Crossing from Argentina to Chile and Uruguay by road or ferry

For Uruguay, take a ferry from Buenos Aires to Colonia del Sacramento or Montevideo. For Chile by road, the Mendoza–Santiago route uses Cristo Redentor; the Bariloche corridor uses Cardenal Samoré. Argentine border-office hours differ by crossing, and winter snow can shut Andean routes. Argentine officers assess any return as a new entry.

Which ferry goes from Buenos Aires to Uruguay?

Buquebus advertises departures from Buenos Aires to Colonia and Montevideo. Argentina's Dirección Nacional de Migraciones (DNM, national migration authority) also lists a Buenos Aires terminal for Colonia Express. Read the Montevideo itinerary before paying: some tickets include a road leg. Check where you actually arrive and which sailing brings you back.

Argentina's DNM lists the Buquebus and Colonia Express terminals among the Buenos Aires international crossing points. Use the ferry operator’s check-in deadline, not the one you’d allow for a flight. Keep your Australian passport, booking and any onward travel evidence accessible at check-in and inspection. Your ferry ticket gets you across the river; border officers still decide your stay on return. For spending on either side of the river, see cash, cards and ATMs in Argentina; do not assume Argentine-peso payment rules carry over to Uruguay.

How do you cross from Mendoza to Santiago?

The Mendoza–Santiago road corridor uses the Sistema Cristo Redentor international crossing. Argentina's DNM currently publishes Argentine migration-office hours of 08:00–20:00 for that crossing. Those are Argentine office hours, not a promise that the road or Chilean offices are open. Smartraveller warns that winter snow or landslides may close the pass. Leave a buffer before a flight from Santiago.

For a coach, check its actual start and end points. Leave time to reach Santiago after crossing. If driving, plan around the published crossing window and carry the vehicle and insurance documents required for your particular hire agreement; don’t assume a domestic car-hire booking covers a one-way international trip. The DNM international-crossings list gives Argentine migration-office hours, not a live all-clear for the road. Obtain today's road-status notice before leaving Mendoza, and keep a spare day if you are connecting to a flight in snowy weather.

Can you cross from Bariloche to Puerto Montt?

The Bariloche-to-southern-Chile road itinerary runs via the Cardenal Samoré crossing in Neuquén province, then onward on the Chilean side toward Puerto Montt. DNM lists the Argentine migration-office window as 09:00–18:00 for Cardenal Samoré. It also lists a different Río Negro crossing called Pérez Rosales: that is not the same road pass. If an operator sells a lakes-and-boats route instead, read the transfer stages on that ticket rather than treating it as the Samoré coach route.

Winter weather matters here as well. Read your coach's current timetable and the crossing's status before leaving Bariloche; Chile may operate different border hours. For a trip built mainly around Bariloche and the lakes, the Patagonia trip planning guide helps keep the road leg from consuming the days you meant to spend outside. On the road, allow time for immigration formalities on both sides; allow extra time for the queue even within published Argentine office hours.

What will border officers ask an Australian traveller?

Tell Argentine border officers why you’re entering. For tourist entry, Australian government advice says to carry a valid passport and proof of departure within the permitted period, such as an onward or return ticket; officers can also ask about accommodation and available funds or a card. Tourist permission is up to 90 days for an Australian ordinary passport, but the actual period granted is a decision at entry. Keep evidence of your lawful exit and return if you need it: Smartraveller notes that Australian passports may not receive Argentine entry or exit stamps and points to DNM's online transit record.

Uruguay and Chile make their own entry decisions. Check each country’s passport, onward-travel, customs and work rules separately. Read the destination's official immigration guidance and your transport company's document requirements for your route. At the Argentine end, tourism is for recreation: an Australian holidaymaker entering on a tourist permission cannot treat the crossing as permission to start paid work. The working-holiday visa article explains the separate Argentine route for eligible Australians.

Will a border run reset your Argentine 90 days?

A trip to Colonia, Montevideo or Santiago gives no automatic 90-day stay on return. Argentine DNU 366/2025 permits border officers to refuse admission when the stated tourist purpose is not credible under the legal test; repeated short exits are not a substitute for permission to stay. If you need more time as a tourist, DNM says an extension for a similar period must be sought while your current permission is still valid, during its final 10 days. Once it has expired, DNM says it cannot be extended; an overstayer instead needs the separate exit-authorisation process. Check the stay you were actually granted before treating a quick river trip as an immigration fix.