Argentina citizenship by investment (2026): the new golden passport

Visas & Immigration
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Argentina citizenship by investment was formally launched on 2 October 2026: the Ministry of Economy says foreigners will be able to buy citizenship with a non-refundable US$350,000 contribution to the National Treasury or US$800,000 in a dedicated government bond. It is not open yet; applications are due to start in the fourth quarter of 2026, and the detailed rules have not been published in the Boletín Oficial.

Last checked: October 2026

In short:

  • The main applicant pays US$350,000 to the Treasury or subscribes US$800,000 of a new bond; a spouse or child aged 18 to 25 adds US$100,000 and a child under 18 adds US$25,000, so a family of four pays US$500,000.
  • No time in Argentina is required: Nationality Law 346, as amended in 2025, grants citizenship for a qualifying investment “regardless of the length of residence”.
  • The government says the new Citizenship by Investment Programmes Agency will run checks with intelligence, financial-intelligence, security and interior bodies, and the National Migration Directorate makes the final decision.

What has been announced, and what is law

Despite searches for an “Argentina golden visa”, this is a passport scheme, not a residence permit. It rests on three layers:

  • Law, since 2025. Decree 366/2025, an emergency decree (DNU) published on 29 May 2025, amended Nationality Law 346 so foreigners who make a “relevant investment” can become citizens, with the Ministry of Economy deciding what counts. It also created the Agencia de Programas de Ciudadanía por Inversión under the ministry. Decree 524/2025 (31 July 2025) set the procedure: the agency evaluates and reports, and the National Migration Directorate has 30 business days to decide.
  • Leadership. Decree 285/2026 appointed Aixa Granara as the agency’s executive director from 22 April 2026, unpaid.
  • The prices, on 2 October 2026. Economy Minister Luis Caputo and Chief of Cabinet Diego Santilli announced the amounts at Argentina Week in Paris; the official press release is on argentina.gob.ar. We found no new decree or resolution in the Boletín Oficial setting those amounts as of 8 October, so treat the figures as announced, not yet in force.

The ministry ran an international tender for a firm to operate the programme; per IMI Daily six bidders competed, including Henley & Partners and Latitude. Ministry of Economy Resolution 522/2026 of 14 April 2026, reported by abogados.com.ar, cancelled it. The government now says international advisory firms have been engaged; per The New York Times (via Infobae), Eric Major, chief executive of a Malta-based advisory firm, is advising. No master agent or authorised-agent list has been published.

What it costs

Applicant Treasury contribution (non-refundable) Bond route
Main applicant US$350,000 US$800,000
Spouse US$100,000 (verify)
Child 18-25, unmarried, no children US$100,000 (verify)
Child under 18 US$25,000 (verify)
Family of four (2 adults, 2 minors) US$500,000 (verify)

The bond is a new security created for the programme; Infobae describes it as zero-interest, and Vistazo reports it must be held for seven years (verify both once the rules are published). Application, due diligence and agent fees haven’t been announced yet. Expect them.

Due diligence, per the official release, follows OECD and FATF standards: identity, source and traceability of funds, financial position, jurisdiction risk, criminal and reputational background, and migration history. Payments must go through the formal financial system. No list of excluded nationalities has been published.

What an Argentine passport gets you

  • Travel. Argentina ranked 16th on the January 2026 Henley Passport Index with 169 visa-free destinations, per La Capital. It’s on the EU’s visa-exempt list, so you get 90 days in any 180 in the Schengen area (the rules are in Schengen 90/180 rule (2026): how to count days, EES and ETIAS).
  • South America. Per The New York Times (via Infobae), the passport brings the right to live and work across South America through regional agreements. Argentina’s Migraciones page shows the Mercosur deal from its side: nationals of member and associate states get two-year renewable residence.
  • Permanence. Argentina treats its nationality as effectively irrevocable: its consulate in Milan says a renunciation counts only as a suspension of political rights. Whether you can keep your current passport depends on your own country’s rules.

Cheaper ways to the same passport

Route What it takes Cost to you
Naturalisation 2 years of continuous, legal residence (Decree 366/2025), with no trips abroad in that period Living costs and fees
Rentista or pensionado residence Passive income or a pension of at least five minimum wages a month; up to 3 years (rentista) or 1 year renewable (pensioner) Proof of income
Digital nomad permit 180 days, renewable once; see Argentina digital nomad visa (2026): 180 days, fees and tax About €200, per the embassy in Ireland

The catch with naturalisation is the decree’s definition of continuous: no departures at all for two years, which rules out most nomads. And a federal judge in Esquel declared articles 4, 37 and 39 of DNU 366/2025 unconstitutional in one case in August 2026, per Palabras del Derecho, so the procedure itself is being litigated.

Risks before you pay

  • It’s brand new. No applications have been processed, no fee schedule exists and the operator tender already failed once.
  • Schengen access. Regulation (EU) 2025/2441, in force since 30 December 2025 per NTL International, makes running an investor citizenship scheme “in itself” a ground for suspending a country’s visa-free status. Argentina currently has Schengen visa-free access; this programme exposes it to that mechanism.
  • US scrutiny. The 16 December 2025 US proclamation suspended most visas for Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica from 1 January 2026, explicitly citing “CBI without residency”.
  • Political and legal risk. The scheme rests on an emergency decree, not an act of Congress. A future government or Congress could change it, and courts are already testing DNU 366/2025. Opposition bills to ban it are already filed: Unión por la Patria deputies led by Agustín Rossi and Kelly Olmos filed bill 5254-D-2026 on 2 October, and Senator Jorge Capitanich filed S-1441/26 on 24 August. Per IMI Daily, the Deputies bill would treat pending applications as withdrawn and cancel citizenships already granted; the Senate bill would move pending files to the ordinary residence route and leave granted citizenships intact. Neither offers refunds. Both are still in committee, and the government shows no sign of changing course (Argentina opposition files bills to ban its new citizenship by investment).
  • Tax. Citizenship isn’t tax residence. Per PwC, Argentine tax residents are taxed on worldwide income, and a foreigner becomes resident after 12 months living there. Americans stay taxable by the IRS regardless.

Related guides: Citizenship by investment (2026): Caribbean programmes compared · Golden visa countries (2026): which are open, closed and the cost · Second passport (2026): how to get one by descent, residency or investment · Argentina digital nomad visa (2026): 180 days, fees and tax

Quick answers

Q: How much is Argentina citizenship by investment?
The government announced on 2 October 2026 a non-refundable US$350,000 Treasury contribution or US$800,000 in a dedicated bond for the main applicant. A spouse or child aged 18 to 25 adds US$100,000 and a child under 18 adds US$25,000. Fees have not been published.

Q: Is Argentina’s golden passport open for applications?
Not yet. The Ministry of Economy says applications will open in the fourth quarter of 2026. As of 8 October 2026 the amounts were announced in an official press release, but no implementing decree or resolution setting them had appeared in the Boletín Oficial.

Q: Do I have to live in Argentina to get citizenship by investment?
No. Nationality Law 346, as amended by Decree 366/2025, grants citizenship to foreigners who make a qualifying investment regardless of how long they have lived in Argentina. Naturalisation without investment needs two years of continuous legal residence, with no departures from the country during that period, under Decree 366/2025.

Sources

This is general information from the Nomad Forums team, not immigration, tax or legal advice. Rules change; check the official source or a qualified adviser before applying.

Over to you: Has anyone here been contacted by an agent offering to file an Argentine CBI application before the rules are published, and what did they quote in fees? If you’ve naturalised in Argentina under the two-year rule, how did Migraciones treat trips abroad?

Argentina opposition files bills to ban its new citizenship by investment
Golden visa countries (2026): which are open, closed and the cost