Argentina has set the cost of its citizenship by investment program at a $350,000 contribution, with applications expected to open in the fourth quarter of 2026. The contribution won't be refundable. Economy Minister Luis Caputo announced the terms Oct. 2 at Argentina Week in Paris.
The announcement fills the gap AER flagged when it first covered Argentina's citizenship by investment program. At the time, the decree and the agency existed but the price did not, and relocation firms were marketing an unofficial $500,000 minimum. The official entry point is $350,000. Under the new terms, $500,000 is what a family of four would pay.
Why the idea started with a trip to Idaho
The idea has an American connection. Caputo traced it to President Javier Milei's July 2024 visit to Sun Valley, Idaho, where technology executives expressed interest in Argentine citizenship, the Associated Press reported.
The announcement now puts prices on that interest for applicants and their families. Approval would still depend on government screening.
What Argentina citizenship by investment costs a family
A spouse would add $100,000 to the principal applicant's contribution. Each child under 18 would add $25,000. A couple with two children under 18 would face a $500,000 total.
Children ages 18-25 would cost $100,000 each and must be unmarried with no children of their own. The announcement doesn't list any application or due diligence fees.
Applicants could instead subscribe to an $800,000 government security created for the program. The AP reported the bond must be held for seven years. The government's announcement doesn't specify its yield or repayment terms.
How applicants would be screened
Argentina built the legal framework before announcing prices. Decree 366/2025, issued May 28, 2025, amended the citizenship law so foreigners who make a qualifying investment can naturalize regardless of how long they've lived in Argentina. Decree 524/2025, published July 31, 2025, set the procedure. Neither makes approval automatic.
The Agency for Citizenship by Investment Programs first determines whether an investment qualifies. It then asks the Ministry of Security, the Financial Information Unit, the state intelligence secretariat and other bodies whether granting citizenship could pose a risk to national security or national interests.
The agency sends its recommendation to the National Directorate of Migration, which decides whether to grant citizenship. If the investment doesn't qualify or any reviewing body advises against citizenship, the agency must recommend rejection.
How long would approval take?
The decree gives the National Directorate of Migration 30 working days to grant or reject an application after receiving the agency's report. That clock starts only after the investment and security reviews.
It doesn't establish a 30-working-day process from application to citizenship. The decree sets no deadline for the agency's review or for the security agencies' reports.
What this means for Americans considering Argentine citizenship
Americans now have a price list, not an open program. The decree leaves the agency to issue the rules governing applications and reviews, and the Oct. 2 announcement didn't include them.
Because the route doesn't require living in Argentina, a U.S. buyer could hold an Argentine passport without leaving home. Future approval numbers therefore won't measure how many Americans actually move.
Argentina's 2022 census counted about 14,000 U.S.-born residents, and that population would grow only if buyers relocate.
