Argentina Citizenship by Investment

What Argentine citizenship by investment grants and who it suits

Argentina Citizenship by Investment (CBI) is a government program that would grant Argentine nationality to a foreign investor, without any prior period of residence, in exchange for a qualifying contribution to the state. The Ministry of Economy announced the terms on 2 October 2026: a non-refundable contribution of US$350,000 to the National Treasury, or a US$800,000 subscription to a government bond created for the program. Spouses and eligible children can be added for a further contribution.

Status first: the program is announced, not open. As of 12 October 2026, no application portal exists, the implementing rules and government fees have not been published, and no one has been granted citizenship under this route. The government says applications should open during the fourth quarter of 2026. Two federal appeal courts have also ruled against the decree that created the route (see the legal-status section below). Read this page as a preparation guide, not as an offer you can act on today.

Key facts at a glance (12 October 2026)

• What it grants: Argentine citizenship and, after it, an Argentine passport and national identity card (DNI).
• Main applicant: US$350,000 non-refundable Treasury contribution, or US$800,000 in a dedicated government bond.
• Family add-ons: US$100,000 each for a spouse and for single children aged 18 to 25; US$25,000 for each child under 18. The government's own example puts a family of four at US$500,000 on the contribution route.
• Prior residence: not required under article 2, paragraph 2 of the Citizenship Law (Law 346), as rewritten by Decree of Necessity and Urgency (DNU) 366/2025.
• Who decides: the Citizenship by Investment Programs Agency (Agencia de Programas de Ciudadanía por Inversión, APCI) reviews the file; the National Migration Directorate (Dirección Nacional de Migraciones, DNM) grants or refuses citizenship.
• Decision deadline: the DNM has 30 business days to issue a reasoned decision once it receives the Agency's recommendation (Decree 524/2025). Total end-to-end time is not yet known.
• Fees, forms, portal: not yet published.
• Passport strength: Argentina ranks 16th in the 2026 passport rankings, with visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 169 destinations.
• Dual citizenship: Argentine law does not ask you to give up your existing nationality. Check whether your current country allows it.

Who this program is likely to suit

• Families wanting a Plan B in the Americas: one decision could cover a spouse and children up to 25, with a lower add-on price for minors.
• Investors who cannot relocate for years: the ordinary route requires two years of continuous residence without leaving the country; this route removes the residence step.
• Travellers on weaker passports: Argentine citizens travel visa-free to the Schengen Area, Japan and most of Latin America.
• Buyers comfortable with first-mover risk: new programs often change their rules in the first months. If you need certainty today, an operating program may fit better.

It is a poor fit if you need a passport within a fixed deadline, cannot accept the risk that the route is suspended by the courts or Congress, or want visa-free entry to the United States or Canada (Argentine citizens currently need a visa for both).

Qualifying donation and bond investment routes

The announcement sets out two routes for the main applicant. Both are denominated in US dollars, so the amounts below are the official figures, not conversions. Funds must arrive through the formal financial system and pass anti-money-laundering checks.

Route 1: non-refundable contribution to the National Treasury

You pay US$350,000 to the National Treasury. The money is a contribution, not an investment: it is not returned, earns nothing, and cannot be sold. This is the lowest-cost route on paper and the one the government used in its family pricing example.

Route 2: dedicated government bond

You subscribe US$800,000 to a government bond created specifically for the program. The official release does not yet state the bond's maturity, coupon, transferability, or whether principal is repaid in full. Press reports at launch described a seven-year holding period, but this has not been confirmed in an official text. Until the bond terms are published, treat the US$800,000 as capital at sovereign credit risk: Argentina's foreign-currency debt is rated in the B category by the three main rating agencies (2026).

Family contributions

• Spouse: US$100,000.
• Children aged 18 to 25: US$100,000 each; they must be single and without children of their own.
• Children under 18: US$25,000 each.
• Parents and siblings: not mentioned in the announcement. Do not assume they are eligible.

The announcement prices family members on a contribution basis. It does not say whether the bond route uses the same add-on amounts.

All-in cost: contribution, due diligence and fees still unpublished

The headline numbers are the only confirmed costs. Government processing fees, due diligence fees, bond terms, and any per-person charges have not been published. Any quote you receive today that lists exact government fees is a guess.

What is known and what is not

• Known: US$350,000 (contribution) or US$800,000 (bond) for the main applicant; US$100,000 or US$25,000 per family member; US$500,000 for a family of four on the contribution route.
• Not known: application fee, due diligence fee, bond coupon and maturity, refund policy if an application is refused, and whether the contribution is paid before or after approval.
• Your own costs: document collection, apostilles, certified Spanish translations and independent legal advice. Budget for these separately.

Exchange-rate note: the program amounts are set in US dollars. Where this page mentions peso-denominated figures for other routes, it uses ARS 1,515.88 = US$1 (12 October 2026).

Legal status and risks as of October 2026

This is the section most other pages leave out. A buyer should understand it before paying anyone a retainer.

The legal basis

• DNU 366/2025 (May 2025): rewrote article 2 of the Citizenship Law so that a "relevant investment" qualifies for naturalisation regardless of time in the country, added article 2 bis (the Ministry of Economy defines which investments qualify) and created the Agency (article 6 bis).
• Decree 524/2025 (July 2025): set the procedure: Agency review, security reports, Agency recommendation, DNM decision within 30 business days.
• Decree 285/2026 (April 2026): appointed the Agency's executive director.
• Ministry of Economy announcement (2 October 2026): set the US$350,000 / US$800,000 amounts and the family add-ons.

Court rulings against the decree

In June 2026, two federal appeal courts ruled against DNU 366/2025. On 18 June, the Federal Civil and Commercial Appeals Chamber (Room III) declared its citizenship articles unconstitutional for the applicant in that case. On 30 June, the National Electoral Chamber went further, declaring the whole decree null and notifying federal electoral judges nationwide. Both cases concerned ordinary naturalisation, not investment, but both held that citizenship rules cannot be changed by emergency decree, and the investment route rests on the same decree. The dispute is still being litigated.

What could change

• Supreme Court: a ruling that the decree is invalid could stop the route or force it into Congress.
• Congress: bills have been filed to repeal the investment articles; Congress has neither ratified nor rejected the decree.
• Implementing rules: the Agency's resolution may add conditions (for example, visits, interviews, or investment lock-ups) not yet announced.

Practical takeaway: prepare documents now, but do not transfer funds or sign binding agreements until the official rules, fee schedule and portal are live and the legal position is clearer.

Expected process and timeline to an Argentine passport

The steps below follow Decree 524/2025 and the October 2026 announcement. The order of payment and approval will be fixed by the Agency's rules.

1. Preparation: gather identity, civil-status, police, and source-of-funds documents, apostilled and translated into Spanish.
2. Filing with the Agency: submit the application to the APCI once the portal opens (expected Q4 2026).
3. Due diligence: the Agency requests reports from the Ministry of Security, the Financial Information Unit (UIF), the National Criminal Records Registry, the National Registry of Persons (RENAPER) and the State Intelligence Secretariat (SIDE).
4. Recommendation: the Agency sends a reasoned recommendation to the DNM.
5. Decision: the DNM grants or refuses citizenship within 30 business days of receiving the file.
6. Documents: new citizens obtain a DNI and passport from RENAPER and a tax ID (CUIT) from the federal tax agency, ARCA.

Total time from filing to passport is not yet published. The only statutory figure is the DNM's 30-business-day decision window, which starts after due diligence ends.

What the Argentine passport unlocks: mobility and tax position

Travel

• Ranking: 16th in the 2026 rankings, with 169 visa-free or visa-on-arrival destinations, third in South America after Chile and Brazil.
• Europe: visa-free short stays in the Schengen Area (90 days in any 180).
• Asia: visa-free entry to Japan for short stays.
• Region: as a national of a MERCOSUR member, you can apply for residence in member and associated countries under the regional residence agreement.
• Limits: a visa is still required for the United States and, in most cases, Canada. The US and Argentina signed a statement of intent in July 2025 on Argentina rejoining the US Visa Waiver Program; it is not in force.

How Argentina taxes new citizens and residents

Citizenship alone does not make you an Argentine tax resident. Tax residence follows where you live: foreigners generally become tax residents after 12 months in the country or upon obtaining permanent residence. If you keep living abroad, Argentina taxes only your Argentine-source income.

• Income tax (Ganancias): progressive rates from 5% to 35% for residents, on worldwide income.
• Investment income: 15% on gains from shares and US-dollar securities (exemptions exist for some listed assets); 7% on dividends.
• Personal assets tax (Bienes Personales): an annual tax on worldwide assets above a high allowance, with rates being phased down through 2027.
• Inheritance: no national inheritance tax; Buenos Aires Province levies its own transfer tax.
• Transparency: Argentina exchanges financial-account data under the OECD Common Reporting Standard (CRS) since 2017.

Residence-first alternatives: two-year naturalisation

If you can live in Argentina, the ordinary route costs far less, though it takes longer and depends on the same contested decree.

• Rentista (passive income) residence: stable passive income of at least five minimum wages a month, about US$1,290 (official: ARS 1,956,000) in October 2026. The peso figure moves with the minimum wage.
• Pensionado (retiree) residence: a pension of at least five minimum wages a month, the same amount.
• Naturalisation: after two years of continuous legal residence without leaving the country, adults can apply to the DNM. There is no statutory language test.
• Trade-offs: you must actually live in Argentina for two unbroken years, and courts have reopened the judicial route for some applicants after the June 2026 rulings.

MERCOSUR nationals have an easier path again: a two-year temporary residence by nationality, then permanent residence.

How this program compares with Caribbean and Turkish CBI options

Argentina's main applicant price sits above the Caribbean donation programs and close to Turkey's property route. Its distinct selling points are the passport ranking, a large economy with a large domestic market, and family pricing that covers adult children to age 25. Its distinct weakness is that it is not yet operating.

• Argentina: from US$350,000 contribution; 169 destinations; not yet open; legal challenges pending.
• Grenada: donation route from about US$235,000; operating program.
• St Kitts and Nevis: donation from about US$250,000; one of the longest-running programs.
• Turkey: real-estate route from about US$400,000; property can be resold after the holding period.

Figures for other programs are taken from their WorldPath program pages; check each page for its own sources and dates.

Preparing now: a launch-readiness checklist

• Order police certificates from every country you have lived in recently; many expire after 3 to 6 months.
• Build a source-of-funds file that traces the US$350,000 or US$800,000 from origin to a bank in the formal financial system.
• Collect birth and marriage certificates for every family member and arrange apostilles and certified Spanish translations.
• Confirm that your current country allows dual nationality before you apply.
• Decide between the contribution and the bond only after the bond's terms are published.
• Do not wire funds to anyone before the official portal and fee schedule are live.

Summary for decision-makers

Argentina has announced a citizenship route priced at US$350,000 (contribution) or US$800,000 (bond), with family add-ons and no residence requirement. As of 12 October 2026, it is not open, fees are unpublished,d and the underlying decree faces court challenges. Prepare documents now; commit funds only after the official rules are live.