Culture Shock in Argentina – 10 Years Later

On June 21, 2012, I wrote an entry called “How to Survive the Culture Shock in Argentina.” This was the 4^th entry in my blog, and I came up with it about a week after I landed in Argentina. And there’s a line I wrote in that post that sort of haunts me to this day.

It read: “But from the moment I arrived in Argentina, I started experiencing the kind of culture shock I fear may plague me for years to come.”

These words became prophetic as months turned into years, and years, and YEARS!!!!!!

I assumed that a decade was more than enough time for the hubs and I to adapt to Argentine culture.

I WAS WRONG!

So, I’m going to list a few things that still cause me to experience culture shock ten years after I moved to Argentina.

1. They still don’t cover their mouths. You’d think that the health complications and death brought on by the pandemic would have taught the Argentines to cover their mouths when yawning, coughing and sneezing. Sadly, it hasn’t. And while the rate of Covid infections has decreased, people should learn to cover their mouths to avoid spreading their germs. It’s a simple courtesy.
2. They gossip outside other people’s homes. There’s nothing I hate more than listening to a group of 3 to 6 Argentines standing outside my front door or window gossiping the day away. They’re loud and obnoxious, and when I tell them to leave, they look at me like I’m behaving inappropriately. 
3. They park in front of other people’s houses and are NOISY! Look! I get it. They see an empty space and need a place to park. There’s nothing I can do about that. But they have their entire family congregating outside. I’m talking anywhere from their grandparents to their significant others. Oh, and their annoying kids are also present making an insane amount of noise.
4. They throw their trash in our trash bin! Unlike the States, we can’t buy a trash can to put out on trash day. The Argentines would steal it in a second. So, like most people here, we have a basket on top of a pole outside our house that we use to throw our trash away. Unfortunately, I can’t throw my trash away half the time because the neighbors are using my bin to throw their things away! Soiled diapers! Beer cans! Half-eaten fast-food items! You name it! And they don’t even bother to place their trash inside a bag. I’m like… you have your own trash basket. Why do you need to use mine? I sometimes find myself having to throw whatever they put in the basket on the ground so I can put my trash bags in.
5. Neighbors think we’re bad-mannered. This one connects with number 5 on this list. I recently caught one of the neighbors that was throwing stuff in my trash bin and confronted her about it. Alright! I admit, I could have handled it a bit better but I was angry. Long story short: according to her, I was the bad-mannered one. I immediately reminded her that it was her family who has been dumping their garbage in front of my house and spray-painting my walls.
6. They have their car radio on way too loud! The same trashy neighbors that park their trashy cars in front of my house also blast their radios. They don’t care if it’s 9 in the morning or midnight.
7. Don’t bank on the cops doing anything about the noise complaints. But in the rare event that they do, they let the neighbor you ratted on know who you are and where you live. Don’t expect anonymity from the local law enforcement.
8. Utility Services (i.e. electricity, water, etc) works some of the time. I’ve given up on the possibility that the Argentines will ever provide their customers with reliable services. The lights cut out when you need them the most. The water cuts out if you use too much of it during the day. The internet service suffers from micro-cuts.
9. The cost of things in Argentina has gotten worse! Over the years, I’ve only seen the Argentine economy get worse. The inflation is almost at 100 percent. So, obviously, things that used to cost 20 pesos are now over 1000 pesos. Utility expenses also rise practically every month.
10. Bank employees don't provide good customer service! During the pandemic, customers had to get an online appointment to speak with someone at their bank. I normally avoid Argentine banks because of the poor quality of service, but on two separate occasions, I had no choice. So, when I got to my bank, I had to get in line to go in. The online appointment was irrelevant according to the security officer. He told me that the bank saw customers on a first come, first serve basis. Over the next hour, the security guard asked those waiting in line questions that ultimately disqualified them from going into the bank. Some of these questions were about whether the customer was withdrawing less than 30,000 Argentine pesos from the live teller (the limit is 80,000 pesos now). Those that didn’t have that much in their account, were told to leave. Other customers were disqualified for not having the right paperwork and whatnot. I get that banks here have their own way of doing things, but it’s the way that they treat their customers. Honestly, I imagine that this is how officers treat prisoners in a penitentiary. While I’ve never been to the Penn, I did serve 12 years in the Dade County Public School System in Florida, which is just as bad.

I’ve found that complaining about these things to an Argentine is pointless because they tend to get very defensive. I guess I’d feel the same way if our positions were reversed and they were complaining about the States. 

So there you have it. I'm practically stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Argentina's Cracking Down on Russian Birth Tourism

In the last year or so, thousands of Russians have migrated to Argentina in the hopes of starting a new life.

Unfortunately, Argentine immigration discovered that pregnant Russian immigrants were arriving on Argentine soil to give birth to an Argentine baby. That way, these women could apply for permanent residency.

In theory, it's one of the easiest ways to become an Argentine resident and acquire an Argentine passport. 

I've met people from other Latin American countries like Peru and Colombia who have attempted to gain permanent residency this way and succeeded. In fact, one person told me the immigration office in Cordoba City advised her to do this.

But as I mentioned earlier, the Argentines have caught on and are now cracking down on birth tourism. In other words, they are allegedly turning some pregnant Russian women away. 

I'm not sure how permanent this change in the immigration policy is or if it applies to all Russian immigrants. The Argentines claim that they welcome everyone as long as they are here to stay. But their concerns stem over reports that some immigrants only stay in Argentina long enough to acquire an Argentine passport. Then they leave the country and use their newfound Argentine ID to do shady things abroad. 

So, for now, play it safe. If you're pregnant, but not showing, don't say that you are... even if they ask you at the airport.

This article suggests that the Argentines only detained six pregnant Russian women earlier this year because they were falsely claiming to be tourists.

My advice would be to get pregnant with your partner while you're in Argentina.

Now, I posted the following blog entries on immigration approximately ten years ago:

How to Deal With the Immigration Nightmare in Argentina

Can Immigrants Get Deported From Argentina?

Most of the information on the links above still applies. But there are one or two things I wanted to update you on.

Ten years ago, the fee for an Argentine visa was only $300 Argentine pesos, which was worth nothing in USD. 

But as of 2023, the fee for an Argentine visa is $150 USD. That's $30,108 Argentine pesos (based on the currency exchange rate from March 2023)

There are some countries that offer visa-free travel. This means you don't need to apply for a visa to get in. Russia and the United States are among these countries. 

However, if you're a member of any of the countries on this list, you may have to apply and be approved for a visa before heading to Argentina.