Broadly safe for most visitors, with only routine travel precautions needed. Public health and infrastructure are well developed.
Regional breakdown
Buenos Aires is where most visitors start and end their trip. The city is busy and generally welcoming, but pickpocketing and bag-snatching happen often in Retiro, La Boca, San Telmo and around Plaza de Mayo. Watch out for distraction scams on the Subte and at bus terminals. Keep phones out of sight at café tables on the pavement. Rosario, in Santa Fe province, is the one city official advisories flag more firmly. The official advisory guidance puts Rosario at Level 2 on its own, above the rest of the country. Drug gangs operate there and shootings between rival groups have pushed up the crime rate. Travellers passing through for football or river trips should stick to the central riverside districts and avoid the outer barrios after dark. The tourist hubs in Patagonia and the north feel very different. Bariloche, El Calafate, Ushuaia, Mendoza and the Iguazú Falls area see far less street crime. The main risks there are weather, altitude and remote driving. Roads to Salta, Jujuy and across the Andes can close without warning in winter. Trekkers in Los Glaciares and Nahuel Huapi national parks should register with park rangers before setting out.
Recent advisory changes
The official advisory guidance advice for Argentina was last updated on 10 December 2025 and remains in force right now. The most recent change covered entry rules for dual nationals returning to the UK, rather than any new security warning. The official advisory guidance does not warn against travel to any part of Argentina. It tells visitors to read the full safety. Health and entry pages before going and to buy insurance that matches their planned activities, including trekking and skiing. The official advisory guidance reissued its Argentina advisory on 20 September 2024 at Level 1, Exercise Normal Precautions. That is the lowest of its four levels. Within that overall rating it singles out the city of Rosario at Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution, because of crime linked to drug trafficking. No ordered departure is in place and no regions are restricted for US government staff beyond the Rosario note. Both governments are broadly aligned: Argentina as a whole is treated as a low-risk destination, with Rosario as the clear outlier.
What travellers should know
Petty theft is the single biggest issue most visitors will meet. Carry a copy of your passport rather than the original, split cards and cash between bags, and use hotel safes. Card skimming has been reported at some ATMs, so use machines inside banks where possible. The parallel currency market, known as the blue dollar, has largely faded since the 2024 exchange reforms, but rates still shift fast. Pay on card where you can and keep receipts. Protests and strikes happen often in Buenos Aires, especially around Plaza de Mayo and Congreso. They are usually peaceful but can block traffic and shut down the Subte with little notice. Give them a wide berth. Road travel outside the cities can be long and tiring; overnight buses are the standard option and are generally reliable. If you plan to hike, ski or climb in the Andes, register your route, check weather forecasts, and hire licensed local guides. Altitude sickness is a real risk above 3,000 metres in Salta, Jujuy and Mendoza's high passes. Keep the international Embassy in Buenos Aires contact details saved offline before you travel.