How much cash can I bring into Argentina?

Last verified: 27 Oct 2026 · Status: Changing

Short answer. There is no cap on cash you bring in. Each traveller carrying US$ 10,000 or more in cash, bearer instruments or gold coins (US$ 5,000 for a child under 16) must declare it to customs on arrival on form OM 2249-A. Leaving is stricter: foreign currency cash must stay under US$ 10,000 per person.

As of 26 Oct 2026. Rules in force at that date.

Key rules

The rule is RG ARCA 5659/2025 (BO 10 Mar 2025). It repealed RG AFIP 2704/2009 and 2705 (art. 12); guides citing RG 2704 are out of date.

Entry: declare, no limit. Cash, bearer instruments (cheques, traveller's cheques, promissory notes, art. 6) and gold coins, in any currency, worth US$ 10,000 or more in total must be declared on arrival on form OM 2249-A, issued by customs and signed by you. Other currencies convert at the Banco Nación buying rate of the previous business day (art. 1).
Per person, by age. Amounts count per traveller. Children under 16 who are not emancipated get 50%, so US$ 5,000 (art. 5).
Exit: a hard limit. Foreign currency cash, foreign currency bearer instruments and gold coins may leave as baggage only if the total is below US$ 10,000 (art. 2; Decree 1570/2001 art. 7, as replaced by Law 27.444). Above that, foreign currency leaves only through a regulated financial entity, in practice a transfer (art. 3). Pesos at or above the equivalent may leave if declared on form OM 2250-B (art. 4).
Penalties. Breaches carry the sanctions of the Customs Code, Law 22.415 (RG 5659 art. 8). The RG names no article. The closest fits are art. 978 for an undeclared entry (fine of 0.5 to 2 times the value) and art. 979 for an exit above the limit (1 to 3 times, plus confiscation if the export is prohibited). Hidden cash can be charged as smuggling under art. 864(d) (2 to 8 years in prison). Which one applies in practice is (unconfirmed).
Anti money laundering. Every declaration goes into the Sistema Ingreso y Egreso de Valores and on to the UIF (art. 7), and ARCA reports suspect conduct to the UIF (art. 10).

What changes the answer

Leaving, not arriving. Foreign cash must stay below US$ 10,000 per adult and US$ 5,000 per child under 16; above that, transfer it (RG 5659 arts. 2, 3, 5).
Pesos, not dollars. Pesos can leave above the limit if declared on OM 2250-B (art. 4).
Transit. Exit limits do not apply if you declared on OM 2249-A on arrival and wrote "Tránsito" (art. 9).

Worked examples

Two parents and a 12 year old land at Ezeiza with US$ 25,000 in cash. Pesos at the dólar MEP of ARS 1,563.90 per US$ on 23 Oct 2026 (dólar MEP selling rate (dolarapi.com)); see /data/mep/.

Step or item	Time	Cost ARS	Cost USD
1. Each parent declares US$ 10,000 on OM 2249-A	At the customs desk (unconfirmed)	0 (unconfirmed)	0
2. Child declares US$ 5,000 on OM 2249-A	Same	0 (unconfirmed)	0
3. Parents deposit US$ 12,500 each in dollar accounts	Same day	Bank tariff (unconfirmed)	Bank tariff (unconfirmed)
Value of the cash	n/a	39,097,500	25,000

Step 1. Who must declare. Each amount is at or above that person's threshold ("igual o superior", RG 5659 arts. 1 and 5), so all three declare. Had the parents carried US$ 12,500 each and the child none, only the parents would declare. Declaring more is not penalised.

Step 2. The child. Parents answer for a child's customs infraction under 14, and jointly from 14 to 17 (Customs Code arts. 905 and 906, cited in RG 5659 art. 8).

Step 3. The cost of not declaring. If one parent carried US$ 15,000 undeclared, the art. 978 fine would be US$ 7,500 to 30,000 (ARS 11,729,250 to 46,917,000). Whether the base is the whole US$ 15,000 or only the excess over US$ 10,000 is not settled in the sources (unconfirmed).

Step 4. The bank. Each parent deposits US$ 12,500 (ARS 19,548,750) in their own account. Banks monitor all cash deposits and identify anyone depositing 40 minimum wages (SMVM) or more, recording any third party (UIF Res. 14/2023 art. 42, as replaced by UIF Res. 78/2025 art. 6). They report such cash operations to the UIF (art. 44(a), as replaced by art. 7). At the October 2026 SMVM of ARS 391,200 (Res. 4/2026 art. 1(b)), 40 SMVM is ARS 15,648,000 (US$ 10,005.75). The UIF uses the SMVM in force on 31 December or 30 June (UIF 14/2023 art. 2(ñ)); the 30 June 2026 figure is not in our sources (unconfirmed). Each deposit is over the line either way.

Step 5. What the bank will ask. Documents on your economic and financial situation, but not tax returns (UIF 14/2023 art. 37, as replaced by UIF 78/2025 art. 5). The rule lists none; bring the OM 2249-A copies and proof of origin, such as a foreign bank withdrawal slip or a sale contract (unconfirmed).

Cost to do it: no customs fee in RG 5659 (unconfirmed). Dollar cash deposit fees are set by each bank; the BCRA free deposit rule covers pesos only (Protección de los usuarios, point 2.3.2.2(ii)(b)) (unconfirmed). No capital requirement. Time: hours, not months.

Practical traps

Pooling as a family. ARCA lets spouses and children under 16 share the duty free allowance for goods (ARCA, Régimen de equipaje). Cash counts per traveller (RG 5659 art. 5). How customs attributes cash in a shared bag is not stated (unconfirmed).
Leaving with exactly US$ 10,000. On entry it must be declared; on exit cash must be below US$ 10,000 (art. 2), so exactly US$ 10,000 is too much.
Assuming the app covers it. ARCA's customs declaration is a digital form in mobile apps or self service terminals, or paper form OM-2087/G5 or G6 (ARCA, Régimen de equipaje). The RG still requires an OM 2249-A issued by customs (art. 1); get the signed copy at the desk (unconfirmed).

FAQ

Is there a maximum I can bring in? No, only a declaration threshold (RG 5659 art. 1).

Does customs tax the cash? RG 5659 imposes no tax or fee. Its tax treatment depends on your tax residence (unconfirmed).

Can a bank refuse my cash? The UIF rules require identification and monitoring, not refusal, but a bank may decline a client it cannot profile (unconfirmed).

Does the simplified income tax return help? For residents, Law 27.799 art. 40 bis (added by Law 27.826 art. 7, BO 9 Oct 2026) makes adhesion a favourable factor in AML checks; due diligence still applies and the UIF implementing rule is (unconfirmed).

Published 27 Oct 2026 from our research draft. Points marked (unconfirmed) have not yet been checked against the official text; rely on the primary sources linked below.