Argentine terms you will meet along the way

Alquiler temporarioAlquiler temporario — short-term rental

A rental from a few weeks to several months, often furnished and in dollars. The agency fee is usually calculated on the whole term. more →

ApostillaApostille

A Hague Convention certificate confirming a document’s authenticity abroad. It is issued in the country that issued the document: Russian documents in Russia, Argentine ones in Argentina. more →

ARCA (ex AFIP)ARCA — tax agency

Agencia de Recaudación y Control Aduanero, which replaced AFIP in 2024: taxes, customs, CUIT and monotributo.

Certificado de antecedentes penalesCriminal record certificate

Needed for residency: one from your home country (apostilled) and an Argentine one from the Registro Nacional de Reincidencia. more →

Certificado médico de nacimientoMedical birth certificate

The clinic’s certificate of birth. The Civil Registry will not register the birth without it; its data are checked letter by letter. more →

Ciudadanía argentinaArgentine citizenship

A child born in Argentina is a citizen by birth. Parents can become citizens by naturalisation; the residence requirements and procedure changed in 2025–2026. more →

CUILCUIL — labour ID number

Código Único de Identificación Laboral, used for employment and social security; assigned by ANSES, and a baby gets one with the DNI.

CUITCUIT — tax ID

Código Único de Identificación Tributaria, the tax number with ARCA. Needed for self-employment (monotributo) and companies; used to look up a business.

DNIDNI — national identity document

Documento Nacional de Identidad, the main ID in Argentina. Citizens (including newborns) and foreigners with residency get one. Issued by RENAPER; a newborn’s first DNI is free. more →

ExpensasExpensas — building fees

Monthly building costs: security, cleaning, lift. They change every month and are usually not in the advertised rent. more →

GuardiaGuardia — emergency department

A hospital’s 24-hour emergency service. In obstetrics it is the guardia obstétrica — where you go when labour starts or your waters break. more →

HuevitoHuevito — infant car seat

The Argentine name for an infant car seat. Clinics let the baby go home by car only in one — buy it in advance. more →

Migraciones (DNM)Migraciones — immigration office

Dirección Nacional de Migraciones: controls entry and exit, extends tourist stays and grants residency to foreigners. more →

MonotributoMonotributo — simplified tax regime

A simplified regime for the self-employed and small businesses: one monthly payment instead of several taxes and contributions.

Neonatología / UTI neonatalNeonatología — NICU

The neonatal intensive care unit. A day there is almost never included in the base birth price — ask separately. more →

Partida de nacimientoPartida de nacimiento — birth certificate

The birth registration record issued by the Civil Registry. The baby’s DNI and passport are based on it, and, once apostilled and translated, the parents’ home-country documents too. more →

Parto respetado (Ley 25.929)Parto respetado — respectful birth law

Law 25,929: the right to information, a companion of your choice, freedom of movement in labour and staying with the baby when health allows. more →

Plan de partoPlan de parto — birth plan

Written birth preferences: pain relief, companion, skin-to-skin. Many clinics provide a template and discuss it in advance. more →

Prepaga / obra socialPrepaga and obra social — health cover

A prepaga is a private health plan (OSDE, Swiss Medical, Galeno, OMINT and others); an obra social is employment-based cover. Pregnancy usually has a waiting period, so a new plan does not cover the birth right away. more →

Prórroga de permanenciaPrórroga — extending a tourist stay

An extension of the stay granted on entry. File with Migraciones before it expires; after expiry you face a fine and extra questions. more →

RaDEXRaDEX — online residency filing

Radicación a Distancia de Extranjeros, the Migraciones system for filing residency applications, uploading documents and paying the fee. more →

Registro CivilRegistro Civil — civil registry

Registro del Estado Civil y Capacidad de las Personas: registers births, marriages and deaths. Several private clinics in Buenos Aires have an office on site, so the birth can be registered before discharge. more →

RENAPERRENAPER — National Registry of Persons

Registro Nacional de las Personas: issues DNIs and Argentine passports, including the baby’s after the birth is registered. more →

Residencia precariaPrecaria — provisional permit

Issued by Migraciones once a residency application is filed. While the case is reviewed it lets you stay legally, work, study, leave and re-enter. more →

Residencia temporaria / permanenteResidencia — residence permit

A foreigner’s temporary or permanent residency. Parents of an Argentine child apply on family grounds and then receive a foreigner’s DNI. more →

Traductor públicoTraductor público — sworn translator

A translator licensed in Argentina. Foreign documents for government offices are translated by one and the signature is legalised by the translators’ association; translations made abroad are usually not accepted. more →

TurnoTurno — appointment

A booked appointment with a doctor or government office. Many offices (RENAPER, Migraciones, consulates) only see you with one.

Checked on October 14, 2026.