Argentina Citizenship by Investment 2026: $350,000 and the Court Risk
Argentina sells citizenship for $350,000, or an $800,000 bond. What the passport gets you, what a family pays, and why the courts may still strike it down.
Argentina now sells citizenship. Pay $350,000 to the government, or buy $800,000 of a bond created for the program, pass the checks, and you get an Argentine passport without ever living there. The passport opens about 170 countries, including the Schengen area and the UK.
The catch is legal. The program rests on an emergency decree, 2 appeal courts ruled against that decree in June 2026, and the Supreme Court has yet to decide. For entrepreneurs, high earners and investors looking at it, the sensible move for now is to wait.
- Contribution
- $350,000, not refundable
- Or a government bond
- $800,000, terms not published
- Spouse
- $100,000
- Children
- $100,000 from 18 to 25, $25,000 under 18
- Residence needed
- None
- Visa-free access
- About 170 countries, not the US
- Legal status
- Before the Supreme Court
What you get
Normally you have to live in Argentina for 2 years before you can become Argentine. With this program you don't. You pay, you pass the checks, and you get citizenship directly.
You keep your current passport. Argentina allows dual citizenship, so this is a second passport, not a replacement.
The passport
- About 170 countries without a visa or with a visa on arrival, including the whole Schengen area and the UK.
- South America. As an Argentine you can get residence in countries such as Brazil, Uruguay and Chile much more easily.
- A real country. Argentina is a G20 country with 46 million people, not a small island state.
What it doesn't get you is the US. Argentines still need a visa to travel there.
What it costs
2 ways to pay
| Compared | Contribution | Government bond |
|---|---|---|
| Amount | $350,000 | $800,000 |
| Do you get it back? | No | In theory |
| What is known | The amount | Only the amount: term, interest and repayment aren't published |
| The risk | The money is spent | A bond from a country that has defaulted on its debt many times |
The bond sounds better, because in theory you get the money back. But nobody knows yet how long the money is locked in, whether it pays any interest, or exactly how it is repaid.
Your family
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Main applicant | $350,000 |
| Spouse | $100,000 |
| 2 children under 18$25,000 each; $100,000 each from 18 to 25 | $50,000 |
| Total | $500,000, plus fees |
On top of that come government fees and the fees of the agent who files the application. Neither is published yet.
Paying doesn't guarantee the passport
A new government agency checks who you are, where your money comes from, your criminal record and your reputation. Then the immigration office makes the final decision. The rules don't say yet whether you get your money back if you are refused.
Applications are expected to open in the last quarter of 2026. The procedure, processing times and fees are still to be published.
The tax
The passport doesn't change your tax. Since March 2026, Argentine law says that someone who becomes Argentine through this program doesn't become tax resident in Argentina because of the citizenship alone.
If you actually move there, it is different. Argentina taxes its residents on everything they earn worldwide, and the normal residence rules apply to you like anyone else.
So the passport is a travel document and a plan B, not a tax structure. Your tax still depends on where you live and how your income and your company are set up.
The court problem
The program is built on an emergency decree the president signed in 2025, not on a law passed by Congress.
- 01
May 2025: the decree
An emergency decree lets a foreigner who makes a relevant investment become Argentine without the 2 years of residence. - 02
June 2026: 2 appeal courts rule against it
One said citizenship is something only Congress can change and declared the decree void. The other declared key parts of it unconstitutional. - 03
The appeal
The government appealed, and the case is now with Argentina's Supreme Court. There is no date for its ruling. - 04
October 2026: the prices, and the bills
The government announced the amounts on 2 October. Within a week, opposition members of Congress had filed several bills to repeal the program. None has been voted on.
Argentina's politics also swing hard, and the next presidential election is in 2027. A future government could see selling citizenship very differently.
So you would be paying $350,000 into a program the courts may still strike down, run by an agency that hasn't opened yet, under rules that aren't fully published.
Questions
How much does Argentine citizenship by investment cost?
$350,000 as a non-refundable contribution to the government, or $800,000 in a government bond created for the program. A spouse costs $100,000, each child from 18 to 25 $100,000 and each child under 18 $25,000. Government and agent fees come on top and aren't published yet.
Do I have to live in Argentina?
No. The program skips the 2 years of residence that normal naturalisation needs. Whether any physical presence will be required for the application hasn't been published.
Can I keep my current passport?
Yes. Argentina allows dual citizenship, so the Argentine passport is a second one, not a replacement.
Can I travel to the US with an Argentine passport?
Not without a visa. The passport opens about 170 countries, including the Schengen area and the UK, but Argentines need a visa for the US.
Does Argentine citizenship make me tax resident in Argentina?
Not on its own. Since March 2026 the law says that citizenship gained through this program doesn't make you tax resident. If you move to Argentina, the normal residence rules apply and Argentina taxes residents on their worldwide income.
Is the program legal?
That is open. It rests on a 2025 emergency decree that 2 appeal courts ruled against in June 2026. The government appealed, and the Supreme Court has to decide. There is no date for that ruling.
Who it is for
It is for you if you want a strong second passport with access to Europe, you don't want to move to get it, and $350,000 is money you can afford to have tied up in an uncertain process.
It isn't for you if you need access to the US, or if you are looking for lower tax. The passport does neither. If a second residence would do, residency without moving is the cheaper and safer route.
For almost everyone, the smart move is to wait. Let the Supreme Court rule, let the agency open, and let the first applications go through. If the program survives, it will still be there, and you will know exactly what you are paying for.
A second passport is one part of a plan B. If you run a business at 7, 8 or 9 figures and live in a high-tax country, book a call and we will work out the setup that fits, with or without a new passport.
