Argentina has announced South America’s first citizenship by investment programme: USD 350,000 to the Treasury, or USD 800,000 in a government bond, with no residence required. Here is what is decided, what is still pending, and what it means for you.
Editorially independent. Every figure sourced and labelled. Last checked .
$350k
Treasury contribution
Non-refundable, main applicant
$800k
Government bond
The alternative route, main applicant
169
Visa-free destinations
Henley Passport Index, October 2026
0
Years of residence required
The law asks for no prior residence
The main applicant chooses one route. Each family member adds a fixed contribution on top, whichever route you choose.
USD350,000
A one-time, non-refundable payment to the National Treasury. The simplest route, with the lowest entry figure.
USD800,000
A purchase of a government bond created for the programme. A larger sum, which the minister described as a zero-rate bond.
| Family member | Contribution |
|---|---|
| Spouse Married partner of the main applicant | USD 100,000 |
| Child aged 18 to 25 Single and without children of their own | USD 100,000 |
| Child under 18 Each child | USD 25,000 |
Worked example
Main applicant, spouse and two children under 18, Treasury route
ContributionsUSD 500,000
Eighteen months of decrees, appointments and court rulings, and the step still to come.
Reported
The government says it will grant citizenship to foreigners who invest in qualifying projects, as part of a migration reform.
La NaciónOfficial
The decree amends the citizenship law to allow naturalisation for a relevant investment and creates APCI.
Boletín Oficial de la República ArgentinaOfficial
Decree 524/2025 sets out how APCI vets applications and how the DNM decides.
Boletín Oficial de la República ArgentinaReported
Ley 27.802 says citizenship by investment does not by itself create tax residence.
Abeledo Gottheil AbogadosOfficial
Decree 285/2026 names APCI’s executive director.
Boletín Oficial de la República ArgentinaReported
Two appeal courts rule against the decree’s citizenship chapter in individual cases; the state appeals.
Henley & PartnersOfficial
Minister Luis Caputo announces USD 350,000 and USD 800,000 routes, opening in Q4 2026.
Ministry of Economy, Argentina.gob.arPending
The government’s stated window is the fourth quarter of 2026. The implementing rules come first.
Ministry of Economy, Argentina.gob.arDecree 524/2025 sets out who looks at your file and who decides. Forms and timings follow with the implementing rules.
Gather identity documents and the paper trail for the money: where it came from and how it reached you. Due diligence starts here.
PendingThe application goes to the Agencia de Programas de Ciudadanía por Inversión, the agency created to run the programme.
OfficialAPCI requests reports from the intelligence service, the Financial Intelligence Unit, RENAPER, the criminal records registry and the security ministry.
OfficialAPCI sends a reasoned recommendation to the Dirección Nacional de Migraciones, which grants or refuses citizenship.
OfficialThe contribution or bond is completed, citizenship is granted, and the applicant can then apply for an Argentine passport.
PendingRanked 16th on the Henley Passport Index, with visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 169 destinations.
Argentines still need a visa for the United States. A statement of intent to rejoin the Visa Waiver Program was signed in July 2025; the officials’ stated target is 2027.
Each point is drawn from the law or the official announcement, with its source.
The programme grants naturalisation itself, not a residence card to renew. Argentina allows dual citizenship.
Source: Boletín Oficial de la República Argentina, 29 May 2025The amended law grants citizenship for a relevant investment whatever the length of residence.
Source: Boletín Oficial de la República Argentina, 29 May 2025Ley 27.802 says naturalisation by investment does not by itself make you tax resident in Argentina.
Source: Abeledo Gottheil Abogados, 18 March 2026A spouse and children up to 25 can be added, each with their own contribution.
Source: Ministry of Economy, Argentina.gob.ar, 2 October 2026Argentine citizens benefit from residence arrangements across much of South America.
Source: IMI Daily, 2 October 2026The government presents the programme as part of opening Argentina to investment.
Source: Reuters, 2 October 2026Two federal appeal courts ruled against DNU 366/2025’s citizenship chapter in June 2026 (Volosh, 18 June; Yang Liping, 30 June), in individual cases that were not about investment. The government has appealed to the Supreme Court, whose decision is pending.
Source: Chequeado, 9 October 2026Opposition deputies filed bills in October 2026 to remove the investment route from the citizenship law.
Source: Chequeado, 9 October 2026Fees, processing times, the bond’s terms and the forms have not been published. Totals quoted today are the announced contributions only.
Source: IMI Daily, 2 October 2026A route to Argentine citizenship by naturalisation for foreigners who make a qualifying investment, with no prior residence required. It rests on DNU 366/2025, which amended the citizenship law, and is run by the Agencia de Programas de Ciudadanía por Inversión (APCI). The government announced its prices on 2 October 2026.
Not yet. The government says applications open during Q4 2026. The implementing rules, government fees, processing times and forms had not been published when this page was last checked.
The main applicant chooses between a non-refundable contribution of USD 350,000 to the National Treasury and a USD 800,000 government bond. Government fees are not published yet, so neither figure is a full total.
A spouse adds USD 100,000, each child aged 18 to 25 who is single and has no children adds USD 100,000, and each child under 18 adds USD 25,000. A couple with two young children on the contribution route pays USD 500,000 in contributions.
No. The amended law grants citizenship for a relevant investment whatever the length of residence. Whether an in-person visit, for example for biometrics, is needed has not been confirmed.
It ranks 16th on the Henley Passport Index (October 2026), with visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 169 destinations, including the Schengen area, the UK and Japan.
Not entirely. Two federal appeal courts ruled against the citizenship chapter of DNU 366/2025 in June 2026, in cases that were not about investment, and the government has appealed to the Supreme Court. Opposition deputies have also filed repeal bills.
The implementing rules, fees and forms are still to come. We date every update and say what it changes.