Argentina launches citizenship program for wealthy foreigners
Argentina is launching a program to grant citizenship to wealthy foreigners in exchange for investments. The basic option involves a non-refundable contribution of $350,000 to the state treasury, while the alternative is the purchase of special government bonds.
The Ministry of Economy of Argentina announced this on October 2, as reported by Ministry of Economy of Argentina. Applications are planned to start being accepted in the fourth quarter of 2026.
The program was presented by Minister of Economy Luis Caputo and Chief of the Cabinet of Ministers Diego Santilli during Argentina Week in Paris. The authorities hope to attract additional foreign capital and strengthen the country's investment appeal.
Foreigners will be offered two main options for obtaining citizenship. The first involves a direct non-refundable payment of $350,000 to the state treasury. The second is the purchase of government bonds issued specifically for the program in the amount of $800,000.
The family of the main investor can also join the application. A spouse, as well as unmarried children aged 18 to 25, will be able to apply for citizenship after an additional contribution of $100,000 per person.
For children under 18, the additional contribution will be $25,000. Thus, a family of two adults and two minor children will be able to apply for Argentine citizenship by transferring a total of $500,000.
All funds must pass through the official financial system. The authorities promise to verify the origin of capital and apply requirements for anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing.
The Argentine government also stated that it will use standards of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) when vetting applicants.
The program provides for a separate review of each applicant from the perspective of national security and financial risks. Participation in the program does not in itself mean automatic issuance of a passport.
The legal basis for the new mechanism was created by Argentina back in 2025. According to Decree No. 524/2025, foreigners who have made "significant investments" recognized by the state can apply for citizenship regardless of the usual residency requirement.
Applications must be reviewed by a special Agency for Citizenship by Investment Programs. Before issuing a recommendation, it receives opinions from security agencies, financial intelligence, criminal records registry, intelligence service, and other government bodies.
After completion of the review, the National Directorate of Migration must decide whether to grant or deny citizenship. For this, after receiving the agency's recommendation, the legislation provides up to 30 working days.
The launch of the program is part of a broader policy of the Argentine government to attract foreign capital. The authorities expect that selling access to citizenship will complement existing programs to stimulate foreign and large investments.
