Attention foreign students studying Spanish in Argentina: The reciprocity fee, or entrance fee, for United States citizens has been raised to $140 US dollars. This raise in fee, which went into effect on June 4, 2010, is a direct result of the US government’s recent raise on the visa fee it charges Argentine citizens to enter the United States. This fee is equal to what an Argentine would pay to acquire a visa to visit the US.

While a nuisance, this fee will last 10 years, or the life of the passport. Argentina announced last year that it would begin charging visitors a fee if their countries of citizenship charge Argentine citizens to enter their countries. Hey, it’s only fair! This statement currently applies to students studying Spanish in Buenos Aires from the US, Canada and Australia. For now, Canadian and Australian fees have remained the same, at $70USD and $100USD, respectively. Unlike the US fee, the Australian and Canadian fees must be paid each time those citizens enter the country of Argentina. This fee is collected upon arrival at Ezeiza International Airport, and can be paid in US dollars, Argentina pesos, with credit cards, or travelers checks.

This fee should not come as a huge shock to US travelers or US students studying Spanish in South America, as Argentina is not the first country in the region to charge US citizens a fee upon entry.  Chile, Paraguay, Bolivia, and Brazil currently place a fee on visas and/or entry by air. To learn more about this fee and others, visit the US State Department’s website for country specific information.

Learn more about Spanish immersion courses at Expanish Spanish School in Buenos Aires!

If you are studying Spanish in Argentina at Expanish Spanish School, chances are family and friends will do their best to visit you in the incredible city of Buenos Aires while you are here. While it would be hard to find yourself without something to do in Buenos Aires, planning an itinerary for your visitors can be quite a task! Expanish Spanish School in Buenos Aires has put together a week long itinerary to help get you started—and trust us, this plan has been recently tested and approved! Today, we’ll give you ideas for the beginning of the week, and we’ll update you later on this week with the rest of your itinerary. Be sure to check back with the Expanish Blog!

Monday: If it is your visitors first day in Buenos Aires, do not feel silly taking them on a more touristy route! Just because you pass by the Casa Rosada every day does not mean they do not want to see it! Start up at Plaza del Congreso and continue down Avenida 25 de Mayo. Stop in at the famous Cafe Tortoni for a coffee and finish up your walk in Plaza de Mayo in front of the Casa Rosada. If you’re up to it, walk on over to Puerto Madero to show your guests a more modern side of Buenos Aires. Being on the water is a refreshing break from the stuffy city streets, and the Puente de la Mujer is a site to be seen! At night, hit up Konex for a live music show. Currently, you can catch the creator of La Bomba del Tiempo’s new show, Santiago Vasquez y La Grande!

Tuesday: Take the ferry over to Colonia, Uruguay for the day. Colonia is a peaceful contrast to the busy Buenos Aires streets, and we’d be willing to guess your visitors have never visited the country of Uruguay before. Rent a go-cart and take a ride up the coastline, and take a quick bus ride up to Bodega Bernardi on Route 1 to taste some Uruguayan wine and grappa!

Wednesday: Take on the beautiful Palermo parks for the day. Stop in at MALBA or Museo Bellas Artes on the way for a bit of culture and a coffee. The street’s surrounding the rose garden are closed all weeklong, so it makes for a great walk, and roses are still in bloom—even with temperatures dropping! The Japanese botanical gardens offer a tranquil environment for your guests and the Japanese restaurant onsite offers some of Buenos Aires’ best sushi overlooking the gardens! If you’re group wants a taste of the Buenos Aires nightlife, Wednesday’s After Offices across the city are a fun take (and they don’t finish as late as weekend nights, so you’ll still be up for anything on Thursday morning!). Try out Terrazas del Este on Costanera Norte—with water views and an incredible space, its sure to impress your friends!

While you may not have time to take a break from your Spanish immersion courses in Buenos Aires during the week, your friends will appreciate the itinerary you have planned, and you can always join them in the afternoons! Do not forget to check back with the Expanish Blog for the second half of the week’s schedule for your visitors—they will thank you!

Learn more about Studying Spanish in Argentina at Expanish Spanish School!

With the World Cup’s opening day on the horizon and Argentina’s first match only 11 days away, students studying Spanish in Buenos Aires must prepare for what’s to come! This is undoubtedly one of the most exciting times to be studying Spanish in South America! The 2010 World Cup is bound to present an unbelievable mix of passion, energy, and true fanaticism throughout the continent. Whether  or not you’re normally a soccer fan, you must get in the know for the upcoming Cup…after all, you’re studying Spanish in Argentina!

Despite the questionable antics and leadership skills of Diego Maradona (most recently, he has promised to run nude around the Obelisco in downtown Buenos Aires if the team wins it all!), Argentina heads to South Africa with a team full of capable players from both European leagues, as well as six from leagues within Argentina. Placed in Group B, alongside Nigeria, Greece, and Korea Republic, Argentina remains the favorite of the group, despite a less than thrilling performance throughout the South American qualifying matches.  Heading to South Africa,  Maradona and captain Javier Mascherano must look to foster more cohesion amongst the Argentina squad, full of undeniable talent.

Here is a look at the matches making up Argentina’s first round:

June 12: Argentina v. Nigeria at 11AM (Buenos Aires time)

June 17: Argentina v. Korea Republic at 8:30AM

June 22: Argentina v. Greece at 3:30 PM

Don’t miss out on the 2010 World Cup! Head to the FIFA website for constant updates and detailed match schedules for both Argentina and your home team!

Learn more about Buenos Aires and student life at Expanish Spanish School!