Argentina's New Citizenship by Investment Program is Attracting American Investors

Introduction

Argentina has officially entered the competitive global investment migration market. The proposed Golden Visa is already attracting considerable attention from high-net-worth individuals and investors interested in diversifying their global mobility footprint in South America.

Legal Basis and Program Status

The Argentinian citizenship by investment program was established through decree 524/2025 and was signed by President Javier Milei in July 2025. This executive order amended Argentina's nationality law and created a formal pathway for foreign investors to obtain citizenship.

Traditionally, law 346 required foreigners to reside in the country for twenty-four uninterrupted and consecutive months to qualify for naturalization. This mandatory two-year residence was the primary deterrent for many high-net-worth individuals seeking an Argentinian Passport.

Under the newly established decrees 366 and 524 this residency requirement can be waived in exchange for a significant investment in the Argentinian economy. This change allows foreign nationals to apply for citizenship immediately regardless of how much time they've spent in Argentina.

A new government body called the Agency for Citizenship by Investment Programs will operate under the ministry of economy and evaluate applications, investigate backgrounds and assess potential national security risks.

Argentina's citizenship by investment program is designed to attract foreign investment into the Argentine economy. It is predicted that applicants will need to invest a minimum of $500,000 in projects that aid the Argentinian economy. A similar model was made popular in Portugal after Real Estate was discontinued. Portugal encouraged investment in venture capital funds that directly helped the Portuguese economy.

One Remaining Critical Barrier

The CBI program will target the wealthy who want Latin American optionality but there is still one crucial step needed for Argentina to complete its economic renaissance. This last barrier is the annulment of law 26,737 which is better known as the Law of Lands.

This restriction is a major impediment to large-scale foreign investment by major international groups. The economic projects tied to this reform would be staggering. If the law of lands were annulled, it is estimated anywhere from $15 billion to $25 billion could flow into Argentina over the first 12-24 months to purchase farms and land.

Over a five-year period, this estimated figure could be $40 billion or more. This influx of capital would bring Argentinian property values in line with other "first world" countries and create a cascading investment effect that would benefit businesses and the broader economy.

Strategic Asset for U.S. Citizens

The pursuit of a second passport is often driven by a desire for optionality, financial diversification and greater personal freedoms. Argentina's golden visa program poses several unique benefits in addition to the expected value of similar golden visa programs.

South American Plan B

Permanent Residency in Argentina and eventual citizenship in the country is a powerful asset to have. The passport offers visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to over 170 countries, including the Schengen area, The UK, Ireland, Japan and many countries in Asia.

Argentine citizenship grants automatic rights to neighboring countries under the Mercosur agreement which allows citizens to live and work freely in member states such as Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay. This can be extremely beneficial for American business owners and families because it grants access to the entire South American continent as a potential base of operations or residence.

United States E-2 Investor Visa

Investors in the Argentinian golden visa can use their citizenship to apply for the U.S. E-2 Treaty Investor visa. This benefit would be valuable for complex family or business structures where a non-U.S. citizen family member or partner needs a fast-track long-term visa in the United States.

Argentina's Tax Regime

Argentina operates on a residency-based tax system so Argentine citizens who do not reside in the country are generally not taxed on their foreign-sourced income. The Argentine system ensures that acquiring the citizenship does not impose a second layer of worldwide taxation and provides a clean financial structure for global investors.

U.S. Visa Waiver Program

Towards the end of July 2025 President Trump and Argentine President Javier Milei met and announced that they wanted to prepare a way for Argentinian passport holders to enter the United States without a visa. The visa waiver program allows citizens of 41 countries to travel into the United States and stay for up to 90 days without a visa.

The only Latin American country currently in the Visa Waiver Program is Chile. While this is currently speculation, the addition of Argentina into the Visa Waiver program would make the golden visa even more valuable to potential investors.

Application Process Overview

The application process for Argentina's citizenship by investment program follows these key steps:

• Investment Proposal: The applicant submits their investment proposal to the CBI agency for certification
• Due Diligence: A comprehensive background check, source of funds checks and security check is conducted to ensure the funds are legally sourced and the applicant is clean
• Final Decision: The National Directorate of Migration issues a decision within 30 days
• Citizenship Granted: The applicant receives Argentine nationality and can immediately apply for a national ID and passport

Conclusion

With this being a new program, investors should proceed with caution and talk to many advisors to fully understand the scope of the investment and what is expected. The program was introduced by executive decree and while the government has embedded it directly into the nationality law there still could be unforeseen challenges for Argentina to fully enact the law and start the golden visa program.

Investors are strongly advised to wait until the final, detailed regulations are officially published before making any financial commitments.

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