Good news and bad news from Argentina
It would appear that:
- They just killed the Argentina Citizenship by Investment program. We kept telling clients on CBI calls to not get too excited about this, seeing Argentina’s track record of implementing anything.
- One can now leave Argentina for a few weeks or months during the two years of residency that count towards citizenship. Milei’s previous reforms resulted in people being denied citizenship if they left Argentina even for a single day during the two years of residency.
We discuss this together with Martin.
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The Wandering Investor
Services in Argentina:
Articles on Argentina:
- Buenos Aires Real Estate Market: 2026 Investor Guide
- Real estate Bull Market in Buenos Aires – how to invest?
- Removal of capital controls in Argentina – impact on Buenos Aires real estate market
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Transcript of “Breaking News on Argentina Citizenship by Investment – Is It Happening?”
LADISLAS MAURICE: Hello everyone. Today we have breaking news with regards to the roller coaster that is Argentine immigration and we’ll be discussing this with immigration attorney Martin. Martin, how are you?
MARTIN: All good, all good. Thank you for having me. Well, it is, it is a roller coaster. We’ve had very exciting two weeks with court rulings that are changing pretty much everything we know. We have good news and bad news regarding citizenship.
LADISLAS MAURICE: All right, let’s start with the good news.
Changes to physical stay requirement for citizenship in Argentina
MARTIN: So, good news is for those that remember our last video, they’ve been following attentively and closely, you used to need starting last year, the immigration department would take care of citizenships, but in order to apply, you needed two years without leaving the country a single day. A court ruling has now said that this is unconstitutional and we are expecting courts to retake the citizenship applications in its entirety and we are also expecting this two-year imprisonment rule to disappear for good. Well, those are great news.
LADISLAS MAURICE: Yeah, it was pretty crazy. I mean, you know, if your mom died and you had to fly back to Europe or something, you know, for a week, too bad for your application.
MARTIN: Many of the people who consulted, you know, they would say, I love Argentina, a great place I’ve visited, I’m not ready to commit for two years without leaving and it made perfect sense. It was a very poorly designed policy.
LADISLAS MAURICE: So, interesting again for people who want a relatively fast and affordable citizenship by living in Argentina, you can now go on vacation apparently, if the if the court ruling is really implemented.
Accelerated citizenship path through marriage or giving birth in Argentina
MARTIN: You know what else came back and this is very important. If the decree is voided, and it seems that it has been voided and will be voided with a general effect, citizenship or shortened or accelerated citizenship through marriage to an Argentinian citizen or by having an Argentinian baby will be back on the table. So those who were planning to maybe have a baby in Argentina, may want to contact us and you know, figure the strategy out.
Appealing the denial of Argentine citizenship based on the new court rulings
LADISLAS MAURICE: Okay. Oh, that’s great news. And then I imagine people that got their citizenship application denied, of which there were a few, could on that basis essentially appeal that decision, right?
MARTIN: Yes and no. Probably they will have to reapply, but with these newer court rulings, their citizenship application will be granted second time.
LADISLAS MAURICE: So, all good news. What is the bad news?
Current obstacles for Argentina Citizenship by Investment Program
MARTIN: Well, the bad news is for all of us who have been waiting eagerly for the citizenship by investment program to launch, it seems that it has been not killed, I mean the policy would be there. The government is clearly interested in doing this, but the vehicle that was doing it has been severely wounded, to say the least. The court ruling basically said, listen: if you want to give people voting rights, which you give them through citizenship, you need to do this by the Congress. There is express constitutional limitation for the president to handle people or to modify how people access voting and since you’re getting the passport, which comes with citizenship, which comes with voting rights, the decree has been voided. So, it could be challenged on these grounds.
LADISLAS MAURICE: Look, uh we had a lot of clients that were interested in the Argentina citizenship by investment program and we always told them, it’s a long shot, you know, it may happen, but it’s very doubtful that it’ll happen in the timelines that were promised by the government and what we’ve seen is just a complete circus with regards to the citizenship by investment program in Argentina. You know, I even wonder, will they ever pull it off? I don’t know. Yeah, people are hoping for an Argentine CBI. They should look elsewhere.
MARTIN: We’ve discussed this before, uh, you know, Argentina is a country that needs investment. It’s openly saying that it needs investment. So maybe an option for residency by investment, which by the way, is in the law, has been passed by the Congress, will face no legal challenge, will also be very interesting for policy makers to launch while we also wait for CBI as well.
Ways to obtain residency in Argentina
LADISLAS MAURICE: All right, so quick reminder, Martin, what are the different ways you help your clients obtain residency in Argentina?
MARTIN: Well, we have three main ways to get residency in Argentina. The first one we family ties, right? Marry an Argentinian citizen, or another resident, enter a civil union, have an Argentinian child, that will get you residency. It used to be temporary, it may be permanent residency again. We don’t know. We have residency through financial means. It could be a pension or a documented promise of income, you know, rental agreements or a trust fund, they are sending you money. It’s a very low amount, $1,500 a month, more or less, per person. You could also use a lump sum of money, a legal transaction, you know, money we could trace back to real estate sale or a big payment you’ve received from your company’s distributions.
And finally, we have a very popular option, sponsored activities like going taking two hours of Spanish lesson will also get you residency in Argentina. Of course, not all residencies are just as powerful, but this is worth exploring.
LADISLAS MAURICE: Look, and the reality is in spite of all the politicians and the politicking and, you know, all the back and forth, life is still as lovely as it was in Argentina. It’s still a great lifestyle option.
How to contact Martin to obtain residency in Argentina
LADISLAS MAURICE: So if you’re interested in obtaining residency in Argentina, there’s a link below for more information and to get in touch with Martin. He’s helped dozens of our clients obtain residency in Argentina. And if you wanted the Argentine CBI, you’re waiting and now you see that it’s probably going to take longer than you wanted, you can also get in touch with us for a free consultation regarding citizenship by investment. All right, Martin, thank you very much.
MARTIN: Bye.
LADISLAS MAURICE: Make sure to download my free e-book, 12 Mistakes to Avoid When Investing in International Real Estate, which you can find on my website, link below and feel free to follow me on Instagram @thewanderinginvestor. I look forward to hearing from you.
