Updated 12 October 2026. Argentina will open South America’s first citizenship by investment programme in Q4 2026, from USD 350,000 via a Treasury contribution or USD 800,000 via a government bond, with no prior residence required. Costs, family rules, benefits, legal status and how to prepare.

Knightsbridge Group advises internationally mobile families and entrepreneurs on second citizenship, residency, corporate structuring and wealth planning, from offices in Dubai, Milan, London and Istanbul. We track every major development in the investment migration market so our clients can act early when a significant new opportunity appears. Argentina’s new citizenship by investment programme is one of the most important of these in years.

On 2 October 2026, at Argentina Week in Paris, Minister of Economy Luis Caputo and Chief of Cabinet Diego Santilli presented the country’s new Citizenship by Investment Program and confirmed that it is expected to open to applications in the fourth quarter of 2026. Argentina will become the first country in South America to offer citizenship by investment, and the first G20 economy to launch a programme since Turkey in 2017.

How we got here

Argentina has been building the legal framework for this programme for more than a year:

May 2025: Decree of Necessity and Urgency 366/2025 amended Argentina’s Citizenship Law (No. 346) to allow foreign nationals to naturalise through a “relevant investment”, with no prescribed prior period of residence. It also moved the power to grant citizenship from the courts to the National Directorate of Migration.

July 2025: Decree 524/2025 set out the procedural framework and created the Agency for Citizenship by Investment Programs (APCI), a decentralised body under the Ministry of Economy.

April 2026: Decree 285/2026 appointed the agency’s Executive Director.

May 2026: The agency signed a Non-Onerous Technical Collaboration Agreement with AMIGO Ltd (Argentina Mobility for Investment and Global Opportunity), an international consortium of investment migration specialists. They provide advisory support on programme design, due diligence, compliance and marketing at no cost to the Argentine State.

2 October 2026: The government confirmed the Q4 2026 opening and published the investment thresholds for both routes.

All decisions on eligibility, due diligence and the granting of citizenship remain exclusively with the Argentine government.

Investment options and costs

The programme will launch with two routes.

1. Treasury Contribution (non-refundable)

Applicant — Contribution

Main applicant — USD 350,000

Spouse — USD 100,000

Each child aged 18 to 25 (unmarried, with no children) — USD 100,000

Each child under 18 — USD 25,000

Example: family of four (couple plus two children under 18) — USD 500,000

Adult children up to 25 do not need to prove financial dependency, which is more generous than many Caribbean programmes.

2. Government Bond Investment

A subscription of USD 800,000 to an Argentine government bond created specifically for the programme.

Based on details shared by advisers attending the Paris announcement, the bond is expected to:

be held for a minimum of seven years

pay no interest

cover the main applicant only, with family members making the same Treasury contributions as under Route 1

On that basis, a couple with two children under 18 would commit USD 950,000 under the bond route: USD 800,000 in the bond plus USD 150,000 in family contributions. The final bond terms, including currency, transferability and how the principal is repaid at maturity, have not yet been formally published.

How the two routes compare for a family of four

Treasury route — Bond route

Main applicant — USD 350,000 (non-refundable) — USD 800,000 (bond, expected 7-year hold)

Spouse and two children under 18 — USD 150,000 (non-refundable) — USD 150,000 (non-refundable)

Total commitment — USD 500,000 — USD 950,000

Capital potentially returned — None — USD 800,000 at maturity, subject to final terms

For most families, the Treasury route will be the more cost-effective option. A zero-interest bond held for seven years carries a meaningful opportunity cost, and Argentina has a history of sovereign debt restructuring, most recently in 2020. Investors considering the bond route should treat repayment as a credit risk on the Argentine state and wait for the final terms before committing.

Government fees, due diligence fees and professional fees will be in addition to the figures above and are still to be confirmed.

The benefits of Argentine citizenship

No residence requirement. Citizenship is granted on the basis of the qualifying investment, without first living in Argentina and without the standard two-year residence period that applies to ordinary naturalisation. This sets it apart from European routes such as Portugal, where the path to citizenship is now 10 years.

A strong passport. In the 2026 Passport Index, Argentina ranks 16th in the world, with visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 169 destinations. This includes the Schengen Area, the United Kingdom and Japan. It is the joint strongest passport in South America alongside Chile.

Potential US Visa Waiver access. Argentina signed a letter of intent with the United States in July 2025 to rejoin the US Visa Waiver Program, which it left in 2002. In May 2026, Argentina’s Security Minister said the technical process was under way, and the government has projected visa-free travel to the US from early 2027. This has not been confirmed by the US authorities, so it should be seen as a potential future benefit rather than a current one.

Residence rights across South America. Through MERCOSUR’s regional residence arrangements, Argentine citizens have comparatively straightforward routes to live, work, study and set up businesses in participating countries across much of the continent.

A G20 citizenship. Argentina is a nation of 46 million people with a large, diversified economy, significant natural resources and a highly educated population. A G20 citizenship carries a different weight from that of a small island state, particularly for banking and international business.

Family inclusion. The spouse, children under 18 and unmarried children up to 25 can all be included in a single application.

Dual citizenship. Argentina permits dual citizenship. Clients should check that their current country of citizenship also allows it, as some countries, including India, do not.

Due diligence and programme integrity

Argentina has designed the programme around robust vetting, aligned with OECD and FATF recommendations. The Agency for Citizenship by Investment Programs will lead the assessment, working with the State Intelligence Secretariat, the Financial Information Unit, the Ministry of Security and the Ministry of the Interior. Checks will cover identity, the lawful origin of funds, jurisdictional risk, criminal and reputational records, and immigration history. International due diligence firms will also be involved.

The agency will make a recommendation to the National Directorate of Migration, which will approve or reject each application. All funds must pass through the formal financial system.

For clients, this means a well-prepared source of funds and source of wealth file will be essential from day one.

Legal status: a point to watch

The programme rests on Decree 366/2025, which was issued as a Decree of Necessity and Urgency rather than passed by Congress. In June 2026, a federal appeals court ruled that the decree’s citizenship reforms were unconstitutional as applied to the individual applicant in that case, on the grounds that citizenship rules should not have been changed by emergency decree. That case concerned ordinary naturalisation, not the investment route, and the ruling applies only to the parties involved. The government has appealed, and the question is now expected to reach Argentina’s Supreme Court. Opposition members of Congress have also tabled bills to repeal the investment citizenship provisions.

None of this stops the programme from opening, and the government is pressing ahead with the Q4 launch. However, applicants should understand that the legal foundation of the programme may be tested in the courts or in Congress, and we will monitor this closely on behalf of our clients. Securing a firm legislative footing would strengthen confidence in the programme considerably.

Points to consider before applying

The programme is not yet open. Final regulations, application procedures, fees and the exact launch date are still to be published by the Argentine authorities. The figures above are those announced to date and may change.

Legal challenge. As set out above, the decree underpinning the programme is subject to ongoing litigation. Take advice on the latest position before committing funds.

Tax. Citizenship alone does not make you tax resident in Argentina. Tax residence depends on where you live, but clients who plan to spend significant time in Argentina should take advice before doing so.

New programme risk. As with any first-generation programme, processing times, practical requirements and fees will only become clear once applications are being handled. Early applicants should be prepared for some procedural adjustments.

Bond route details. If you are interested in the bond option, wait for the final published terms on holding period, interest, currency, transferability and repayment before committing.

How Knightsbridge Group can help

Strong demand is expected when the programme opens, particularly from Middle Eastern, European and Asian families seeking a credible second citizenship without a residence requirement. We are helping clients prepare now by:

Assessing eligibility and the best structure for the whole family

Comparing the Treasury and bond routes against your liquidity and investment goals

Preparing source of funds and source of wealth documentation in advance

Comparing Argentina with Caribbean, Turkish and European options, so you can choose the right route for your goals

Tracking the final regulations and the legal position, and notifying registered clients as soon as applications open

Register your interest with Knightsbridge Group today for a confidential consultation, and be ready to apply as soon as Argentina’s Citizenship by Investment Program opens.

This article is for general information only and does not constitute legal, tax or immigration advice. Programme terms, contribution amounts and timelines are as announced or reported to date, have not yet been finalised by the Argentine authorities, and may change. Citizenship is granted solely at the discretion of the Argentine government.