Do I Need Health Insurance To Visit Argentina?
Legal and practical requirements to travel to Argentina
Do you really need health or travel insurance to visit Argentina?
As with most things in Argentina, the answer isn’t as straightforward as you’d think.
First, you have to consider Argentine law and your immigration status (visitor, resident, citizen). Then there’s a practical consideration. Is health/travel insurance a better option than paying out-of-pocket? This a personal choice.
Legal Requirements
Legally speaking, as of May 29th, 2025, any non-resident is supposed to have health insurance to enter the country. Specifically a signed attestation that states you have health/travel insurance that covers you during your stay in Argentina.
Immigration Officers
Immigration officers are supposed to ask you for this upon entry to Argentina. I say “supposed to” because the last time I flew into Argentina on December 8th 2025, the immigration officer waived me through after stamping my passport. I was only asked for an address. Nothing else. Nothing. Not even how long I was staying for.
Several people in different Digital Nomad Whatsapp groups have reported the same experience, including the Health and the Immigration Whatsapp groups.
Airlines
Several airlines do state that you need the attestation, but LATAM did not check for it neither in Mexico City nor in Sao Paulo. I even brought it up during check-in and was told that it would be checked by an Argentine immigration officer in Argentina which never happened. This is very different from Covid days when the airline would check for proof of insurance and the Covid-19 vaccine.
Legal Background
Milei’s government came in with promises of austerity and prioritizing Argentines over non-resident foreigners. Non-resident foreigners, especially those from neighboring countries, have long been seen as taking up resources that should be used for Argentines.
For example, 10.5% of public hospital discharges are foreigners, costing the Argentine government $72 million pesos in 2024, according to the Argentine Ministry of Health.
To reduce spending, Milei’s government passed “Decreto 366/2025”, making sweeping migration changes to ensure that public healthcare systems are no longer free to non-resident foreigners.
If you want to nerd out with me on the topic, scroll to the bottom to read more about it.
Practical Considerations
Is it worth having health or travel insurance while in Argentina?
Putting aside legal requirements, the answer completely depends on whether you expect to need medical services and how long you’re staying in Argentina.
Really good health insurance in Argentina can cost you around $90-300 USD per month with very robust coverage (yes, you can get a monthly plan).
Paying out-of-pockets for doctors is around $25-50 USD, specialists around $35-80 USD, lab work $80-250, ER $80-250+, X-Rays around $50, and MRIs $150 - $400.
These out-of-pocket costs can quickly add up. However, applying for private health insurance can take time and people generally don’t buy it unless they’re staying for the long-haul.
How about travel insurance?
Travel Insurance usually pays for medical emergencies and unexpected medical issues. Paying for doctor visits, blood-work, and other non-emergency services are usually not covered.
So, should I get health coverage?
The short answer is, yes, legally you should. Practically, it’s up to you.
You probably never want to be uninsured, at least not for major health issues and emergency services. That’s where travel or international health insurance comes in handy. Out-of-pocket costs remain pretty affordable by US standards, so depending on your situation you may feel comfortable with that.
What are some travel or local health insurance options?
There are quite a few options. I’ll write about this in the next few weeks. Subscribe below and be the first one to get notified.
Nerd-Out with Me: Legal Background Deep Dive
For those of you who want to nerd out a bit with me on this topic, the legal requirement for foreign visitors to carry health/travel insurance stems from legislation passed earlier in 2025 called the “Decreto 366/2025”.
This law modifies several articles of Argentina’s 2001 migration law, “Ley 25.871”, including articles 6, 7, and 8 that relate to non-resident access to public healthcare.
These changes were introduced as part of the broader migration and austerity reform introduced by Milei’s government to reduce spending on public health and education on people who are not permanent residents or citizens.
From the Decreto 366/2025:
According to the Argentine Ministry of Health, roughly 10.5% of hospital discharges are foreigners, accounting for 72 Billion Argentine dollars or roughly $60 million USD at that time. Hospital visits by foreigners cost the government roughly $35 million USD. Big numbers for a country looking to cut back on spending.
But why do people go to Argentina for healthcare and education?
Argentina has a reputation in South America for having good-quality, free public healthcare and education.
Compared to several neighbors, Argentina’s healthcare system is a better option for many people quality-wise, especially from Paraguay and Bolivia, and the large Venezuelan diaspora.
Other South American countries consistently have better or similar hospital rankings such as in Brazil, Colombia, Peru, and Chile (2025 Intellat rankings). However, either there’s a language barrier such as with Brazil, or services are not free to foreigners, unlike Argentine public hospitals. Milei’s government has changed that.
Public universities are also ranked highly and are free. The University of Buenos Aires (UBA) is consistently ranked as a top 100 university, and is the only university in South America to be ranked in the top 100 by reputation (QS World Rankings).
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