Argentina 2026 on a Brazilian CNH: No IDP, Zero Alcohol

For Brazilian drivers the paperwork is the easy part. Argentina’s traffic regulation, Decree 779/95 (annex 1, article 16 b.1.3), says tourists need no special Argentine permit if they hold an international licence or a licence issued in a signatory of the Cono Sur land-transport agreement (ATIT), which names Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay. Your CNH is enough; no International Driving Permit is required. Carry it with your passport.

The driving side needs no adjustment either — Argentina drives on the right, just like home, so there is no reflex to relearn. Nor does the alcohol rule change: since Law 27.714 took effect in May 2023, Argentina’s national limit is zero, the same standard the Lei Seca sets at home. Roadside checks on summer holiday routes are frequent, so keep to the habit you already have.

Where Argentina genuinely tests a visiting driver is scale. Motorways run at 130 km/h and rural routes at 110, but towns drop sharply to 40, and the gap between fuel stations in Patagonia or the northwest can run for hundreds of kilometres. Plan refuelling around the map, not the gauge, and carry water and a spare. Buenos Aires traffic, by contrast, is dense, fast and assertive — give yourself room and signal early. Speeding fines vary by province but commonly land in the ARS 10,000–30,000 (roughly €10–30) band; the speeding fine calculator helps you gauge a penalty before it arrives.

The car must carry a warning triangle, reflective vest, first-aid kit and fire extinguisher, all of which Argentine police do check at roadside stops. The emergency number is 911, not the 190 you dial at home.

For the complete picture — toll roads, the documents Argentine police expect, and remote-route advice — read our Argentina driving guide, confirm what you need with the driving permit checker, and if a fine ever follows a rental home, who pays driving fines abroad explains how the billing works.

Sources

• Argentina, Decreto 779/95, anexo 1, art. 16 b.1.3 (tourists; ATIT licences need no special permit): infoleg.gob.ar
• Argentina, Ley 24.449 as amended by Ley 27.714 (zero alcohol): infoleg.gob.ar