The blue dollar era is over. Since currency controls were lifted the official, MEP and blue rates sit within a few percent of each other, foreign cards settle at the MEP rate automatically, and hotels refund 21% VAT to foreign cards.
- The blue dollar era is over. The cepo was lifted in April 2025 and the official, MEP and blue rates now sit within about 2% to 3% of each other.
- Foreign Visa and Mastercard payments settle at the MEP rate automatically, so bringing a wad of USD 100 notes to sell is now pointless and dangerous.
- ATMs dispense small amounts and charge heavily. Take the maximum each time and always decline the machine's own currency conversion.
- Non-resident tourists get the 21% VAT back on accommodation automatically when they pay with a foreign-issued card. Paying the hotel in cash forfeits it.
- Tip 10% in restaurants, in cash on the table, because the card machine often has no tip line. The cubierto is a per-person cover charge, not a tip.
Forget everything you read about the blue dollar
The cepo cambiario was lifted in April 2025 and the arbitrage that defined Argentine travel for a decade has closed.
- The official, MEP and blue rates now sit within about 2% to 3% of each other, all around 1,460 to 1,530 pesos to the dollar through mid-2026.
- Bringing a wad of hundred-dollar bills to sell in a cueva is now pointless and dangerous. You are carrying thousands of dollars in cash around a city with a street-robbery problem for a gain of a few percent.
- Foreign Visa and Mastercard payments settle at the MEP rate automatically. Tap your card, get a fair rate, and skip the whole subject.
- Anyone still telling you to bring crisp USD 100 notes is repeating 2023 advice.
How to pay
- Cards work in restaurants, hotels, supermarkets and shops in Buenos Aires and the tourist towns. In small towns and at market stalls, cash.
- Carry some pesos. Colectivos need a SUBE, taxis often want cash, and small kiosks are cash-only.
- ATMs dispense small amounts and charge heavily. A withdrawal fee of several thousand pesos is normal, and the per-withdrawal cap is low, so take the maximum each time.
- Always decline the ATM's own currency conversion and choose to be billed in pesos.
- Western Union transfers to yourself were the trick of the cepo years. They still work and still give a good rate, but the advantage over a card is now small.
The 21% you should actually claim
- Non-resident tourists get the 21% VAT back on accommodation, including breakfast if it is in the rate, automatically, when you pay with a foreign-issued card or an international transfer.
- It is a discount, not a claim form. The hotel bills you net of VAT; you do not have to do anything except pay with the right card.
- Do not pay for a hotel in cash if you want this, because cash payment forfeits it.
- A separate digital VAT refund on Argentine-made goods launched in June 2026 at Ezeiza, Aeroparque and the Port of Buenos Aires, handled at self-service kiosks or in an app at departure.
Costs and tipping
- Argentina is no longer especially cheap by South American standards, though it is good value against Europe.
- Tip 10% in restaurants, in cash on the table, because the card machine often has no tip line and a card tip may not reach the staff.
- The cubierto is a small per-person cover charge for bread and table service. It is not a tip.
- Taxis: round up. Hotel porters: a small note.
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