The Argentine government of President Javier Milei launched the Citizenship by Investment Program this Friday, which will allow foreigners to obtain an Argentine passport in exchange for a financial contribution, according to the announcement made by the Ministry of Economy as part of Argentina Week being held in Paris.
The announcement was made by the Minister of Economy, Luis Caputo, and the Chief of Cabinet, Diego Santilli, at the event organized by Buenos Aires to attract international investors, held at the OECD and the Argentine Embassy in France.
The program includes two access pathways: a direct and non-refundable contribution to the National Treasury of 350,000 dollars, or the subscription of a public bond of 800,000 dollars created specifically for this scheme.
The family members of the primary applicant will also be able to join the program under different conditions.
Spouses and children between the ages of 18 and 25, who are single and without children, can apply for citizenship with a contribution of $100,000, while minors under 18 can do so with $25,000.
Under this scheme, a family group consisting of the main applicant, their spouse, and two minor children could obtain Argentine citizenship for a total of 500,000 dollars.
The program will be operational to receive applications in the fourth quarter of 2026.
Caputo pointed out the day before, at the opening of the Argentina Week, that the opportunity to invest in Argentina is now: "We have practically everything the world needs: food, energy, critical minerals, human capital."
This is the first citizenship by investment program in South America, designed to compete with Caribbean schemes rather than European golden visas, as it grants citizenship directly without requiring prior residency.
Caribbean programs typically range from $100,000 to $200,000 in donations, so the Argentine amount is higher, although the Argentine passport enjoys greater international recognition.
The scheme has been compared to the so-called "Gold Card" promoted by the Trump administration in the United States, which also proposes residency or citizenship in exchange for multi-million dollar investments by foreigners.
All funds must be channeled through the formal financial system and comply with standards for preventing money laundering and financing of terrorism, in line with the recommendations of the OECD and FATF.
The evaluation of each application will be the responsibility of the Agency for Citizenship by Investment, with the involvement of the State Intelligence Secretariat (SIDE), the Financial Information Unit (UIF), and the Ministries of Security and Interior.
The process will include identity verification, traceability and legality of the source of funds, asset analysis, jurisdictional risk assessment, review of criminal and reputational records, and immigration history.
The final approval or rejection of each application will be the responsibility of the National Directorate of Migrations.
The legal framework of the program was established by Decree 524/2025, published in the Official Gazette on July 31, 2025, which enabled Argentine citizenship for foreigners who make "significant investments" and created the Citizenship by Investment Program Agency as a decentralized agency of the Ministry of Economy.
The announcement is part of a broader strategy to attract capital: at the same event in Paris, the government presented a new Incentive Regime for Large Investments (RIGI) amounting to 12.5 billion dollars for Vaca Muerta and a 10 billion dollar investment from TotalEnergies.
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