Crossing the border from Brazil to Argentina

The first stop when crossing the border from Brazil to Argentina in Iguazu is the Brazilian immigration offices located on the outskirts of the city of Foz do Iguacu.  There is a highway turnoff to access the border about halfway between the downtown and the airport.  

It is not necessary for Brazilian and Argentine nationals living in the area to stop at the Brazilian immigration, therefore for anyone else you will need to be careful not to drive past the office to do your documents.  On the Brazil side, you must exit your vehicle and enter one of the buildings to line up to get your travel document processed.  It should be mentioned that if you are crossing by bus you must request the stop or the driver will keep driving past the offices, and local buses don’t wait for you while you are doing immigration; instead, you must catch a different bus later.

After completing the procedures on the Brazilian side you then must drive a further 1.5 kilometres (1 mile) to the Argentina Immigration, crossing over a bridge spanning the Iguazu river along the way.  For people arriving by car, on arrival, you join one of the entry lanes which have drive-through immigration kiosks. Once it is your turn to drive up to the immigration window you hand your documents to the attendant and answer their questions without having to leave your car.  Once passed the window you may be stopped by customs who check the vehicles and luggage.

If arriving by bus you will have to exit and form a queue inside one the buildings to process your entry into Argentina and then walk your bags through customs before rejoining your bus.

If crossing the border on one of our services, our vehicles use a special tourism lane which is often much faster than the general lanes, and your driver will present your documents on your behalf without you needing to exit the vehicle.

Local Buses

There are local buses that operate taking people from downtown Foz do Iguacu to Puerto Iguazu, and there are many things you should consider if planning to take one of these buses when it comes to the border stops, especially how to time your crossing.  You can find more information about how to use public bus transport here.  

Private Transfers

Our transfers across the border will pick you up from any hotel or Airbnb in Foz do Iguacu, or our driver can meet you on your arrival to the IGU airport to take you across to Argentina.

Because we specialise in border transfers for international visitors, our drivers know exactly where you must go and what to do at the border, and you can take advantage of the faster tourism lane at the Argentina border stop which our vehicles are permitted to use.

Below you may view the many options we have for taking you across the border to the following locations:

• Argentine Side of the Iguazu Falls
• Puerto Iguazu hotels or Airbnbs
• Puerto Iguazu (IGR) airport

There is a highway connecting the 2 countries with the border located in the Iguazu area between the 2 cities of Foz do Iguacu and Puerto Iguazu. 

You must have a Carta Verde (Green Card) which allows you to cross into Argentina with your car, plus the other typical travel documents, passport, and visa if your nationality requires you to visit Argentina.

By Bus

You can use the services of a local bus which you catch from a bus stop in the city of Foz do Iguacu.  Take the bus to the Brazilian immigration where you need to exit to process your travel documents, then wait for another bus to take you to the Argentina immigration, before taking a bus again to Puerto Iguazu.

By Transfer

The driver comes to collect you from where you are staying and then drives you to both immigration points at the border before dropping you in Puerto Iguazu city at your accommodation, airport, or bus to continue into the interior of Argentina.

On average it takes 1 hour to do the border procedure at the Iguazu border if the traffic is light.  This is taking into account that you must first pass the immigration on the Brazilian side and then drive almost 1 mile (1.5 kilometres) to the Argentina immigration.  It takes longer to make the journey by bus because the bus does not wait for you at the Brazilian immigration.

During long weekends, holidays and also the Brazilian tourist high season from December to the end of March, there can be higher levels of traffic at the border and can take 1.5 hours to 2 hours to cross the border from Brazil to Argentina.

Driving in a private car is definitely quicker than crossing by bus or with a tour group who take longer to process everyone at the border.  In a private vehicle, you do not even have to exit the car on the Argentine side to process your documents.  

Even though you may only be wanting to pass into Argentina territory for a couple of hours to visit the Iguazu Falls, it is still necessary to pass immigration to have your passport stamped out of Brazil and into Argentina.

If you are from a country that requires a visa to enter Argentina, then you will still need to have one to visit the falls on the Argentine side, even if it is for a quick day visit.

To go directly to the falls on the Argentina side from Brazil you are required to stop at immigration to stamp out of Brazil and into Argentina, and if returning you again have to stop at the border to do the process in reverse.

By Bus

It is possible to get to the Argentine side of the falls by bus, but the journey requires taking 3 separate buses on the way there, and then again on the way back. First, you take the bus from Foz do Iguacu city to the Brazilian immigration.  Then a different bus for a further 1.5 kilometres to the Argentina immigration, but this time the bus will wait for you while you stamp your passport, and take you to the Puerto Iguazu bus terminal, where you find where the buses depart for the 25-minute journey to the entry of the Argentina side of the falls.  You do this route in reverse if coming back to Brazil.

By Car

It is obviously a lot easier and quicker if you are crossing the border by car, but you still have to stop twice at the border to do immigration, and a further 2 times at immigration if you are returning to Brazil. Once passing the Argentina border control the drive to the national park where you enter to see the falls is a further 25 minutes drive.