Argentina Citizenship by Investment: The USD 350,000 Program Explained

Argentina citizenship by investment is new: as of October 2026, when this article was written, South America's first such program offers the main applicant a route to Argentine citizenship, with no requirement to live in the country, in exchange for a non-refundable USD 350,000 contribution to the National Treasury or a USD 800,000 government bond. The short answer is this: the program was officially announced on 2 October 2026 and applications are targeted to open in the last quarter of 2026, but because the decree behind it has been challenged in court, the right move today is preparation, not payment.

This article brings together the official figures, family costs, the application process, the legal risks and the tax angle in one place. As an independent investment and immigration consultancy, we have handled the files of more than 2,000 citizenship and residence clients since 2018, and we know what tends to be misunderstood in the first months of a new program. We keep the key facts and current status updated on our Argentina citizenship by investment page.

What is Argentina's citizenship by investment program?

The program is an official framework that lets foreigners become Argentine citizens by making a set contribution to the Argentine economy, without the 2-year residence period that ordinary naturalisation requires. Economy Minister Luis Caputo and Chief of Cabinet Diego Santilli presented it at Argentina Week in Paris on 2 October 2026. According to the government's official announcement, the program will start accepting applications in the fourth quarter of 2026.

The legal framework rests on two texts. Decree of Necessity and Urgency (DNU) 366/2025, published on 29 May 2025, added Article 2 bis to Citizenship Law 346, allowing foreigners who make a significant investment to apply for citizenship regardless of how long they have lived in Argentina. Decree 524/2025 of 31 July 2025 then set the procedure: applications are reviewed by the Agencia de Programas de Ciudadanía por Inversión (Agency for Citizenship by Investment Programs) under the Ministry of Economy, and the final decision rests with the Dirección Nacional de Migraciones (National Directorate of Migration).

How much does Argentine citizenship by investment cost?

The main applicant chooses one of two routes: a non-refundable USD 350,000 contribution to the National Treasury, or a USD 800,000 subscription to a government bond created specifically for the program. Family members pay separate, lower contributions. The government's published schedule is as follows:

Applicant	Amount	Note
Main applicant, Treasury contribution	USD 350,000	Non-refundable
Main applicant, government bond	USD 800,000	Maturity and coupon not yet officially published
Spouse	USD 100,000	Treasury contribution
Child aged 18 to 25, unmarried and without children	USD 100,000	Treasury contribution
Child under 18	USD 25,000	Treasury contribution
Family of four (applicant, spouse, 2 minor children)	USD 500,000	Total on the contribution route

These figures exclude application, due diligence, translation, apostille and legal fees; government fees will be set out in the implementing rules, which will also confirm what family members pay on the bond route. For comparison, as of 2026 the single-applicant entry point for Caribbean programs sits between roughly USD 200,000 and USD 250,000, while Turkish citizenship by investment requires real estate worth at least USD 400,000.

Treasury contribution or government bond?

For most investors, the contribution route looks like the better choice. The USD 350,000 contribution is not recoverable, but it is clean: you pay it and the process moves on. With the USD 800,000 bond, the principal is expected to be repaid at maturity; however, the official announcement does not give the maturity or the coupon, and press reports describe a 7-year, zero-interest bond.

If those terms are confirmed, the bond's real cost is the return you give up. Assuming you could otherwise earn 5 percent a year, USD 800,000 tied up for 7 years means about USD 325,000 of forgone return, almost the same as the contribution itself. Your capital is also exposed to Argentine sovereign risk for the whole period, in a country that has restructured its debt several times. The bond makes sense for investors with ample liquidity who put getting their capital back first and can knowingly carry that risk.

The application process, step by step

The official application channel is not open yet, but Decree 524/2025 and the government's statements set out the main stages:

1. Initial assessment: eligibility, the family members to include, the choice between contribution and bond, and the tax implications are reviewed together.
2. File preparation: passports, birth and marriage certificates, police records and a financial history showing the source of wealth are gathered; documents are apostilled and translated into Spanish by a sworn translator.
3. Application to the Agency: the file is submitted to the Agency under the Ministry of Economy, which checks whether the investment meets the program's terms.
4. Security and due diligence: SIDE (State Intelligence Secretariat), UIF (Financial Intelligence Unit) and the Ministries of Security and Interior run identity, source-of-funds, financial, criminal, reputational and immigration-history checks.
5. Decision: on the Agency's recommendation, the Dirección Nacional de Migraciones approves or rejects the application.
6. ID and passport: after approval, the Argentine national ID card (DNI) and passport are issued.

The overall processing time has not been published yet, and the implementing rules will also confirm at which stage the contribution or bond subscription is paid. The government has said funds may only move through the formal financial system and that due diligence will follow OECD and FATF (Financial Action Task Force) recommendations.

Who can apply and what documents are needed?

The program is open to foreign investors with a clean record and lawful wealth they can document. What matters most is not the amount but the story behind it: sources such as a business sale, dividends, salary, inheritance or a property sale need to be evidenced with bank records, tax returns and contracts. The government has listed the checks as identity, source of funds, financial standing, jurisdictional risk, criminal history, reputation and immigration history. Applicants on sanctions lists, or with unexplained links to high-risk jurisdictions, should expect to be refused. The detailed document list and any nationality restrictions will be published with the implementing rules.

Legal risks: the court rulings and the Supreme Court

The program's biggest uncertainty is its legal footing. Decree 366/2025 is a Decree of Necessity and Urgency issued without passing through Congress, and its citizenship provisions have been held unconstitutional by more than one court: the Federal Court of Paraná in August 2025, Chamber III of the Federal Civil and Commercial Court of Appeals on 18 June 2026, and the National Electoral Chamber on 30 June 2026. The National Electoral Chamber stressed that citizenship is directly tied to political rights such as voting, and that Article 99 of the Constitution bars the executive from legislating in that area by decree.

The government says the rulings are not final and has appealed to the Supreme Court; at the time of writing, the Supreme Court has not ruled. The rulings arose from individual ordinary naturalisation cases and did not address investment applications directly. Meanwhile, opposition deputies have filed bills in Congress to repeal the relevant articles. In practice, an adverse Supreme Court ruling or action by Congress could halt the program or force it to be re-enacted by statute. That is why we recommend making no payment before the official channel opens, and making any advisory contract conditional on it.

Tax and dual citizenship

Argentina's Income Tax Law generally treats Argentine nationals as tax residents, and residents are taxed on their worldwide income. That rule could have been a serious deterrent for investors; however, according to law-firm analyses, Law 27,802, published on 6 March 2026, provides that acquiring citizenship because of a significant investment does not by itself create tax residence. Moving to Argentina or spending long periods there can still trigger residence, and how the dual-residence rules will interact with the new regime is not yet settled.

Argentina does not require naturalised citizens to give up their previous nationality. Whether you can keep both depends on your home country as well: some countries allow dual citizenship freely, some require notification or permission, and some do not allow it at all. Our dual citizenship guide covers the main rules.

What does an Argentine passport offer?

The Argentine passport ranks 16th in the Henley Passport Index 2026, with visa-free or facilitated access to about 169 destinations, including the Schengen Area, the UK and Japan. Under the Mercosur Residence Agreement, it also makes residence permits easier to obtain in regional countries such as Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay and Chile, a concrete advantage for families planning to live or do business in Latin America. We explain what passport strength really means in our visa-free travel and passport power guide.

If you genuinely plan to live in Argentina, the investment program is not the only option: the country applies one of the world's shortest residence periods for ordinary naturalisation, 2 years. However, Decree 366/2025 also changed that route, and the court rulings cover those changes too, so practice currently varies. You will find the rentista and investor residence options on our Argentina residence permit page.

What should you do before applications open?

The waiting period does not have to be wasted; good preparation puts you among the first applicants when the channel opens:

• Start building your source-of-wealth file now; it is the slowest part of any application.
• Plan the apostille and translation time for police records and birth and marriage certificates.
• Find out in advance what compliance documents the bank you plan to transfer funds from will require.
• Do not pay intermediaries promising pre-reservations or guaranteed slots before the official channel opens.
• Follow the Supreme Court ruling and the implementing rules, and keep other citizenship by investment programs in view as a plan B.

We are following the program closely. To work out the right route and timing for your family, get in touch with us.

Frequently Asked Questions

When do Argentina citizenship by investment applications open?

The government is targeting the last quarter of 2026. The exact date will be known once the implementing rules and the official application channel are published, and the Supreme Court process could also affect the timetable.

Is USD 350,000 enough for Argentine citizenship?

For a single applicant, the USD 350,000 Treasury contribution is the program's minimum amount. Application, due diligence and legal fees will be added on top; those fees have not been published yet.

Is Argentina's USD 800,000 citizenship bond repaid?

The bond is expected to repay its principal at maturity. However, the terms reported in the press, a 7-year term with no interest, have not yet been officially published, and the capital carries Argentine sovereign risk throughout.

Do I need to live in Argentina to get citizenship by investment?

No. The investment route under Article 2 bis of Law 346 has no minimum residence period. Ordinary naturalisation, by contrast, requires 2 years of residence in the country.

Can I add my family to an Argentina citizenship by investment application?

Yes. A spouse and unmarried children aged 18 to 25 without children contribute USD 100,000 each, and children under 18 contribute USD 25,000 each. A family of the main applicant, a spouse and two minor children pays USD 500,000 in total on the contribution route.

Have the court rulings cancelled Argentina's program?

No, but they are a serious risk. The rulings were issued in individual ordinary naturalisation cases and the government has appealed to the Supreme Court, whose final decision will shape the program's future.

Disclaimer: This article is for general information only and does not constitute legal, tax, immigration or investment advice. Programs and amounts can change; confirm current details and your personal eligibility with a qualified advisor before taking any action.