Last updated on 6 November 2026
In Argentina, no bank is known to let foreign cards withdraw for free. Every report from 2025 and 2026 describes a fixed fee per withdrawal, between 2,000 and 10,843 pesos (about €1.17 to €6.34), and low limits, often 30,000 to 80,000 pesos (€17.53 to €46.76) per withdrawal. No Argentine bank publishes its fee for foreign cards. As of 31 October 2026.
The exchange rate no longer works against you. Since currency controls were lifted in April 2025, the parallel “blue” dollar and the official rate have moved together: on 30 October 2026 a dollar cost 1,565 pesos on the street and 1,560 at Banco Nación. So paying by card is the cheaper way to spend money in Argentina, and cash is for what you cannot pay by card. If your bank wants an app approval at the machine, you need data: the POVNOMAD Argentina eSIM starts at €3.90.
What do Argentine ATMs charge foreign cards?
We found no bank’s official price list for foreign cards. What exists are dated reports, and they differ:
| Source and date | Fee per withdrawal | Max per withdrawal | Notes | Check |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| travel-dealz.de, reader report from Salta, March 2025 | 10,842.50 ARS (€6.34) | 60,000 ARS (€35.07) | Bancotel machines, same at every bank tried | ✓ |
| ATM Fee Saver forum, July 2025 | 7,200 and 8,000 ARS (€4.21 and €4.68) | 15,000 to 35,000 ARS | banks not named | ✓ |
| CacaoCash guide, 8 April 2026 | 2,000 to 6,000 ARS (€1.17 to €3.51) | 30,000 to 80,000 ARS | Banco Nación named as often lower | ✓ |
| travelcurrencyguide.com, June 2026 | about $5 to $11 | equivalent of $100 to $200 | same cap at Banco Nación, Galicia, Santander, BBVA | ✓ |
| All sources | fixed fee, no fee-free bank known | low, set by machine and bank | POVNOMAD fee dataset of 1 September 2026 agrees | ✓✓ |
✓✓ = confirmed by two independent sources, ✓ = single source so far. Sources: travel-dealz.de fee table, explore.atmfeesaver.com (Argentina thread), cacaocash.com (8 April 2026), travelcurrencyguide.com (Buenos Aires, June 2026), all checked on 31 October 2026. Peso amounts converted at the BCRA euro rate for 30 October 2026 (€1 = 1,710.87 ARS). The fee shown on the ATM screen is what applies.
The pattern behind the spread is inflation. Older figures in pesos lose meaning quickly, which is why some guides quote dollars instead. Consumer prices rose 33.4 percent in the twelve months to September 2026, as our Argentina SIM card guide notes with INDEC as its source.
What does a fixed ATM fee cost you in Argentina?
A fixed fee weighs heavily when the limit is low. Here is the share for the low and high end of the 2026 report:
| You withdraw | in euros | fee 2,000 ARS | fee 6,000 ARS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30,000 ARS | €17.53 | 6.7 % | 20.0 % |
| 50,000 ARS | €29.22 | 4.0 % | 12.0 % |
| 80,000 ARS | €46.76 | 2.5 % | 7.5 % |
Always type the highest amount the machine allows, and try another bank’s ATM if the limit is very low. Several small withdrawals multiply the fee; one larger one keeps it down.
Is Western Union still worth it in Argentina?
For years travellers sent money to themselves via Western Union and collected pesos at the blue rate, which paid far more than the official one. That advantage is gone. On 30 October 2026 the blue dollar sold at 1,565 pesos, Banco Nación’s official dollar at 1,560 and the MEP dollar at 1,575, according to the rate service dolarapi.com. The gap is under one percent.
Western Union still pays out pesos in cash, and it can make sense if you need a larger amount at once and the ATM limits are too low. You pick up the money with your passport. Compare the transfer fee and Western Union’s rate with your card before you send; a guide of May 2026 recommends it only for stays longer than two weeks.
Should you pay by card or in cash in Argentina?
By card, wherever you can. Foreign Visa and Mastercard payments are settled at a rate close to the market rate, and the 30 percent PAIS tax on foreign card payments no longer applies, according to travelcurrencyguide.com (June 2026). A payment by card costs you only what your own bank charges for foreign currency; an ATM withdrawal adds the Argentine fixed fee.
If a card terminal or ATM offers to charge you in euros, decline and pay in pesos. The machine’s own conversion adds 4 to 8 percent, according to the same guide. Why that button costs so much, and how it looks on each screen, is in With or without conversion?
What does your own bank add?
The fixed fee goes to the Argentine ATM operator. Your own bank may add a foreign currency fee, because the peso is not the euro, and a fee for cash withdrawals outside the European Economic Area. Both are in your bank’s fee schedule. We name no conditions of individual card issuers; they change often, and only your bank can confirm them.
A second card from a different network helps if one is declined at the machine. Check in your online banking before you fly that international use is switched on for both.
Why do you need a signal at the ATM?
Many banks now ask you to approve a withdrawal abroad with a push notification in their app. With no data connection, the card is declined. The POVNOMAD Argentina eSIM starts at €3.90 for 1 GB over 7 days and runs on Movistar 4G according to the product page. You install it at home by QR code, and validity starts when it first connects in Argentina.
For a stay of several weeks a local SIM costs less: Personal’s tourist pack gives 25 GB for 30 days at 25,000 pesos (€14.61, price as of 29 October 2026), but you need your passport and a visit to a Personal branch. What each operator sells, and when the eSIM still pays off, is in Argentina SIM card for tourists.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to withdraw cash in Argentina?
Reports from 2025 and 2026 put the Argentine ATM fee for foreign cards at 2,000 to 10,843 pesos (about €1.17 to €6.34) per withdrawal. No bank publishes the amount. Your own bank may add a foreign currency fee. As of 31 October 2026.
Which ATMs in Argentina are free for foreign cards?
None that we know of. All sources we checked, and our fee dataset of 1 September 2026, describe a fixed fee at every bank. Banco Nación is named in one guide of April 2026 as often charging less, without a figure. The fee on the ATM screen is what applies.
How much can I withdraw at once in Argentina?
Reports range from 15,000 to 80,000 pesos per withdrawal (about €8.77 to €46.76), and one guide of June 2026 speaks of the equivalent of $100 to $200. The limit depends on the machine and the bank. Your own card limit may be lower. As of 31 October 2026.
Is Western Union cheaper than the ATM in Argentina?
Rarely since 2025. On 30 October 2026 the blue dollar sold at 1,565 pesos and the official dollar at 1,560, a gap of under one percent. Western Union helps if you need a larger sum in cash at once; compare its fee and rate with your card first.
Should I pay by card or cash in Argentina?
By card where possible. Foreign cards get a rate close to the market rate, and the 30 percent PAIS tax no longer applies to foreign card payments (travelcurrencyguide.com, June 2026). Cash costs you the ATM’s fixed fee on top.
What should I press at an Argentine ATM?
If the machine or card terminal offers to charge you in euros, decline and choose pesos. Then check the fee on the screen before you confirm; as long as no cash has come out, cancelling costs nothing (as of 31 October 2026).
How do I know if these ATM fees are still current?
Each row carries a check mark: ✓✓ means two independent sources, ✓ a single source. The peso amounts come from reports between March 2025 and June 2026, and inflation was 33.4 percent over the twelve months to September 2026. Read the amount on the screen before you confirm.
This guide is also available in German. Last updated on 31 October 2026. Fees from reports dated March 2025 to June 2026, checked on 31 October 2026; exchange rates from BCRA and dolarapi.com for 30 October 2026. Fees may change at any time.