Argentina: citizenship by investment announced, applications not yet open

On 2 October 2026 the government of Argentina announced a citizenship by investment programme. Applications are promised for the fourth quarter of 2026, with no exact date. On the date of checking the filing rules are not published, and the legal basis of the programme is being challenged in court.

How applicants will be screened

Applications are reviewed by the Agency for Citizenship by Investment Programmes under the Ministry of Economy; its director was appointed from 22 April 2026. The agency requests reports from the intelligence service, the financial intelligence unit, and the ministries of security and the interior. It checks identity, the lawfulness and traceability of the funds, the applicant's assets, jurisdiction risk, criminal record, reputation and migration history. The money must go through the formal banking system. The agency's recommendation goes to the Migration Directorate, which approves or rejects the application.

What does not exist yet

• The Ministry of Economy resolution that, under the law, defines which investments count as relevant: the amounts are known from the announcement, and we have not found them in a legal act.
• The terms of the USD 800,000 bond: term, yield and repayment are not disclosed.
• A government filing portal, application forms, payment accounts, fees and rules on refunds if an application is refused.

Court and legislative risks

The programme rests on Decree of Necessity and Urgency No. 366/2025, published on 29 May 2025. The government issued it without a vote in Congress; it amended Citizenship Law No. 346 and created the agency. The procedure for applications was set by Decree No. 524/2025 of 30 July 2025.

• On 18 June 2026 a federal civil and commercial appeals chamber held the decree's citizenship provisions unconstitutional in one applicant's case.
• On 30 June 2026 the National Electoral Chamber declared Decree No. 366/2025 null: the executive may not change the naturalisation rules by such a decree.
• Both cases concerned ordinary naturalisation, not investment. Lawyers differ on whether the ruling reaches the programme.
• The Ministry of National Security and the Migration Directorate appealed the electoral chamber's ruling. On 24 September 2026 the chamber allowed the appeal to the Supreme Court, and since 7 October the case has been under study at the Court. No date for a decision is set; there is no decision on the date of checking.
• Bills to ban or repeal the programme have been filed in Congress: No. 5254-D-2026 and a bill by deputies Carignano and Penacca in the Chamber of Deputies, No. S-1441/26 in the Senate. They are in committee and have not been passed.

Risk for visa-free travel to the EU: Regulation (EU) 2025/2441, in force from 30 December 2025, makes granting citizenship for pre-determined payments without a genuine link to the country a ground for suspending a visa exemption. Argentine citizens currently enter the Schengen area without a visa; the announcement does not change that, but the risk matters if the passport is wanted for travel to the EU.

For Russian citizens

Neither the announcement nor the decrees restrict applicants by nationality. Jurisdiction risk is part of the screening, and how it will be applied to Russian citizens is unknown. The money must go through the formal banking system, so the paying bank and currency are settled before filing. Russian citizens enter Argentina without a visa for up to 90 days in every 180 days. A second citizenship must be notified to the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs within 60 days.

Our position

We are following the programme. Until the filing rules are published and the Supreme Court has ruled, it is unwise to make payments or sign contracts with intermediaries: there is no government procedure yet under which they could be processed. If the programme interests you, leave a request - we will let you know when the rules are published and review your situation.

Sources

1. Government of Argentina: announcement of the citizenship by investment programme, 2 October 2026 (in Spanish)
2. Citizenship Law No. 346, current text with the amendments of Decree No. 366/2025 (in Spanish)
3. Decree No. 524/2025 on the application procedure (in Spanish)
4. Decree No. 285/2026 appointing the agency's director (in Spanish)
5. La Nacion: terms of the programme, 2 October 2026 (in Spanish)
6. elDiarioAR: what was announced and what does not exist yet, 9 October 2026 (in Spanish)
7. El Cronista: the electoral chamber declares Decree No. 366/2025 null (in Spanish)
8. Ambito: the Decree No. 366/2025 case at the Supreme Court, 7 October 2026 (in Spanish)
9. Infobae: the Decree No. 366/2025 case reaches the Supreme Court, 7 October 2026 (in Spanish)
10. IMI Daily: bills to ban the programme and the court rulings
11. Regulation (EU) 2025/2441 on the visa suspension mechanism
12. Agreement between Russia and Argentina on visa-free travel, 2009 (in Russian)
13. Advokatskaya Gazeta: notification of a second citizenship or residence permit (in Russian)

This material is for reference only and is not legal, tax or investment advice. Programme terms change: verify them against the primary source before deciding.