This post is also available in: 
Español
Last updated: 20 October 2026 | By the GTSA editorial team |
Yes, foreigners can buy farmland in Argentina, but with limits. On 9 October 2026, the Supreme Court suspended the decree that repealed the Rural Land Law (Ley 26.737), so its rules apply again: a 15% cap on foreign-owned rural land, 1,000 ha of core-zone equivalent per buyer, and restrictions on land with large water bodies or in border zones.
Status at 20 October 2026
- Ley 26.737 is IN FORCE under an interim Supreme Court injunction (the Árbol de Pie case).
- The repeal in Decree 70/2023 (DNU 70/2023), article 154, is suspended.
- Next in the courts: the Federal Court in Bariloche must decide whether the claimants have standing.
- Next in Congress: an opposition session to reject the decree failed for lack of quorum on 15 October. A government session on a property-rights bill that would restore Ley 26.737 is called for 21 October.
If you are weighing an estancia, vineyard or cattle farm and want to know whether foreigners can buy farmland in Argentina, this guide sets out where the rules stand today, how they got here, and what they mean for a purchase. It is general information, not legal advice. Always have a property checked by an Argentine lawyer before you commit.
Timeline: How We Got Here
Argentina’s rules on foreign ownership of rural land have changed several times since late 2023. These are the key dates.
- December 2011: Congress passes the Rural Land Law, Ley 26.737, which sets limits on foreign ownership of rural land.
- December 2023: President Milei’s emergency decree, DNU 70/2023, repeals the law through article 154.
- Early 2024: A federal court grants an injunction to CECIM La Plata, a Malvinas veterans’ association, and the law stays in force. The Buenos Aires Times dates this to March 2024.
- March 2024: The Senate votes to reject DNU 70/2023, but the Chamber of Deputies never votes on it. Both chambers must reject a decree for it to fall, so the decree stays in force (Perfil).
- 29 September 2026: The Supreme Court throws out the CECIM case because the association lacked standing. It does not rule on whether the repeal is constitutional, and for a short time the repeal takes effect (Infobae).
- 9 October 2026: In a second case brought by the environmental group Árbol de Pie, two indigenous communities and former Río Negro legislator María Magdalena Odarda, the Supreme Court suspends article 154. The majority was Justices Rosatti and Lorenzetti with ad hoc justices Pérez Curci and Barroetaveña, and Justice Rosenkrantz dissented (GTSA News). The suspension lasts until the lower court rules on standing (Infobae).
- 15 October 2026: The opposition calls a special session to reject DNU 70/2023. It falls eight deputies short of the 129 needed for quorum (El Cronista).
- 21 October 2026 (scheduled): The government has called its own session. Its Inviolability of Private Property bill now includes articles that would cancel article 154 and fully restore Ley 26.737 (El Cronista).
The government’s own National Rural Land Registry now states that the law’s restrictions on foreign buyers are in force.
The Limits in Plain Words
These are the main rules in Ley 26.737 that apply again. Each row links to the official text of the law.
| Rule | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 15% overall cap | Foreigners together may hold no more than 15% of rural land, counted nationally, in each province and in each municipality or department. | Art. 8 |
| 30% per nationality | Buyers of any one nationality may hold no more than 30% of that 15%. | Art. 9 |
| 1,000 ha per buyer | One foreign owner may hold up to 1,000 ha in the “zona núcleo” (the core Pampas farming zone), or an equivalent area elsewhere set by the Interministerial Council for Rural Land. | Art. 10 |
| Water bodies | Foreigners may not own land that contains or borders large, permanent bodies of water. | Art. 10 |
| Border security zones | Land in border security zones is restricted, subject to the separate border-zone approval process. | Art. 10 |
| Registry certificate | Every transfer of rural land to a foreigner needs a certificate from the National Rural Land Registry. Acts that break the law are void. | Arts. 7 and 14 |
National, Provincial and Municipal Cap
The 15% cap applies at three levels at once. A farm can be legal to buy in one department and blocked in the next if that department has already reached its foreign quota. The quota of the department where the land sits is the first thing to check.
Single-Nationality Cap
No single nationality may hold more than 30% of the foreign share. In practice, that is 4.5% of rural land in any given area. This can matter in districts where buyers from one country are already active.
Per-Buyer Hectare Cap
The 1,000 ha limit applies in the zona núcleo, the most productive farmland in the Pampas. In other regions, the Interministerial Council for Rural Land sets an “equivalent” area based on location and land quality, and it is usually larger. Ask your lawyer for the official equivalent for the specific department; do not rely on rules of thumb.
Water Bodies
Article 10 bars foreign ownership of land that contains or borders large, permanent bodies of water. Rivers, lakes and lagoons are common in Patagonia and the Andes
Latin American Real Estate News Options
Founded in 2004, GTSA began as a single office in Buenos Aires. Since then, it has grown into a vibrant regional network, providing professional real estate marketing services to clients in AR, BR, CL, PY, PE, and UY.
