Legalizing Your Baby: Argentina Passport & Permenant DNI

Waiting Area #1

Another step in legalizing our Argentine-born baby process is to apply for Gretchen's Argentine passport, without which she is not able to leave the country.  This process changed recently (May 9, 2011 to be exact), the biggest change for us is that you now need an appointment with the Registro Nacional whereas before it was only necessary to go to the building and wait in line. 

Here are the steps that we took in this new process to apply for our newborn's Argentine passport:

1. Get a DNI for your baby.  You need the DNI number to make an appointment.
2. Go to the Registro Nacional de las Personas website to make an appointment.  Print the appointment confirmation.
3. On the day of your appointment bring the following items to the Registro Nacional de Las Personas, located at - Humberto Primo 243 in Centro:
1. The appointment confirmation, 
2. Both parent's original DNIs and (US) passports,
3. Original DNI of the baby,
4. The baby's birth certificate (Certificado de Nacimiento),
5. $130 pesos,
6. The baby and at least one parent.

After we were inside the Registro, things progressed very smoothly.  It is very similar to the DMV in the US.  We waited in a preliminary line and received a numbered ticket.  We moved to the first waiting area until our number was called, where we approached a window, presented our documents and paid the processing fee.  We progressed to the next waiting area and waited for our number to be called a second time - this is where the passport processing truly began.

At this final step we were asked for all of our original documents again so that the agent could input all of Gretchen's details into the computer.  I was then fingerprinted and asked to sign on my daughter's behalf.  The agent took Gretchen's photo and fingerprinted her thumbs, which was quite the process on a 10 week-old, but worked after the 3rd or 4th attempt.  We were told that her permanent DNI (the one we received at the Civil Registry is just a temporary, handwritten version) would be delivered to our house in 5-10 working days and her passport delivered in 15 working days, and we were sent on our merry way. 

Today marks the 5th working day since our appointment and I am pleased to say that we have received her DNI!  Now we are holding our breath and crossing our fingers that the passport is just as timely, as we have plane tickets to the US in (count them...) TEN working days!  Let's hope this new passport process is swift!