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Argentina is working on measures to attract more Indian tourists and strengthen people-to-people and economic ties with India, Argentine Ambassador to India Mariano Caucino said while addressing the Iconic Tourism Summit in Delhi on Thursday.
Caucino highlighted Argentina's visa facilities for Indian nationals, noting that Indians holding a valid US visa have been able to travel to Argentina as tourists for up to 90 days without obtaining an Argentine visa since August 2025. "Since August 2025, Indians holding a valid US visa can visit Argentina as tourists for up to 90 days without an Argentine visa. And that is not all. Indian nationals can also get a five-year business visa, free of charge," the Argentine envoy said. He said Argentina's efforts were aimed at strengthening the broader relationship between the two countries, particularly in areas such as energy and food security. "The driving force is strategic. India is our partner on first-order challenges like energy security and food security. Bringing our peoples closer through tourism can only strengthen that partnership. The direction is clear: fewer barriers, more contact between our peoples. We would welcome reciprocity from India, so that Argentines can travel to India just as easily," Caucino said. Air connectivity was another area highlighted by the Argentine ambassador, who said the civil aviation authorities of the two countries are negotiating an Air Services Agreement. "Our civil aviation authorities are negotiating an Air Services Agreement. It will give airlines from both countries more freedom to fly between us and allow tools such as code-share agreements," he said. Caucino said the proposed agreement formed part of Argentina's broader policy of opening its air transport market. "This is part of a clear policy of the Argentine Government. Since taking office, it has signed agreements with more than 55 countries to open up our air transport market," he said. Emphasising the potential benefits of greater aviation connectivity, the ambassador said, "More freedom for airlines means more routes, more competition and better fares. Distance is real, but real progress can be made." On migration and border policies, Caucino said Argentina respected the decisions taken by individual countries while underlining its own focus on tourism and investment. "Borders and migration are decisions each nation makes for itself, and we respect the decisions of every country, while Argentinas message is openness to tourism and investment. We want Indians to visit, do business and invest," he said. The envoy also pointed to opportunities for Indian technology professionals through Argentina's digital nomad visa programme. "India is experiencing a massive wave of young tech talent eager for global exposure and it is important to mention that Argentina already has a digital nomad visa. It lets professionals who work remotely for companies abroad live in Argentina for up to six months, renewable for another six," Caucino said. He said Argentina's technology ecosystem and India's talent pool could create opportunities for greater cooperation. "Our tech ecosystem has produced several of Latin America's leading companies. Indian talent and Argentine startups have a lot to offer each other. To keep moving forward and consider expanding that digital nomad visa to indian nationals, we also need steps from India. As I said earlier, reciprocity on the visa facilities Argentina has granted would help us go further," he said. Caucino also highlighted the growing economic relationship between the two countries, saying India is currently Argentina's sixth-largest economic partner, following Brazil, China, the European Union, the United States and Chile. "India is growing so much, is thriving so much that you are becoming more and more important to us and to the entire world," the ambassador said. According to the Argentine Embassy, bilateral trade between India and Argentina surpassed USD 6.5 billion in 2025, underscoring the expanding economic engagement between the two countries. (ANI)
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