How to buy from Amazon in Argentina
Short answer
Since Decree 604/2026 (17 July 2026), the door-to-door regime allows 5 shipments per person per year with a USD 400 allowance each, free of import duties and the statistics fee. The 21% VAT is still payable. The regime's ceiling is USD 3,000 and 50 kg per shipment. And note: paying by card adds a 30% income tax perception, which is recoverable but has to be claimed.
Buying from Amazon in Argentina changed very recently: Decree 604/2026, published in the Official Gazette on 17 July 2026, unified the Correo Argentino regime with that of private couriers into a single scheme.
Note on validity: this information reflects the regime in force as of this note’s update date. Customs and tax rules in Argentina change frequently. Before buying, verify the figures in the calculation the shipping platform shows you.
The regime, in numbers
| Allowance per shipment | USD 400 (FOB) |
| Exempts from | Import duties and the statistics fee |
| Does NOT exempt from | 21% VAT |
| Shipments per year | 5 per person (per tax number) |
| Total annual allowance | USD 2,000 |
| Ceiling per shipment | USD 3,000 and 50 kg |
| Above the ceiling | You leave the simplified regime: a customs broker is required |
What you’ll actually pay
This is where most calculations go wrong. The price you see on Amazon is not what it will cost you. Add:
- The product price
- International shipping — variable, and what ruins bulky purchases
- 21% VAT — payable even within the allowance
- 30% perception if you pay by credit card
Only with those four numbers in hand does it make sense to compare against the local price.
On paying by card: an important correction
There’s a widespread idea that paying by card in dollars carries tax advantages. It’s the other way round. In early 2026 the perceptions on account of income tax and wealth tax were removed, but that applied to buying foreign currency, not to card spending abroad, which remains subject to the 30% perception.
That said, it isn’t money lost: it’s a payment on account. You can credit it in your tax return or claim it back from ARCA. But it’s paperwork and it takes time, so in your “what does this cost me today” calculation, that 30% is there.
If you pay with your own dollars — a transfer or a card issued abroad — you avoid the perception from the start.
The practical strategy: you get five shots
The quota is per year and per person, and it doesn’t roll over. That changes how it makes sense to buy:
- Don’t spend a shipment on something small. Using one of your five slots on a USD 30 accessory wastes it.
- Consolidate. If you’re buying three things, put them in one order: they use one slot instead of three.
- Aim close to USD 400, without going over, to use the full allowance.
- Spread across the household. The quota is per tax number, so a family has several quotas available.
When it’s NOT worth it
This is the part almost no affiliate site writes, and the most useful:
- Anything bulky or heavy. Large appliances, furniture, big monitors: international freight eats any price difference.
- Products where warranty matters. On a laptop or an expensive phone, international warranty isn’t always honoured in the country, and a return means paying shipping back to the United States.
- What’s made or assembled here. In several categories the final difference is minimal or actually favours the local market.
- When the difference is under 20%. With the risk of delays, customs holds and the practical impossibility of returning, a small saving doesn’t compensate.
Where it usually does pay off: products you can’t get in the country, specific components, books, some niche items and equipment that carries a very marked local markup.
How to compare properly
Before buying abroad, check what it costs here. Our guides carry real MercadoLibre Argentina prices verified every day, so they’re useful for exactly this: having an up-to-date local figure to compare your import calculation against.
What to buy
Real products, verified one by one. If you buy through these links we earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
We don't show prices for these: unlike our MercadoLibre picks, we don't verify them daily yet. You'll see the current price when you click through.
Kindle Paperwhite 16 GB
Not sold officially in Argentina, so importing is the direct route. Light and well under the allowance: exactly the profile that justifies spending one of your five shipments.
Samsung T7 · 1 TB portable SSD
Fast storage the size of a card. A lot of value in very little weight and volume, which is what makes the shipping cost pay off.
Keychron K3 V2 · wireless mechanical keyboard
Ultra-slim 75% layout, over Bluetooth or cable. Flat and light, so it adds little to the total weight if you combine it with another purchase in the same shipment.
Logitech MX Master 3S
The reference mouse for long desk days. Small and well under the allowance: useful for topping up a shipment without getting close to the ceiling.
Sony WH-1000XM5
High-end noise-cancelling headphones. As the most expensive item on this list, it's the case where it pays most to work out the total with VAT and the card perception before confirming.
Frequently asked
How many shipments can I receive per year?
Five per year per person, identified by CUIT or CUIL tax number. Each has its own USD 400 allowance, so that's USD 2,000 a year free of import duties. That means planning matters: don't spend a whole shipment slot on a USD 30 accessory, because the slot doesn't come back until next year. If you're buying several small things, the logical move is to put them in one order so they use a single slot.
Does the USD 400 allowance mean I pay nothing?
No, and it's the most common confusion. The allowance exempts you from import duties and the statistics fee, but the 21% VAT is still charged on the shipment's value. On top of that, if you pay by credit card, a 30% income tax perception is added. So the real final price of a USD 100 product isn't USD 100: you have to add shipping, VAT and, if you paid by card, that 30%.
What happens if the shipment exceeds USD 400?
The excess stops being exempt and becomes taxable. The decree establishes that it moves to the general import regime, and in the new system the calculation is done automatically at the time of shipping. Since the scheme changed only days ago, it's worth confirming the exact figure in the calculation the platform shows you before confirming the purchase rather than assuming it. Above USD 3,000 or 50 kg you leave the simplified regime and need a customs broker.
Is it better to pay by card or with my own dollars?
By card you pay a 30% perception on account of income tax. That perception isn't a lost tax: it's a payment on account that can be credited in your tax return or claimed back from ARCA, but it requires the paperwork and a wait. If you pay with your own dollars, for instance by transfer or with a card issued abroad, you avoid the perception from the start. The removal of perceptions announced in early 2026 applied to buying foreign currency, not to card spending abroad, which is still covered.
When is importing NOT worth it?
In more cases than you'd think. Always add the product price, international shipping, VAT and, if paying by card, the 30%: only then compare against the local price. For large appliances, furniture and anything bulky, freight eats any advantage. For products where warranty matters — a laptop, an expensive phone — bear in mind that international warranty isn't always honoured locally and a return means paying return shipping. And for products already made or assembled in the country, the difference is usually minimal or nil.
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