Pre-Program Steps

Please complete the following steps prior to the program start date:

  1. Complete the Pre-Program Form

  2. Book your Flights + Submit your Flight Information Form

  3. Attend the Mandatory Pre-Departure Webinar

  4. Participate in the Discovery Meeting(s)

  5. Send WhatsApp Test Messages to Puentes

  6. Pack your Bags!

1. complete the pre-program form

To help us prepare for your arrival, please complete the Pre-Program Form as soon as possible.

2. BOOK YOUR FLIGHTS + SUBMIT YOUR FLIGHT FORM

  • Required arrival date: Friday, May 2, 2025

  • Program end date: Saturday, May 24, 2025

Arrival timing and airport: You must arrive to the Ministro Pistarini “Ezeiza” International Airport (EZE) in Buenos Aires between 6am and 11am. There will be one group transfer from the airport, so early morning arrivals will wait for the rest of the group. If you arrive outside of the required arrival window or to a different airport, you will be responsible for your own airport transfer. Most international flights are overnight, so make sure that you book to arrive (not depart) on the required date.

Departure timing: The group transfer to the airport is scheduled for flights departing at 8pm or later on the program end date. If your flight departs outside of this window or from a different airport, you will be responsible for your own airport transfer.

As soon as you book your flights, please complete the Flight Information Form.


3. ATTEND THE MANDATORY PRE-DEPARTURE WEBINAR

Flip through the slides:


4. SEND WHATSAPP TEST MESSAGES TO PUENTES

In Argentina, it’s very common to use WhatsApp to communicate. Please send the following Puentes team members a WhatsApp test message with your “First Name Last Name Puentes.”

  • Lali Pereira: +54 9 11 3628 5039

  • Alicia MacLoughlin: +54 9 11 5578 6848

When adding new WhatsApp contacts, be sure to include the plus sign (+), the country code (54), and the area code (9 11 for Buenos Aires).

Please continue to contact the Puentes team by email or phone for any non-urgent matters as you prepare for your program. We will use WhatsApp as a way to connect in the case of urgent matters.


5. Participate in the Discovery meeting(s)

Puentes Abroad will be coordinating a Discovery Meeting in which each consulting team will be meeting with their host company virtually to introduce everybody, to have an introduction to the organization and to the project scope, and to answer questions. Please come prepared with questions about your host organization and the project scope!


6. PACK YOUR BAG

Below are packing suggestions. Read them carefully, and pack smart!

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Your Passport
Your Passport

Make sure that passport is valid for at least six months after your last planned date abroad. U.S. passport holders can enter Argentina and Uruguay as tourists without a visa for the Puentes programs. If you are entering Argentina or Uruguay on a passport from a country other than the U.S., please review the possible visa requirements for Argentina or for Uruguay. It is ultimately your responsibility to secure a visa for the program if you are required to do so.

Put your passport in your carry on bag - not in your checked bag.

Money: Cards and Cash
Money: Cards and Cash

Bring a debit card, a credit card, and U.S. dollars in US$100 bills (smaller denominations are often not accepted in exchange houses) so that you have options for payments while abroad.

Also notify your credit and debit card banks about the dates during which you will be abroad so that you will not be flagged for fraudulent activities. Ask your bank to waive the ATM withdrawal fee as an exception during the time that you are abroad. 

If you plan to use Western Union to access pesos while abroad, create the Western Union account while physically located in the U.S. before you travel.

Laptop
Laptop

You must bring your own laptop. Also of note is that electronics are very expensive in this region of the world, so it’s best to bring any cords, plugs, and accessories that you need for electronics.

Adaptor
Adaptor

Argentine and Uruguay electricity is 220 V, 50 Hz, which is different than the 110V in many countries. When using a computer, generally there is a voltage converter on the plug that protects your computer, but with bigger electronics like hairdryers and hair straighteners, you might need a 220 to 110 volt transformer.

Argentina and Uruguay use a mix of European and Australian plugs. The most common plug in Argentina is two flat blades in a V shape (type I). The most common plug in Uruguay is the plug with three points (type L). You can either bring adaptors or buy them upon arrival in any “ferretería” (hardware store).

Prescription medication
Prescription medication

Bring more than enough of any prescription medication for your entire stay abroad. Medicine cannot be sent via postal mail from your home country, and you cannot use an international prescription at a pharmacy abroad; if you need prescription medication filled while abroad, you must see a local doctor.

Preferred Toiletries
Preferred Toiletries

If you prefer certain types or brands of toiletries, pack them in your suitcase. If you use tampons with applicators, those are hard to find here, since the applicator-free model is the one widely used.

Medical Certificate
Medical Certificate

If you plan to join a gym, you will need an “apto físico.” This can be a simple, signed note (in English or Spanish) from a doctor stating that you are in good health and able to undertake physical exercise in a gym.

*It is a requirement to have a functioning cell phone (with both a calling plan and data plan) for the entire duration of your program.

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