[REVISION HISTORY]

Argentina implements fees for non-resident foreigners

Updated 12 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-08-22 20:37 UTC → 2026-08-31 16:04 UTC · added ~~removed~~

In late July 2026, Buenos Aires Province legislators introduced a bill requiring non-resident foreigners to pay for public hospital services and tuition at the province’s two public universities. Supported by La Libertad Avanza and PRO deputies, the proposal includes exemptions for trafficking victims and public-health campaigns. The national government clarified that Decree No. 366/2025, effective May 2025, already permits public universities to charge tuition to foreign students without permanent residency. Health Minister Nicolás Kreplak denounced the provincial bill as “racist, discriminatory and having no impact,” noting that non-resident foreigners accounted for a minimal percentage of hospital admissions. By mid-August 2026, the government formalized medical fee regulations through Resolution 1066/2026. Under this Ministry of Health protocol, non-resident foreigners must present a health insurance policy for direct billing or pay for non-emergency services in advance to curb “sanitary tourism.” Emergency care involving imminent risk to life must be provided immediately without administrative delays. Following implementation, the Federation of Health Professionals of the Argentine Republic (Fesprosa) denounced the resolution as xenophobic and a violation of international principles, arguing that upfront payments create barriers to care. However, officials in provinces like Salta and Jujuy reported significant shifts in service demand following similar local measures. In Jujuy, Health Minister José Manzur reported a 40% reduction in medical attention provided to non-resident Bolivians, noting that some individuals are now seeking private clinics. ~~He attributed~~ By late August 2026, the ~~measure~~ Hospital de Alta Complejidad en Red El Cruce (HEC) announced it would begin enforcing these charges for non-emergency services. The hospital clarified that foreign nationals with permanent residency will maintain the same access as Argentine citizens, while emergencies—defined as conditions posing an “imminent risk to life, an organ, or a ~~lack of reciprocity in medical care~~ bodily function”—remain exempt from ~~neighboring countries.~~ payment requirements.

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