This Office can grant Number Plates to diplomats or members of the administrative staff of a foreign mission, at no cost and as long as there is reciprocity on the matter, when they have purchased or imported a car with a tax exemption or purchased a car manufactured in Argentina with its authorization.
The application for the number plate must be filed within thirty days after the car's customs clearance or car's transfer from another beneficiary holding the same privileges.
Only members of the car owner's family, persons at his/her service and other civil servants from the foreign mission to which he/she belongs will be authorized to drive the car, and only up to a maximum of three (3) people. For this purpose, those considered to be members of the car owner's family are his/her descendants, ascendants, including adopters and adoptees, spouse, collateral relatives up to the third degree of kinship and persons at his/her service for whom he/she is responsible and who are part of the household and live in it.
In the case of private cars belonging to Chiefs of Mission only, persons at his/her service can also include local employees of the foreign mission who are officially accredited or registered in the National Protocol Department.
In the case of an imported car, a "Certificado de Libre Circulación" (Free Circulation Certificate) will be issued for FIFTEEN (15) days (a period that may be extended for a further fifteen days) in order to enable customs clearance and, once the car has entered Argentina, the verification of the chassis and engine number.
For personnel at the service of the car's owner, authorization to drive will be conditional upon their being accredited or registered in the National Protocol Department.
1- The application must be filed by means of a note, signed by the Chief of Mission or acting Chief of Mission and by the car's owner, and bearing their full names and positions within the mission.
Please attach Form FDF N° 0008 entitled “Chapa Patente para el Automotor de Funcionario de la Representación” (Number Plate for the Car of a Civil Servant from a Foreign Mission)
For a national car, please attach a NON-CERTIFIED COPY of the Authorization to purchase the car and a NON-CERTIFIED COPY of the purchase invoice.
For an imported car, please attach a NON-CERTIFIED COPY of the import tax exemption document.
For an imported car, please attach a NON-CERTIFIED COPY of the document entitled “Salida de Zona Primaria Aduanera” (Exit from Primary Customs Area) and/or a NON-CERTIFIED COPY of the Customs Clearance Receipt and Customs Resolution.
For an imported car, please attach a NON-CERTIFIED COPY of the Bill of Lading, Air Waybill or Consignment note (one of these).
For used cars that are over 2 years old, the Vehicle Technical Inspection (different from the inspection carried out in the DNRPA - National Office of National Registries of Motor Vehicle Ownership) is required. For new cars, this Vehicle Technical Inspection is not required.
Please attach a NON-CERTIFIED COPY of the Driving License of each of the drivers, issued by a competent authority from the Republic of Argentina, up to a maximum of THREE (3) persons (including the owner of the car).
Please attach a COPY, CERTIFIED by the Chief of Mission, of the document, issued by the relevant body, establishing that the person authorized to drive has no record of traffic violations.
Please attach a NON-CERTIFIED COPY of the valid insurance policy in the name of the beneficiary (in accordance with Law N° 24.449).
2- Together with the Number Plate and Identification Cards, an ID windshield sticker will be issued, this must be displayed on the right-hand side of the windscreen. The sticker expires annually on December 31st and must be renewed within the 30 days prior to this expiry date. To renew the ID windshield sticker, the obligatory annual insurance coverage required by Law 24.449 will be verified (further requirements may be added in the future).
3- The Tax Exemption Office may provide Free Circulation Certificates to enable procedures to be carried out before the Number Plates are definitively obtained. Both this Certificate and the Number Plate will be issued only if the car is covered by the compulsory insurance (Law 24.449).
4- Number Plates may be collected only by personnel registered before the National Protocol Department upon presentation of a personal identification document (passport, diplomatic ID card, etc.).