What You Need to Know When You’re Moving to Cordoba

Relocating to Cordoba

About the City

Situated in the geographical center of Argentina, Cordoba can be found in the diverse landscape of the foothills of the Sierras Chicas mountain range on the banks of the Suguia River. Cordoba is located 700 km north west of the country’s thriving capital city, Buenos Aires, and is itself the capital of the Cordoba Province. With an area of 576 km2 and an elevation of 1,784 km, Cordoba is the second largest and highest city in the entire country.

Spanish is the city’s official and most commonly spoken language. A basic understanding of Spanish is essential to get by in communications and services when living in Cordoba. Of the city’s about 1,350,000 residents, the overwhelming majority are of Italian descent. There is also a sizeable community of Italian expatriates, closely followed by Spanish foreign nationals.

The Climate in Cordoba

This centralized city experiences a humid subtropical climate. Due to the fact that Cordoba’s day time temperatures are warmer and its night time temperatures are cooler than the rest of Argentina, many of the country’s residents flock to the city during the hot, sluggish summer months.

There are four distinctive seasons in Cordoba. Between the months of November and early March, the city has a summer season that brings all day long bright sunshine, heat waves, tropical thunderstorms and average temperatures of 30°C (86°F). The winter season takes place from late May until September. During this time, the weather is significantly cooler than the rest of the year, with highs of 18°C (64.4°F) and lows of 4°C (39.2°F). There is a phenomenon known as ‘veranito’ (or little summer) which takes place in the winter, when strong north eastern winds from the Sierra Chicas mountains bring in short spells of hot, dry and dusty weather. In the two or three days of veranito, the winter temperatures reach around 32°C (89.6°F).

The wealthier suburbs of Cordoba are built at higher altitudes to the rest of the city. Due to this, the temperatures are moderated by the cool Pampas winds that blow in from Antarctica, allowing cooler and more comfortable days and nights during heat waves and hot, excessively humid spells.

Visas for Argentina

Anyone moving to Cordoba must be in possession of the correct type of Argentinian residency visa. Foreigners may apply for a permanent residence visa if they have a spouse, child or sibling living in the country. Alternatively, foreign nationals should obtain a non-permanent visa, which can be extended into a permanent stay after an allocated period of time living or working in the country.

In order to be granted a visa, foreign citizens must provide the Argentinian embassy with certain documents. This includes an official medically certified ‘fit for travel’ certificate, a clean criminal record, and birth and marriage certificates. Temporary residence visas are usually issued for a period of time up to one year, after which they can be extended. Your nearest embassy will be able to provide helpful advice and information pertaining to individual circumstances.