Argentina Launches Citizenship by Investment: USD 350,000, Routes, Family Costs and Process (2026)

What did Argentina announce on 2 October 2026?

The Ministry of Economy announced the start of operations of the Programa de Ciudadanía por Inversión, presented by Minister Luis Caputo and Chief of Cabinet Diego Santilli during Argentina Week in Paris. According to the official government announcement, the programme offers two simple and transparent mechanisms, will receive applications during the fourth quarter of 2026, and subjects every application to a rigorous assessment designed to protect national security, the integrity of the financial system and the international standing of Argentine citizenship. The announcement was reported the same day by La Nación and Bloomberg Línea, among others.

The announcement completes a process that began in 2025. Decree of Necessity and Urgency 366/2025 amended Argentina's citizenship law to allow citizenship for foreigners who make a qualifying investment, and Decreto 524/2025, published in the Boletín Oficial on 31 July 2025, set out the procedure and created the Agency for Citizenship by Investment Programmes. What was missing until now was the price and the opening date. Argentina is the first G20 economy in years to open a citizenship by investment programme and the first in South America.

How much does Argentina citizenship by investment cost?

The main applicant chooses one of two routes:

• National Treasury contribution: USD 350,000. A direct, non-refundable contribution to the National Treasury. This is the lower-outlay route and the one the government used in its own family example.
• Government bond: USD 800,000. The subscription of a public security created specifically for the programme. Market reporting, including Bloomberg Línea, describes it as a seven-year bond paying no interest. Those terms are not in the official announcement and will be fixed in the implementing rules, so treat them as indicative until published.

Family members join by proving the relationship and making the contribution set for their category. On the bond route, the bond covers the main applicant and family members make the same Treasury contributions.

The government's own example is a family of four, the main applicant, a spouse and two children under 18, at USD 500,000 in total on the Treasury route: USD 350,000 plus USD 100,000 plus two contributions of USD 25,000. On the bond route the same family commits USD 950,000, of which USD 800,000 is the bond and USD 150,000 the family contributions. Government fees for the application and due diligence had not been published at the time of the announcement, and professional fees sit on top of the government figures.

Who can be included in the application?

The announced categories are the spouse, children aged 18 to 25 who are unmarried and have no children of their own, and children under 18. Parents are not among the announced categories. One practical question the implementing rules will need to answer is the date on which a child's age is assessed, which matters for families with a child close to 25. If that applies to you, plan the timing of the application with that question in mind.

How does the application process work?

The procedure follows Decreto 524/2025 and the 2 October announcement:

1. Application to the Agency. The applicant files with the Agency for Citizenship by Investment Programmes (APCI), which sits within the Ministry of Economy. All funds must move through the formal financial system under anti-money-laundering, counter-terrorist-financing and financial-transparency rules.
2. Inter-agency due diligence. The Agency assesses the file with the State Intelligence Secretariat, the Financial Information Unit and the ministries of Security and the Interior. The checks cover identity, the traceability and lawful origin of funds, assets and finances, jurisdictional risk, criminal and reputational records, and immigration history, applying standards aligned with OECD and FATF recommendations.
3. Recommendation. The Agency issues a reasoned report recommending approval or rejection.
4. Decision. The National Directorate of Migration approves or rejects the application. Under Decreto 524/2025 it must decide within 30 days of receiving the Agency's report.
5. Citizenship and documents. On approval, the applicant becomes an Argentine citizen and can obtain the national identity document and passport.

The government was clear that making the contribution does not mean automatic approval: each file must pass the assessment before Migration decides.

How long will it take?

No official end-to-end processing time has been published. The only statutory clock is the 30 days the National Directorate of Migration has to decide after receiving the Agency's report; the length of the Agency's own assessment is not fixed. As applications only open in the fourth quarter of 2026, there is no track record yet. What applicants can control is readiness: a complete file, with source-of-funds evidence, civil records and translations prepared in advance, is what moves fastest once the window opens.

What does the Argentine passport offer?

The Argentine passport gives visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to around 170 destinations, including the Schengen area, the United Kingdom, Japan and most of Latin America. Argentina is a member of Mercosur, so an Argentine citizen can obtain residence in other Mercosur and associated countries under the regional residence agreement, which opens much of South America for living, working, studying and doing business. There is no requirement to live in Argentina before or after citizenship, and Argentina does not require new citizens to renounce their existing nationality, although your current country's own rules on dual citizenship still apply. Unlike a residence permit, citizenship does not need to be renewed.

How does Argentina compare with established programmes?

Argentina enters a market led by the Caribbean programmes, which remain the reference point for speed, established processes and cost. The figures below come from Mirabello's programme data:

The Caribbean programmes offer a lower entry cost, published fee schedules, years of approvals and family pricing that covers several members within the headline figure. Argentina's case rests on the passport's reach, a large country with real depth to live in, and the Mercosur region. For many families the right answer will depend on whether they want a mobility asset with proven processing today or a new programme with a stronger passport and a place they may actually live. You can compare every option on our citizenship by investment overview.

What about tax?

Citizenship and tax residence are separate. Argentina taxes its residents on worldwide income and assets, but holding Argentine citizenship does not by itself make you tax resident; residence depends on where you actually live. Families who intend to relocate to Argentina should take structured tax advice before moving.

What is the legal position?

The programme rests on DNU 366/2025 and Decreto 524/2025. In June 2026 two appeal courts, ruling on individual citizenship applications, held that citizenship decisions belong to the federal courts rather than the National Directorate of Migration, and the government appealed to the Supreme Court, which has not yet ruled. The programme announced on 2 October 2026 keeps the Directorate as the deciding authority. The Supreme Court's decision may affect which authority grants citizenship, and we will update this guide as the case develops.

What should applicants do now?

With applications opening in the fourth quarter of 2026, the families best placed to move first are those who prepare now: confirm eligibility for each family member, assemble source-of-funds evidence and civil documents, and decide between the Treasury contribution and the bond once the bond terms are published. The criteria for certified agents are also still to be announced. Book a free consultation and Mirabello Consultancy will assess your family's eligibility, model the full cost on both routes and have your file ready for the opening.