Argentina Joins Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Uruguay, and Bolivia for Unbelievable New Year Deals: What You Need to Know

As New Year’s Eve 2025 approaches, South America’s tourism authorities and governments are promoting travel with a variety of incentives. Many of these programmes are long‑standing tax‑exemption schemes designed to encourage international arrivals and support domestic tourism during the holiday season. Although some countries do not offer specific New Year deals, they maintain benefits that will reduce costs for travellers over the 31 December holiday. The key offers available for New Year’s Eve 2025 are summarised below.

Argentina

Argentina’s government promotes tourism by reducing taxes for foreign visitors. One of the most generous incentives is the automatic refund of value‑added tax (VAT) on accommodation. Foreign tourists who pay for hotels, inns, guesthouses, apart‑hotels or campsites with a non‑Argentine debit or credit card receive a direct refund of the 21% VAT that is normally included in accommodation prices[1]. The discount also applies to breakfast when it is included in the lodging rate. Travellers do not need to fill out any forms; they simply present a passport or foreign identity document at check‑in and pay with a foreign card. This incentive remains in effect through New Year’s Eve 2025 and applies throughout Argentina. International visitors may also obtain tax‑free shopping rebates for national products purchased in the country. The national tourism board notes that travellers can request a refund of VAT on goods they intend to take home by presenting receipts at authorised departure points[2]. Together, these measures reduce overall travel costs at the end of 2025 and are part of Argentina’s strategy to remain competitive.

Uruguay

Uruguay offers several travel benefits for the year‑end holiday. Two programmes apply specifically to non‑resident tourists. First, foreign visitors are exempt from paying VAT on hotel and lodging services when they pay with a foreign debit or credit card; the exemption extends to breakfast if it is part of the room rate[3]. Second, there is a full VAT refund on gastronomic services, catering and car rentals when payment is made with foreign cards. A nine‑percentage‑point reduction in VAT is also available for short‑term real‑estate rentals during the summer season[3]. These benefits apply until April302026, meaning they will be active on 31December2025. Local residents also receive incentives: during the summer period the government grants a nine‑percentage‑point VAT reduction on restaurants, catering, car leasing and real‑estate rentals; travellers living in Uruguay also receive fuel discounts of roughly one third off the price of petrol at stations near border crossings[4][5]. Uruguay’s mix of tax reductions and fuel subsidies is designed to encourage both domestic and international tourism during the high season.

Brazil

Brazil’s national government introduced a social travel programme called VoaBrasil to make air travel more accessible. Under this programme, individuals who have not flown on a commercial flight in the past twelve months can purchase up to four round‑trip tickets per year for 200Brazilian reals each (about US$40)[6]. The tickets apply to domestic routes, and travellers can choose from unsold seats that airlines release shortly before departure. Initially, the programme focused on pensioners and public‑sector employees; it has since been expanded to low‑income groups and is expected to continue into 2025. Passengers must register with their personal tax identification number on the VoaBrasil platform to purchase tickets. Although the programme is not tied specifically to New Year’s Eve, the fixed‑fare tickets give Brazilian residents a way to travel affordably for holiday celebrations.

Chile

Chile grants a longstanding VAT exemption on accommodation for foreign tourists. The country’s tax authority, the ServiciodeImpuestosInternos (SII), states that tourism is generally subject to the same taxation as any other economic activity, but an important exception exists: hotels registered with the SII do not have to collect VAT on income received in foreign currency from non‑resident tourists[7]. To qualify, hotels must be registered and provide bona fide lodging services, and they must charge guests in U.S. dollars or another foreign currency[8]. The exemption is codified in Article12letterENo.17 of Chile’s VAT law and was reaffirmed in SII’s updated guidance of June2025[8]. As a result, travellers visiting Chile over New Year’s Eve 2025 will avoid paying the 19% VAT on lodging if they pay in foreign currency and present a passport or other proof of non‑residence. Chile is also considering reforms—a bill introduced in 2024 proposes a 1.25% tourism tax on foreign guests—but this has not yet come into force and the existing VAT exemption remains valid for December2025.

Colombia

Colombia classifies tourism services used by foreign visitors as exports and exempts them from VAT. The country’s tax authority, DIAN, issued Concept3522 in April2025 explaining that Article481 of the Tax Statute grants a 0% VAT rate for hotel and tourism services provided to residents abroad[9]. Hotels must invoice these services at zero VAT, and the exemption applies whether the hotel contract is paid directly by the foreign guest or through a travel agency. To receive the benefit, visitors must prove their non‑resident status by presenting a passport or Andean/Mercosur identity card with an entry stamp; DIAN specifies that entry permits such as PIP‑3, PIP‑5, PIP‑6 or PIP‑10 are acceptable[9]. Travellers who meet these conditions will not pay VAT on lodging during New Year’s Eve 2025. In addition, Colombia’s Law2068 (2020) temporarily reduced VAT on domestic air tickets to 5% and suspended the consumption tax on hospitality services, but those provisions expired before 2025; the main benefit today is the 0% VAT on tourist services.

Peru

Peru’s General Sales Tax (IGV) law treats lodging services provided to non‑resident tourists as exports. Article33 of the Unified Text of the IGV Law states that lodging services (including meals) provided to non‑domiciled guests, either individually or through a package, are considered exports and are exempt from the tax[10]. The exemption applies for stays of up to 60days per entry into the country, and hotels must verify the guest’s non‑resident status using the Andean Migration Card and a passport or equivalent document[10]. This rule has been in force since 2011 and remains valid in 2025. Therefore, foreign tourists staying in Peruvian hotels over New Year’s Eve will not pay the 18% IGV on lodging, provided they show the required documents and the hotel bills the service as an export.

Bolivia

Bolivia’s tourism legislation provides a similar benefit. The Ley de Promoción y Desarrollo de la Actividad Turística (Law2074 of 2000) classifies certain tourism transactions as exports for VAT purposes. Article24 states that the sale of tourism services by national receptive operators and lodging services provided by hotels to tourists without domicile or residence in Bolivia are considered export services[11]. Because exports are zero‑rated, hotels do not charge VAT on lodging for foreign tourists. This legal classification has not been repealed and therefore applies for New Year’s Eve 2025. Foreign guests must meet the residency criteria, but there is no time limit on the stay specified in the law. The rule reduces accommodation costs and encourages inbound tourism to Bolivian destinations such as LaPaz, SantaCruz and Uyuni.

Ecuador

Ecuador encourages tourism by applying a 0% VAT rate to hotel services provided to foreign tourists. Tax authorities allow lodging establishments to charge zero VAT to non‑resident guests and to claim input tax credits for VAT paid on supplies[12]. While not as widely advertised as Uruguay’s incentives, this measure lowers accommodation costs for visitors during the peak holiday season. Ecuador also operates a VAT refund programme for purchases of national goods—tourists may apply for reimbursement of VAT paid on eligible products when leaving the country, although the details of the refund process vary by product category and invoice amount.

Smaller countries and territories

Several South American states have not published specific year‑end travel incentives for 2025. Guyana and Suriname rely on general tourism policies rather than special New Year discounts. Paraguay has implemented a Régimen de Turismo de Compras that exempts VAT on goods purchased by tourists under certain conditions, but the scheme focuses on shopping rather than lodging and has limited impact on travel costs during the holiday period. In Venezuela, some coastal states such as NuevaEsparta and the Paraguaná Peninsula operate free‑port regimes that waive VAT and customs duties on imported goods; however, these zones offer tax‑free shopping rather than direct travel discounts and are not targeted at New Year’s Eve visitors. Travellers to these countries should therefore expect to pay standard rates for accommodation and services.

Practical considerations for travellers

1. Documentation and payment methods – Most tax exemptions require proof of non‑residency and payment in foreign currency or with a foreign card. Travellers should carry their passport or national ID, entry stamp and, where relevant, the Andean Migration Card. Paying with a local card or in local currency may forfeit the benefit.
2. Time limits – Some schemes apply only for a limited time. Peru’s IGV exemption covers stays of up to 60 days per visit[10], while Uruguay’s tax‑free benefits for non‑residents are scheduled to expire on April 30 2026[3].
3. Scope of services – VAT exemptions generally cover lodging and sometimes meals when included in the room rate. Additional services such as spa treatments or excursions may not qualify. In Uruguay, the discount extends to catering and car rentals[3], whereas in Chile it applies solely to lodging[8].
4. Domestic travellers – Residents may also benefit from promotions. Uruguay offers reduced VAT on dining and lodging for residents and fuel discounts near border areas[4]. Brazil’s Voa Brasil tickets are intended for residents who have not flown for at least a year[6].
5. Upcoming changes – Legislative proposals in Chile and other countries could alter tax rules after 2025. Travellers should verify current regulations before booking.

Conclusion

South America’s New Year’s Eve 2025 travel landscape is shaped by longstanding tax incentives rather than one‑off holiday promotions. Argentina and Uruguay offer generous VAT refunds on accommodation and services, Colombia and Peru treat lodging for foreign tourists as an export subject to 0% VAT, and Bolivia and Ecuador provide similar exemptions. Chile’s VAT‑free lodging rules remain in force, while Brazil’s VoaBrasil programme makes domestic flights more affordable for eligible residents. Travellers who understand these programmes and comply with documentation and payment requirements can significantly reduce their costs during the December31 holiday.

References

1. Uruguay tourism benefits page for non‑resident visitors[3].
2. Uruguay tourism benefits page for resident travellers[4][5].
3. Buenos Aires official tourism site explaining automatic VAT reimbursement on accommodation[1].
4. Argentina’s national tourism board article detailing VAT discount and tax‑free shopping[2].
5. DIAN Concept 3522 (2025) on 0 % VAT for tourism services used by residents abroad[9].
6. Chilean SII FAQ on tourism taxation – exención del IVA for foreign tourists[7].
7. Chilean SII FAQ on hotel requirements for the VAT exemption[8].
8. Peruvian IGV law – Article 33 (services de hospedaje for non‑residents)[10].
9. Bolivia’s Law 2074 – Article 24 (tourism services and lodging considered exports)[11].
10. Brazil’s Voa Brasil programme description[6].
11. Ecuador tax law summarising 0 % VAT on accommodation for foreign tourists[12].

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