In brief
Applicants must make a direct 350,000-dollar non-refundable payment to the National Treasury or buy 800,000 dollars in government bonds starting in late 2026.
Spouses and adult children aged 18 to 25 cost an extra 100,000 dollars each, while minor children cost 25,000 dollars, totaling 500,000 dollars for a family of four.
President Javier Milei is seeking alternative foreign currency reserves as Argentina faces roughly 25 billion dollars in debt maturities in 2027 after posting Latin America's lowest FDI in 2025.
Economy Minister Luis Caputo stated the program complies with OECD and FATF rules, while domestic critics plan protests after a court upheld the repeal of a 15% cap on foreign land purchases.
- 2 OctLuis Caputo announces citizenship by investment program at Paris investor summit
- 2026-Q4Application intake opens for foreign investors
- 2027Argentina faces approximately 25 billion dollars in foreign currency debt maturities
Investment terms and passport access
Argentina will grant citizenship to foreign nationals who make financial contributions to the state, starting in the fourth quarter of 2026. Economy Minister Luis Caputo presented the Citizenship by Investment program during meetings with international investors in Paris on 2 October 2026. Applicants must choose between two routes: a direct, non-refundable payment of 350,000 dollars (approximately 310,000 euros) to the National Treasury or the purchase of 800,000 dollars in dedicated government bonds.
The framework allows investors to include family members for additional payments. Spouses and unmarried adult children aged 18 to 25 cost 100,000 dollars each, while children under 18 require 25,000 dollars. Under this structure, a family of four with two minor children faces an aggregate cost of 500,000 dollars. Successful applicants obtain passport privileges that grant visa-free entry to more than 140 countries.
- Direct treasury donation
- 350000 USD
- Government bond purchase
- 800000 USD
- Spouse or adult dependent (18–25)
- 100000 USD
- Minor dependent (<18)
- 25000 USD
- Four-person family package
- 500000 USD
Data from the article text
Fiscal pressure and foreign debt
The program aims to bolster foreign exchange reserves and improve the fiscal footing of the Argentine state. According to OECD data, foreign direct investment in Argentina during 2025 was the lowest among the largest economies of Latin America. President Javier Milei has sought alternative dollar inflows to navigate debt commitments, with the country scheduled to repay approximately 25 billion dollars in foreign-currency obligations in 2027.
Caputo defended the value of national travel documents during his presentation in France.
“The world is plunged into conflict, and Argentina is outside these central problems.”
The initiative accompanies broader fiscal austerity and incentive programs, such as the RIGI investment framework. Monthly inflation in Argentina decreased from 25.5% when Milei assumed the presidency in December 2023 to 1.7% in August 2026, though foreign exchange markets remain sensitive ahead of the 2027 electoral cycle.
Vetting standards and international criticism
Roughly 60 nations operate residency-by-investment systems, but only about a dozen offer direct citizenship. Argentina will become the first South American country to implement a citizenship-by-investment scheme. Kristin Surak, a sociology professor at the London School of Economics who studies golden passports, noted that no existing citizenship-by-investment country offers visa-free access to as many destinations as Argentina. Eric Major, chief executive of a Malta-based advisory firm working with the government, projected that most applicants will prefer donations over bond purchases due to Argentina's debt default history. Jeremy Savory, head of UAE-based consultancy Millionaire Migrant, opened a waiting list for interested clients.
The initiative follows moves by the European Union and the United States to pressure governments to restrict golden passport programs over concerns about tax evasion and criminal exploitation. The Ministry of Economy stated on X that all applications will undergo rigorous vetting to ensure national security and financial integrity, complying with standards from the OECD and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). Economists and political opponents have questioned the safeguards. Argentine economist Pablo Tigani expressed concern about potential screening failures.
“It could lead to us bringing in drug traffickers, people of dubious origin who are not admitted in other countries.”
Land deregulation and political opposition
The citizenship initiative coincides with the removal of restrictions on foreign ownership of Argentine rural land. A Supreme Court ruling upheld a presidential decree issued by Milei that abolished a previous 15% statutory ceiling on foreign land holdings. Opposition parties in Argentina are seeking to block the land deregulation and investment measures in Parliament, while civic organizations have scheduled street demonstrations for next week.