Argentina launches a citizenship-by-investment program

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“The Argentine passport is trading well.” Argentina’s government has announced its Citizenship by Investment Program. It will open for applications at the end of this year. Economy Minister Luis Caputo and Cabinet Chief Diego Santilli announced it at the Argentine embassy in Paris during Argentina Week.

Caputo said: “There is a world in conflict and Argentina is outside those central problems.” He said President Javier Milei represents Argentina as the “freest country in the world”. He also said he has met many investors interested in becoming Argentine citizens. “The Argentine passport trades very well,” he said, adding that it is accepted in about 140 countries.

Caputo said the idea arose two years ago on a Milei trip to Sun Valley. There, the delegation met tech-industry leaders who asked about Argentine citizenship. The government presents the program as part of its “process of opening and international integration”, alongside reforms to strengthen the investment climate and attract capital. Santilli listed “certainty, confidence, investment and citizenship”. He called it “the Argentina that opens its arms”.

Two routes to citizenship

• A direct, non-refundable contribution of US$350,000 to the National Treasury.
• Subscribing to a purpose-built government bond worth US$800,000.

Family members

• Spouses and unmarried children aged 18–25 who have no children of their own can apply with a US$100,000 contribution each.
• Children under 18 require US$25,000 each.
• A principal applicant, spouse and two minor children would pay US$500,000 in total.

Vetting

• Applications will be assessed to protect national security, the integrity of the financial system and the international prestige of Argentine citizenship.
• The program will use due diligence, financial transparency and risk-management standards aligned with OECD and FATF recommendations. The government says international investment-migration firms advised it.
• All funds must go through the formal financial system and comply with anti-money-laundering and counter-terrorism-financing rules.
• Proceeds will go to “continue strengthening Argentina’s fiscal and financial position”.
• The Investment Citizenship Programs Agency will evaluate applications, with input from the intelligence service (SIDE), the financial intelligence unit (UIF), and the Security and Interior ministries.
• Checks cover identity, source and traceability of funds, financial standing, jurisdictional risk, criminal and reputational records, and migration history.
• The agency then recommends a decision to the National Directorate of Migration, which approves or rejects each application.

How the rules have changed

Before 2025: residency and the courts. Under Law 346 (1869), the standard route was naturalisation after two years of continuous legal residence, for applicants over 18. Applicants filed in federal court, often with a lawyer, and waits could run for years. Marriage to an Argentine native or having a native-born child reduced the residency requirement.

May 2025: DNU 366/2025. This decree made two changes:

• It moved citizenship processing from the federal courts to the National Directorate of Migration, as a digital administrative procedure. Cases filed up to 27 May 2025 stay in court.
• It added a new ground for naturalisation: foreigners who make a “relevant investment” qualify regardless of how long they have lived in Argentina.

July 2025: Decree 524/2025. Published on 31 July 2025, it set up the administrative procedure for the investor route. It did not fix an amount. The Economy Ministry was delegated to set that, and as of March 2026, it had not published a figure. The 2 October announcement supplies the missing numbers: US$350,000, US$800,000 and the family tiers.

What hasn’t changed. Ordinary naturalisation still requires two years of continuous legal residence, and applicants must be physically in Argentina. Descent and marriage routes are unaffected.

Legal risk. One industry source says two federal courts declared DNU 366/2025 invalid in June 2026, and the government’s appeal is before the Supreme Court. It says Decree 524/2025 remains formally in force. I found this in only one source, a promotional site, so verify it before publishing. The La Nación article doesn’t mention it. If the ruling is accurate, it is a material caveat for investors.

Residency under the new program. Industry commentary says the investor route needs no prior residence. One source says continuous physical presence is required during the application period. The sources conflict, and the official rules haven’t been published, so treat this point as unconfirmed.

Disclaimer: This is not legal advice.

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