It is a good idea to prepare from home before setting off on your Argentine adventure. The paradise of Argentina undoubtedly has a heavy European cultural heritage after serving as a Spanish colony for many years. Still, Argentina stands out from the world map as the country that embraces both the icy Land of Fire and the exotic northern regions.
So what about Argentina? Which dictionary should you pack? What vaccines are required and do you need to apply for a visa before entry? We answer all these questions and more on this page. You can start looking forward to an explosion of new impressions and experiences.
Passport & Visa
No matter where in the world your trip takes you, it is extremely important that you read up on the rules for that country in terms of passports and visas.
When you travel to Argentina, you do not need to apply for a visa if you stay in the country for a maximum of 90 days. It is possible to extend your stay beyond the 90 days by paying a fee. Of course, your passport must be valid during your stay, but in addition, there are no separate requirements for the validity of the passport. You can also travel in Argentina on a Danish emergency passport.
Vaccination when traveling to Argentina
When traveling to Argentina or anywhere else in the world, it is important that you check what vaccinations you should have before departure. Argentina is South America’s second largest country and therefore extends over several different climate zones.
With the Andes Mountains jutting out to the west, the icy Land of Fire in the south and tropical Latin American ancestry to the north, it is inevitable that there are a number of foreign bacteria in Argentina. Be sure to check with your doctor about which vaccinations you need.
You can always contact one of Denmark’s many vaccination clinics. You will find an overview of these at Danske Lægers Vaccinations Service . Here you can find more information about which vaccinations you need when traveling to Argentina.
Currency in Argentina
The Argentine currency is called the Argentine Peso (ARS). Here, 1 ARS corresponds to 0.16 DKK. However, when traveling to Argentina, you can take advantage of US dollars (USD). These can be exchanged anywhere in Argentina.
Larger hotels and shops also accept MasterCard, Visa, Diners and American Express for round trips in Argentina. The price level is lower in Argentina than in Denmark, and you can therefore live relatively cheaply in the beautiful country.
Languages in Argentina
If you are traveling to Argentina, you need to polish your Spanish words. However, the dialect of Argentina makes the country stand out from other Spanish-speaking countries. Many Argentine immigrants have preserved a European second language for generations.
Before Spanish colonization, Argentines spoke various Native American languages, 15 of which are still spoken by about 400,000 Argentines today. Among the most important preserved is the language gueche, which is spoken at the border in Bolivia.
Time difference between Argentina and Denmark
As a starting point, Argentina is four hours behind Denmark. Here, however, summer and winter time must be taken into account, as Argentina only uses winter time. If it is summer time in Denmark, you must expect a time difference of five hours.
Argentina is in the time zone UTC -3. This is the same time zone as Greenland, which you may be surprised at, as many have a notion that Argentina is further west. Argentina Time (ART) is used throughout the year, which constitutes the aforementioned variable time difference in relation to Denmark.
Tango
It’s hard to talk about culture in Argentina without mentioning tango. The dance and music genre, originated in the late 19th century in the suburbs of Buenos Aires and Montevideo and is today known throughout the world.
Do not cheat yourself to see tango if you are going to Argentina. If you have the courage to learn Tango yourself, there are also many local offers, whether you are into Tango traditional, Tango orillero, Salon tango, Tango canyengue or one of the many other varieties of dance.
Sports
The two biggest sports in Argentina are football and basketball, which also clearly draw its roots to American and Spanish culture. Football is the largest sport and is practiced in the same style among children and young people in Argentina as in Denmark.
Argentina has raised several of the world’s best footballers, including Diego Maradona, who had his heyday in the early 80s to early 90s, and Lionel Messi , who is today considered one of the world’s best footballers. Argentina has also participated in the World Cup in football several times, but has not won the title since 1986. If you are into football, you will have ample opportunity to explore this in Argentine culture.
Information and education
There are many sources with varying suggestions on how widespread TV, internet, radio and newspapers are in Argentine culture, so therefore we will refrain from giving exact figures. However, we can say with certainty that accessibility is generally lower than in Denmark, but still at a level where the Argentine population generally has the opportunity to stay informed about the world situation.
Argentina is relatively good at education compared to the rest of South America. Argentina has 9 years of compulsory schooling – 7 years in primary school and 2 years in high school. Then it is possible to take 3 more years in high school, and subsequently a higher education, which almost half of a year does.
