendoza : 261, Cordoba : 351, Ushuaia : 2901

To phone France from Argentina dial : 00 33 + the number of your correspondent.

International communications are expensive. Arrange rather to be called from France and check your telephone bill before you leave your hotel, "mistakes" can happen!
The mobile phone is a real virus in Argentina. You can rent one from your hotel.

Television/Radio
The television is cabled by satellite and you can receive TV5. Argentinian television broadcasts its programmes on 5 national channels and on several cable networks.

There are also several radio stations :
Antena Uno : Santa Fe.
Cadena Top 40 : a station for young people, Buenos Aires.
Contemporanea : La Plata.
Continental : Buenos Aires.
Doble U 955
FM 100 : Buenos Aires.
FM 92.1 : Buenos Aires.
FM ABC : Salta.
FM Aspen : Buenos Aires.
FM Ciudad : Buenos Aires.
FM Del Lago : Buenos Aires.
FM Hit : Buenos Aires.
FM Kristal : Bariloche.
FM Lider : Buenos Aires.
FM Marin : Buenos Aires.
FM Marina : Miramar.
FM News : Buenos Aires.
FM Palermo : Buenos Aires.
FM Succes 103 : Olavarria.
FM Vida : Rosario.
La Red : Buenos Aires.
LT 24 Radio San Nicolas : Buenos Aires.
LU2 Radio Bahia Blanca : Bahia Blanca.
LV3 Radio Cordoba : Cordoba.
NRG Energy : Buenos Aires.
Power FM : Cordoba.
Radi Atlantica : Mar del Plata.
Radio 10 : News, Buenos Aires.
Radio 2 : Rosario.
Radio America : Buenos Aires.
Radio Cultura : Buenos Aires.
Radio Del Plata : Buenos Aires.
Radio Mitre : Buenos Aires.
Radio Rio Cuarto : Rio Cuarto.
Radiofonica : adult station, Buenos Aires.
Rock and Pop : Buenos Aires.
Universidad 580 : Cordoba.
Vox FM : Cordoba.

News (medium wave) :
MITRE 790 khz
CONTINENTAL 590 khz
RIVADAVIA 630 khz

Music (FM)
NOSTALGIE 106.7 FM
News in French, from Monday to Friday at 9h00, 13h00, 17h00, 20h.
Every Monday: sports news at 13h30 and 20h30.


The Press
French newspaper are not distributed much. The main sales points are in the airports and sometimes in the bigger towns. The bookshops 'Edicial' and 'Ateneo' in Buenos Aires sell French newspapers and magazines.
21 - Airports
There are two airports in Buenos Aires : Ezeiza for most of the international flights, which is about half an hour out of the centre of town and the Aeroparque Jorge Newbery.
Several other towns have their airports :
Bahia Blanca : Comandante Esport Airport
Bariloch, Comodoro, Cordoba, Esquel,
Jujuy : Dr Horacio Guzman International Airport
Mar del Plata, Mendoza, Neuquen, Rio Grande, San Martin de Los Andes, Trelew, Tucuman, Ushuaia
22 - Car rental
Avis has an agency in all the main towns.
The telephone number of the central reservation office is :
54 11 4300 8201 (for national reservations) and 0001 800 456 4284 (for international reservations)
Some other agencies :
Bahia Blanca : 54 291 4501221
Bariloche : 54 2944 431648
Buenos Aires : Ezeiza Int. Airport 54 11 4480 9387, Jorge Newbery airport 54 11 4776 3003, town 54 11 4326 5542
Cordoba : airport 54 351 47550815
Mendoza : airport 54 261 4203178
Rio Grande : airport 54 266 4969568
Tucuman : airport 54 87 317575
Ushuaia : 54 2901 422744

All Avis cars are completely equipped, have done less than 15,000 kms and have an average age of 3 months. The vehicles are carefully prepared and checked between each rental using a procedure containing 7 obligatory control points. The cars are rented with a full tank.
Renting from Avis automatically means that the car passengers, renter and/or driver are covered by a third party insurance as well as an insurance covering repatriation and the immobilization of the vehicule in case of an accident.

You can reserve a car :
- from your travel agent
- from the international reservation centre at 0 820 05 05 05
- or from any Avis agency
Avis has an interactive network worldwide, a client can reserve a car instantly from anywhere in the world.

We recommend that you pay your rental using your accredited Avis card or with another credit card accepted by Avis : American Express, Visa, Mastercard, Diners.
Through a simple free membership system, Avis gives identity and/or payment cards, which are a real help for a rapid and efficient service.

REASSURING : No on-line payment, you can pay Avis directly at the agency when you return the car
RAPID : Avis has the quickest car rental reservation service on the web
ECONOMICAL : The cheapest rates on the market are available on the Avis microsite
COMPLETE : You can rent a car anywhere in the world.
The Avis network : 5000 agencies in 172 countries, is now on-line!
EFFICIENT : Find your town (you don't have to fill in the country), enter the date and click on estimate
PRACTICAL : You only have to fill in 4 boxes and you will receive an e-mail confirming the reservation.
You can even rent a vehicle at the last minute just round the corner or ... on the other side of the world.

Be careful : in Argentina you drive on the left.
23 - Hotels and restaurants
Some hotels :
(count about 450F for a decent room. The rates are very high.)

Buenos Aires
Sheraton, 34 kms from the airport
International Iguazu (in a national park, opposite the waterfall), 7 kms from the airport
The Hyatt International Park, in the centre of town
Gran Hotel Argentino, la 9 de Julio, Carlos Pellegrini, tel 325 95 91 - with a view on the biggest avenue in the world.
Hotel Alvear Palace, Alvear 1891, tel 804 40 31 - one of the oldest palaces in the Recoleta district.

Some Restaurants in and around Buenos Aires

Belgrano, Palermo

COSTA PATAGONICA, Alvarez Thomas 1899 (angle Los Incas) : Oysters and shellfish
MUSEO RENAULT, Av Figueroa Alcorta 3301 : Fashionable decoration and ambiance A typical Japanese restaurant on the mezzanine
FREUD y FAHLER, Gurruchaga, 1750 : Very elaborate Mediterranean cuisine in an old renovated warehouse in Old Palermo.

Nitas
INDOCHINE, Báez, 165 : Exotic and creative
LA FONDA DEL POLO, Báez, 301 : Parrillas

Costanera
RODIZIO, Costanera norte.R. Obligado and Pampa : Meat on skewers specialities
TAGO MAGO, R.Obligado et J. Salgurero, Costa Salguero : The waiters do improvised shows. In superb surroundings on the banks of the Rio.
RENA MORA, Costanera Norte Punta Carrasco : Spanish restaurant. Tapas, paëllas. Flamenco shows.

Micro-Centro
CLARK'S, Sarmiento 645 : Very elaborate menu (leg of lamb, magret de canard, merluza negra, ...) Sophisticated setting. Special menu after the theatre Colón
PIOLA, Libertad 1078 : Very 'in' pizzeria, with excellent pizzas.

Puerto Madero
PAQUEBOT, Alicia M.de Justo, 1110 : Refined cuisine, fish
EL MIRASOL, Alicia M.de Justo, 202 : Parillas restaurant
CABANA LAS LILAS, Alicia M.de Justo, 516 : Really good meat in a really nice setting. 
 KATRINE, Alicia M. de Justo, 138 : Refined dishes in a refined setting.

Recoleta
LA TASCA DE PLAZA MAYOR, Posadas,1052 : Spanish specialities
MUNICH, R.M. Ortiz 1871 : Classical Argentinian restaurant. Synthesis of Italian, Spanish and Argentinian cooking.

San Telmo
LA CONVENCION, Carlos Calvo 375 : Traditional restaurant
LA VIEJA ROTISERIA, Defensa 963 : Delicious meat
ANTIGUA TASCA DE CUCHILLEROS, Carlos Calvo 319 : Traditional cooking. Home made pasta.

Zone Nord
LA CABALLERIZA, Dardo Rocha, 1740 SAN ISIDRO : Excellent grilled meat
MARAÑA, Primera Junta 702 SAN ISIDRO : Very refined cuisine
ROSA NEGRA, Dardo Rocha, 1918 MARTINEZ : Refined cuisine, very good fish. 

French restaurants in Buenos Aires:
AU BEC FIN, Vincente Lopez 1827 Capital, for big occasions: very refined restaurant.
CHRISTOPHE ,  Fitz Roy 1994 angle Nicaragua Palermo : in the old Palermo district, delicately flavoured food. Good value for money.
GRANDA, Junin 1281Capital : Cyril Cheipe (ex La Bourgogne) manages the kitchen. Traditional cooking. Tray of French cheeses - dish of the day. Better to book.
CALA BISTROT, Soler 4065Capital : Traditional French cuisine. On Thursday evenings an excellent chamber music duo. 
CHEZ BEA, Paraguay 436 : French creperie, Breton welcome and gastronomy assured. Piano bar on Thursday evenings.
LA BOURGOGNE, Ayacucho 2027 : Luxury, and culinary delight.. Only for big spenders!
 

24 - Your suitcase
Take plenty of casual clothes, the climate varies enormously, if you are visiting the country you will need comfortable shoes, a rainscoat or windcheater and a double wardrobe summer and winter.

If you are on business, you should wear a suit and tie if you want to be taken seriously, the Argentinians are very smart.

25 - Information
Public holidays

1st January : New Year's Day
April : Good Friday
1st May : Labour Day
25th May : anniversary of the 1810 Revolution
14th June : Malouines Day
21st June : Flag Day
9th July : Independence Day
16th August : anniversary of the death of St Martin
11th October : Day of the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus
8th December : Immaculate Conception
25th December : Christmas

In business relations you should know that Argentinians are very proud.
They appreciate exchanging business cards and other documents.
Argentinia is a very Latin country : personal contact is extremely important. Don't be over-impressed by the positive character of first meetings, what is important is the follow-up.
They have got into the habit of taking rapid decisions, due to the period of hyper-inflation that Argentina went through.

Watch out for taxi drivers who take extra-long ways to get there to make the meter turn.
Life is expensive for a foreign visitor, hotels and restaurants are often extremely expensive.
Don't talk about the military dictatorships or the Falklands war.

Security : not a real problem, but criminality has increased due to the economic crisis

Office opening hours are 9am - 6.30pm.

26 - Banks
The IDB
The InterAmerican Development Bank was created in 1959. The president must be a South American and the vice-president must be an American. The main share holders are the borrowing countries. A country which chooses the IDB lets companies participate in tenders for projects which need financing from the IDB. The companies are then all on equal footing.

French banks in Argentina
CIC banques, Crédit Lyonnais, Banque Nationale de Paris.

Bank opening hours : from 9 am - 3 pm.

27 - Schools and education
In Argentina the school year starts in March and ends in December.
List of schools (see Useful Addresses in the country further on)

28 - Guides
- Les Amériques latines - Dossier pays/CFCE/63121-1994-110 pages-Price 350F (in French)
-L'Argentine, A.Rouquié. Collection Que sais-je? P.U.F Paris, 1984 (in French)
-Latin America Today - United Nations University Press ONU/78717-1993-347 pages-Price 320F ;
-Directory of members of the French-Argentinian Chamber of commerce and Industry/77703-1994-Price 381F
- Argentine, de P.Kalfon.Le Seuil, Paris 1973. (in French)
-Le Guide Marcus Argentine par Françoise Noël/Benoît Bourdeix/Pierre Antas/Veronica Augé (in French)

-Le Grand Guide de l'Argentine (Editions Gallimard) 175F (in French)

-Le Guide du Routard Chili / Argentine (in French)
- Trekking in Patagonian Andes (Lonely Planet) 140F
- La Patagonie et la Terre de Feu (Peuples du monde) 150F (in French)
29 - Observations
French presence in Argentina
The first French people arrived in Argentina in 1810. Today there are over 14,000 French people, working in a variety of sectors, 67% in the tertiary sectors, 16% in industry and 8% in agriculture.

Among a long list of French companies, there are : BSN, CARREFOUR, DUMEZ, EDF, FRANCE TELECOM, LYONNAISE DES EAUX, PEUGEOT, RENAULT, TOTAL, USINOR.

Local relations
Relations between the French, local and other foreign communities are good.
Relationships are easy to made and build up.
Part of the local population speak French.
French schools in Argentina are also attended by other nationalities as well as by Argentinians.

The ambiance
The expatriate will find a large choice of things to do in Argentina : sport, leisure and culture activities are numerous and varied both directly in the local life which is very lively as well as in French cultural centres which are very well organized.

Tango (where to find it) :
Hotel Savoy : on Sundays in the basements on the Avenida Callao
El Salon Elenico : to listen to old tango, Cannin 1331
El Dorado : dancing, angle Hipolito Yrigoyen and Bernardo de Yrigoyen


Tourism
There are many tourist sites in Argentina and a huge variety of visits to make :

One interesting visit is to Liniers, 20 minutes out of Buenos Aires. This is one of the biggest markets and animal slaughterhouses in the world and constitutes a real voyage to the heart of the Argentinian Pampa. Liniers stretches over hundreds of hectares, guarded by uniformed watchmen. The cattle selected for sale by auction are rounded up by authentic gauchos welded to their 'criollos' horses, a wild race which has been selected for its strength.

Ushuaia is the southernmost town in the world. It is the capital of the Tierra del Fuego, and its pastel coloured houses are dominated by a beautiful mountain. Nature lovers can find there all that they dream of : boat excursions, sea elephants, fishing in the lakes, hiking and walks of all kinds in the National Park of the Tierre del Fuego or near the El Martial glacier.

Shopping
Records : Le Plus Beau Tango du monde : the whole work of Carlos Gardel has been re-edited on CD by El Bandoneon.

Trade Fairs/Congresses/Exhibitions

Buenos Aires

Catering. International Trade Fair of Suppliers for foodstuff companies
Place : Centro Costa Salguero.
How often : Yearly
Products exhibited : Sector-related - agricultural and food products ; material for foodstuff industries, wrapping - packaging; hotel and restaurant business.
Visitors : Professionals.
Organizer : PUBLITEC EDITORA.

Trade Fair for products, equipment and services concerning health
Place: Centro Costa Salguero.
How often : Yearly
Products exhibited : Health.
Visitors : Professionals.
Organizer : MERCO FERIAS SRL.

 30 - Useful Addresses
Useful addresses in France

Argentinian Embassy
6, rue Cimarosa
75016 Paris
Tel 01 44 05 27 00

Cultural service (which acts as a Tourist Board) Tel 01 47 27 15 11

Librairie hispano-américaine
South American bookshop
26, rue Monsieur le Prince
75006 Paris
Tel 01 43 26 03 79

Maison de l'amérique latine
217, bd Saint Germain
75007 Paris
Tel 01 49 54 75 00

Useful addresses in Argentina

Embassies, Consulates, etc...

French Embassy
in Buenos Aires
Cerrito 1399
1010 Buenos Aires
Tel : (00 54 1) 819 29 30

French Consulate
in Buenos Aires
Avenida Santa Fé 846
4th floor
1059 Buenos Aires
Tel : (00 54 1) 312 24 09

French-Argentinian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Av, Presidente R.Saénz Pena 648,
9° A, (1035) Buenos Aires Argentine
Tel : 00 (54-1) 331 66 50/ 343 22 04/342 99 11
Fax : 00 (54-1) 331 24 94.

Union des Français de l'Etranger (UFE)
Rodriguez Pena, 1832,
1021 Buenos Aires
Tel : 813 78 17

Consulate agencies

8000 Bahia Blanca
Fitzroy 49
Tel : (091) 21681

8332 General Roca
San Martin 37
Tel : (0941) 23406

7600 Mar del Plata
La Rioja 2065, Edificio Marino V
Tel : (023) 40120

3300 Posadas, Ayacucho 1621
Tel : (0752) 26182

5000 Cordoba, Ayacucho 46
Tel : (051) 21 94 03

19000 La Plata, Calle 59 N°626
Tel : (021) 31616

5500 Mendoza, Houssay 818
Tel : (061) 23 15 52

3500 Resistencia
Roque Saenz Pena 453
Tel : (0722) 24480

2000 Rosario, San Luis 846
Tel : (041) 24 84 61

30000 Santa Fe, Bd Galvez 2147
Tel : (042) 55 85 75

4000 Tucuman, Laprida 19
Tel : (081) 21 82 02

4400 Salta, Santa Fé 20
Tel : (087) 31 24 03  

8400 San Carlos De Bariloche
Elfein 13 - 1°A
Tel : (0944) 41960

Comité des Associations françaises d'Argentine
Rodriguez Pena 1832
1021 Buenos Aires
Tel : 331 66 50

Schools

Lycée franco-argentin
Jean Mermoz
Ramsay 2131
1428 Buenos Aires
Tél : (00 541) 781 60 54
Fax (00 54 1) 782 81 49
Teaching goes from pre-school up to secondary 1st and 2nd cycles

College Franco-Argentin de Martinez
Lavalle 1067, 1641 Acassuso
Tel : (00 541) 792 46 28
Fax : (00 54 1) 793 15 56

Union Européen - MERCOSUR
Members of the section who can inform you on different economic sectors.

Banque Supervielle Société Générale Fax : (54 1) 329-8090

Edenor S.A. Fax : (54 1) 348-2149

Paribas Fax : (54 1) 340-5400

Air France Fax : (54 -1) 312-1101

Gec Alsthom Int. de Argentina Fax : (54 -1) 311-4856

B.N.P Fax : (54 -1) 311-1368

Crédit Lyonnais Fax : (54 -1) 334-6936

Service Tichet Fax : (54 -1) 958-2392

Instituto Merieaux Argentina Fax : (54 -1) 33-7715

Total Autral Fax : (54 -1) 325-8273

Saplac Hierromat Fax : (54 -1) 313-2501

Acheco S.R.L Fax : (54 -1) 394-2290

Carrefour Fax : (54 -1) 313-8234

Quillet Fax : (54 -1) 811-7091

CIC Banques Fax : (54 -1) 313-7217

Office du Livre Français Fax : (54 -1) 374-4747

Framat Fax : (54 -1) 312-7993

Prodesca S.A. Fax : (54 -1) 381-8952

La Oxigena Fax : (54 -1) 865-3904

Usinor Sacilor-Matthieu Fax : (54 -1) 792-8970

Peugeot Argentina Fax : (54 -1) 331-0483

Sofregaz Fax : (54 -1) 312-2652