Quick answer. The big news at EZE is what changed in 2025: Argentina lifted its currency controls, the official, blue, and MEP rates converged (gap now ~0-3%), and the old PAIS tax on foreign cards was removed, so a no-foreign-fee Visa or Mastercard now gets essentially the market rate. That makes the airport money question much simpler. The Banco de la Nación Argentina counter in arrivals exchanges USD at the official rate, which is now close to the street rate, so it is fine for a small amount to reach the city. The airport ATMs (Banco Nación and others) still have very low per-transaction caps and a high fixed fee, so use them only in a pinch. Argentina has no Bank of America Global ATM Alliance partner. Decline DCC and choose pesos. To the city: the Manuel Tienda León bus (~45-60 min, card accepted at the counter), an official remís/taxi prepaid at the in-terminal booth (~$30-60 equivalent), or Uber/Cabify (cheaper, coordinated in-app, no fixed airport pickup).
Where to get Argentine Peso at EZE
EZE's arrivals money setup is a Banco de la Nación Argentina exchange counter (official rate, now close to the street rate since the 2025 convergence) and bank ATMs (low caps, high fixed fees). The big 2026 change is that a no-foreign-fee card now gets essentially the market rate in the city, so you need far less airport cash than travelers did before. The cost math below assumes you obtain the equivalent of $100.
| Option | Where | Markup | Total Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| No-foreign-fee card for purchases (NOT cash, but the 2026 winner) | Everywhere in the city | ~Market rate since the PAIS tax was removed | ~$100 |
| Banco de la Nación counter (EZE arrivals, official rate) | EZE arrivals hall | Official rate, now ~0-3% off the blue rate | ~$98-100 |
| Casa de cambio or Western Union (in the city) | Microcentro / Calle Florida | Blue/WU rate, small edge over cards | ~$100-101 |
| Banco Nación / Galicia ATM (EZE arrivals) | EZE arrivals hall | Low ~$100-200 cap + ~$5-11 fixed fee | ~$90-95 + fee per small pull |
| Curbside 'arbolito' street tout (NOT at airport) | Calle Florida curbside | Counterfeit and short-count risk | ~$85-95 or worse if scammed |
Where to get pesos at Ezeiza (EZE), and why it changed in 2025
Ministro Pistarini International Airport, universally called Ezeiza or EZE, is Buenos Aires's international gateway, about 22 kilometers and 45 minutes to 1.5 hours from the city center depending on traffic. The money setup here used to be a minefield because of Argentina's exchange-rate gap, but the 2025 reforms simplified it. There is a Banco de la Nación Argentina counter in arrivals (on the left side of the hall, generally 24 hours) that exchanges major currencies at the official rate, plus Banco Nación and other bank ATMs. The key change: after the government lifted the currency controls (the 'cepo') in April 2025, the official rate that the Banco Nación counter uses converged with the blue and MEP rates to within roughly 0-3 percent, so the airport counter is no longer the rip-off it was through 2024, it is fine for exchanging a small amount to reach the city. The airport ATMs, however, remain the worst way to get pesos: very low per-transaction caps (often the equivalent of $100-200) and a high fixed fee (~$5-11) on top of your home-bank fees. And the most important point for 2026: with the PAIS tax on foreign cards removed, you may not need much airport cash at all, because a no-foreign-fee card now gets essentially the market rate in the city. Argentina has no Bank of America Global ATM Alliance partner, so a BoA card pays the full non-network fee. Decline DCC and choose pesos.
Terminals A and C (International Arrivals)
Aerolíneas Argentinas (the flag carrier), American, United, Delta, LATAM, Copa, Avianca, Iberia, Air France, KLM, Lufthansa, British Airways, Air Europa, and the main long-haul carriers into Buenos Aires. Ezeiza is Argentina's primary international gateway; most intercontinental flights arrive here
After immigration and customs, the Banco de la Nación Argentina exchange counter is in the arrivals hall (generally on the left, 24 hours) and exchanges USD at the official rate, now competitive since the 2025 convergence. The bank ATMs are in the same area but carry low per-transaction caps and a high fixed fee, so use them only in a pinch. Decline DCC and choose pesos. The cleanest move in 2026 is often to change just a little (or none) and pay your transfer by card, since cards now get the market rate.
Do you actually need cash at Buenos Aires Ezeiza (EZE)?
Not really, anymore. The Manuel Tienda León bus, the prepaid official remís, and Uber or Cabify all take cards, and a no-foreign-fee card gets essentially the market rate in the city since the 2025 reforms. Here is what works on a card on the way in, and the narrow cases where a little cash still helps:
Manuel Tienda León shuttle bus (~ARS equivalent of $10-15 to Retiro): Runs from EZE to the Tienda León terminal near Retiro in about 45-60 minutes; pay by card at the in-terminal counter. The comfortable mid-price option, then a short taxi or Subte to your barrio.
Official remís / taxi (prepaid booth) (~$30-60 equivalent to the city): Prepay at the in-terminal booth (Taxi Ezeiza, Tienda León Remís); pay USD, card, or pesos. The safest door-to-door option, ~45-60 min to Palermo/Recoleta.
Uber / Cabify / DiDi (app-booked) (Cheaper than the official taxi): Charged to your card in-app, but legal-but-contested at the airport with no fixed pickup point, so coordinate the meeting spot in-app. Avoid unofficial taxi touts in the terminal.
Public bus (line 8, NOT recommended from EZE) (Cheapest, needs a SUBE card): The cheapest option but takes 2+ hours and is not luggage-friendly. Use Tienda León, the prepaid remís, or Uber instead.
⚠ DCC trap. When the ATM or terminal asks if you want to be charged in your home currency instead of the local currency, always decline and choose the local currency. Accepting locks in a 3-13 percent markup that your no-FX-fee card cannot undo. Full DCC explainer →
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need cash to get from Buenos Aires Ezeiza (EZE) to Buenos Aires?
No. Manuel Tienda León shuttle bus accepts contactless. Most taxis accept cards. Uber and other apps are card-only.
Can I order Argentine Peso before flying?
Yes. CEI Currency Exchange ships physical Argentine Peso to your US address in 2-5 days at rates well below airport counters. Order 50-100 Argentine Peso for taxis and tips on day one.
Should I exchange money or use an ATM at Ezeiza?
Exchange a small amount at the Banco de la Nación counter if you want pesos in hand; skip the airport ATMs for anything large. Here is the 2026 logic: since Argentina lifted its currency controls in April 2025, the official rate the Banco Nación counter uses is now within roughly 0-3 percent of the blue/street rate, so changing enough USD there for your ride into the city is reasonable (it used to be a terrible rate; that changed). The airport ATMs, by contrast, still impose very low per-transaction caps and a high fixed fee (~$5-11), so they are the most expensive peso source. The cleanest play is often to skip airport cash entirely and pay your transfer by card, because a no-foreign-fee card now gets essentially the market rate. Whatever you do, decline DCC and choose pesos.
Is the blue dollar still better at the airport?
No, and this is the headline change. For years the airport's Banco Nación counter used the official rate, which was far worse than the parallel 'blue dollar' rate, so the advice was to bring USD and change it in the city. After the cepo currency controls were lifted in April 2025, the official, blue, and MEP rates converged to within roughly 0-3 percent as of 2026, so the airport counter is now competitive. There is no longer a meaningful blue-dollar premium to chase. Bring some crisp USD as a backup for the small remaining edge and for cash-only situations, but a no-foreign-fee card now gets essentially the same rate, so you do not need to optimize the airport exchange the way travelers did through 2024.
Is there a Bank of America Global ATM Alliance partner at EZE or in Argentina?
No. Argentina has no Bank of America Global ATM Alliance partner, so a BoA debit card at any Argentine ATM (including the EZE machines) pays BoA's 3 percent non-network surcharge on top of the local ATM's high fixed fee. Combined with the very low per-transaction caps, that makes Argentine ATMs an expensive way to get pesos. The cleanest setup for Argentina in 2026 is a Charles Schwab Investor Checking card (zero FX fee, refunds operator fees) or a Wise card (zero FX markup) used for card payments, which now get essentially the market rate since the PAIS tax was removed, plus some crisp USD cash as a backup. Lean on the card; treat ATMs as a last resort.
How do I get from Ezeiza to central Buenos Aires?
Three main options. The Manuel Tienda León shuttle bus runs from EZE to its terminal near Retiro in about 45-60 minutes, with a counter where you can pay by card, the comfortable mid-price choice. An official remís or taxi prepaid at the in-terminal booth (Taxi Ezeiza, Tienda León Remís) runs roughly the equivalent of $30-60 and lets you pay USD, card, or pesos, the safest door-to-door option. Uber, Cabify, and DiDi are cheaper and charge your card in-app, but they operate in a legal grey area at the airport with no fixed pickup point, so you coordinate the meeting spot in-app. Avoid unofficial 'taxi' touts inside the terminal. To Palermo or Recoleta is a similar 45-60 minutes depending on traffic.
Do I need cash to leave Ezeiza?
Not strictly. The Manuel Tienda León bus takes cards at its counter, the prepaid official remís booth takes card or USD, and Uber and Cabify charge your card in-app, so you can reach the city without pesos. But a small amount of pesos (or a few USD bills) is handy for a tip or an incidental, so changing a little at the Banco Nación counter on arrival is reasonable now that its rate is competitive. The bigger point for 2026: because a no-foreign-fee card gets essentially the market rate in the city, you do not need to load up on cash at the airport the way travelers did before the 2025 convergence.
Can I order Argentine pesos before flying?
It is not worth it, and this has not changed. Argentine pesos lose value to inflation in real time, and pre-ordering through a US service or your home bank locks in a rate at or below the official rate, so you would be paying to hold a depreciating currency. CEI Currency Exchange and US banks can technically supply ARS, but the better plan is to arrive with crisp, new US$100 and $50 bills (for the small cash edge and for ferias and tips) plus a no-foreign-fee card for most spending, and change or withdraw modest amounts of pesos in-country as you go. Spend pesos reasonably quickly rather than hoarding them.
What about Aeroparque (AEP) instead of Ezeiza?
Aeroparque Jorge Newbery (AEP) is the close-in airport in Palermo on the river, handling mostly domestic and regional flights, and it is only 15-30 minutes from central Buenos Aires. If you arrive on an internal Argentine flight (from Mendoza, Bariloche, Iguazú, or a regional country), you will likely use AEP, which has bank ATMs and exchange but, being inside the city, makes the airport-money question almost moot, just head into town and pay by card or change at a city casa de cambio. The same 2026 rules apply: rates have converged, cards get the market rate, decline DCC, and avoid the ATMs for large amounts.