Correction: Work Authorization

Today, I received a comment from a reader about working and starting a business in Argentina. This reader brought up an interesting point and I realized I made an error with one of my previous posts. I'd like to take the time today to apologize and offer a correction.

Reader's Comment

You mention getting a residency visa/DNI for a variety of reasons, which I can certainly understand. But you say that even with those, you are not "allowed" to work in Argentina because the government doesn't want you to take a job away from a native. (I know that this is the case in most countries.) So, how is it you can start a business if the government makes it so tough to do so? Or does the rule not apply to entrepreneurial-type activities? Or, more to the point, exactly how can an expat earn a living in BA?

Correction

I don't know from exactly where (perhaps it was from the Argentina consulate or something that I had read), but I was under the assumption that foreigners who have a "visa de rentista" (which is my class of visa and the kind of visa that most foreigners in my situation get) are not permitted to work in the country. I was mistaken. I called my visa lawyer over at ARCA and they definitively confirmed that anyone with a DNI and CUIL are legally authorized to work in Argentina. I was incorrectly operating under the impression that the rentista visa only allowed one to pursue entrepreneurial activities within the country. So, I stand corrected. I apologize for the error.

If you have a DNI and CUIL (no matter your visa), you can get a job here in Argentina, start a business, work as an independent contractor (monotributista), etc. So, this makes a DNI and CUIL even more important than I thought they were. Not only does the DNI give you the right to live here, if you want to work here legally, you need to have it.

While we're on the subject of my mistakes, let me add the disclaimer that I am not a lawyer and most certainly not a lawyer in Argentina. So, I wouldn't be surprised if there are more mistakes in this blog. I'm writing from my own layman's understanding of how things work. Please, please, please contact a lawyer in Argentina before relying on anything that's stated here. I'll be happy to provide a recommendation. And if he tells you something that contradicts my blog here, please do let me know so I can post a correction.