Argentina launches South America's first citizenship-by-investment program for $350,000

Investment requirements and pricing structure

Argentina has announced the launch of South America's first citizenship-by-investment program, allowing foreign investors to acquire nationality through direct capital contributions. Economy Minister Luis Caputo announced the plan on social media platform X, while presenting the framework alongside official Diego Santilli at the Argentina Week business conference in Paris on 2 October 2026. The program is scheduled to become operational and begin receiving formal applications in the fourth quarter of 2026. Primary applicants can choose between two main routes: making a direct, non-refundable donation of $350,000 (approximately €310,000) to the National Treasury, or purchasing a dedicated $800,000 zero-coupon public bond created specifically for the program. Dependents can be included under specific fee schedules, requiring $100,000 each for a spouse or unmarried, childless children aged 18 to 25, and $25,000 for each child under 18 years old. Under this structure, a four-person household of two parents and two minor children can apply for a total expenditure of $500,000, an amount the Economy Ministry noted corresponds to well over a century of median wages in Argentina.

Fiscal objectives and debt pressures

The program forms part of President Javier Milei's ongoing economic strategy to stabilize the macroeconomic framework and build dollar reserves through fiscal austerity and foreign capital incentives. These measures accompany broader regulatory frameworks, including the large-scale investment incentive regime known as RIGI. Argentina, a country of 46 million people, remains locked out of global capital markets following its 2020 sovereign debt restructuring and has restructured or defaulted on obligations repeatedly this century. The country must meet $29 billion in foreign dollar debt repayments between October 2026 and the end of 2027. To maintain fiscal liquidity, Argentina previously secured emergency loans from the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in April 2026. A consortium of advisory consultancies assisting the government projects that the citizenship initiative could generate $2.5 billion in total revenue over the next five years.

Global mobility and market positioning

Government officials presented the passport program in Paris as an expansion of Argentina's international commercial integration.

Today Argentina is opening its arms to the many citizens of the world who want to invest, develop and deepen our path.

Argentina becomes the largest nation globally to establish a direct citizenship-by-investment system. The Argentine passport grants visa-free entry to more than 160 countries, offering broader global access than long-standing programs in Caribbean and South Pacific island nations. Armand Arton, chief executive of advisory firm Arton Capital, described the country's economic scale as a distinct proposition for global investors.

Having a G20 country with the size and opportunity that it represents, I think is a very different proposition than what it is on the market.

Security standards and domestic political scrutiny

To address integrity concerns, the Economy Ministry stated that all applicants will undergo rigorous evaluations designed to protect national security, safeguard financial systems, and maintain the international standing of Argentine passports. Citizenship sales have faced mounting international pushback, highlighted by the European Union's top court ruling Malta's citizenship program unlawful in 2025 and prohibiting such schemes across the bloc. Transparency campaigners have criticized similar schemes in the Caribbean and South Pacific for opening paths to corruption and security risks. Furthermore, because the executive introduced the policy without prior debate or approval in the Argentine Congress, Arton Capital noted the scheme risks becoming a point of domestic political dispute ahead of the presidential election in 2027.