Requirements and process
Requirements and application process
The procedure combines an investment evaluation, security and financial checks and a reasoned decision by the Dirección Nacional de Migraciones. Preparation determines the outcome.
Requirements for the main applicant
Neither the decree nor the announcement contains a closed list of requirements. From the texts in force and the announcement it follows that the main applicant must:
- be a foreign national holding a valid passport;
- make a “relevant investment” as defined by the Ministry of Economy — according to the announcement, the contribution or the bond;
- prove the lawful origin and traceability of the funds through the formal financial system;
- pass the identity, criminal-record, reputational and security checks;
- not represent a risk to national security or the national interest, according to the reports of the bodies consulted.
No minimum period of residence in Argentina is required for this route, nor knowledge of Spanish, nor a physical presence requirement, according to the texts published so far. The implementing rules may add requirements.
Due diligence
Decree 524/2025 (art. 3) provides that, if the investment meets the requirements, the Agency will request reports from the Ministry of National Security, the Financial Information Unit (UIF), the National Registry of Criminal Records, RENAPER, the State Intelligence Secretariat (SIDE) and any other public or private body it considers necessary. The announcement adds that the checks will follow OECD and FATF standards and will cover:
- identity verification;
- lawful origin and traceability of funds;
- asset and financial analysis;
- jurisdictional risk;
- criminal and reputational background;
- migration history.
If the investment is not relevant or any body consulted advises against it, the Agency’s report must propose rejection.
Source of funds: what is usually needed
Source-of-funds evidence is not a bank balance: it must explain how the money was generated and how it reached the account from which it will be paid. Depending on the case, it usually includes:
- employment income: contracts, payslips and tax returns;
- business income: company documents, financial statements, dividend resolutions;
- sale of assets: deeds, contracts of sale and proof of payment;
- inheritance or gifts: succession documents, gift deeds and the donor’s own source of funds;
- investments: brokerage statements and history of the positions sold;
- a coherent chain of bank statements showing the movements.
The Anti-Money-Laundering Law 25.246 and the regulations of the UIF apply to the institutions involved in the transfers.
Indicative document checklist
| Document | Who | Formalities |
|---|---|---|
| Valid passport | Every applicant | Copy of all pages; validity during the process |
| Birth certificate | Every applicant | Apostille + sworn translation |
| Marriage certificate | Spouse | Apostille + sworn translation |
| Criminal record certificates | Adults, every country of nationality and of residence in recent years | Recent issue, apostille + translation |
| Proof of address | Main applicant | Recent |
| Source-of-funds file | Main applicant (and donors, if any) | Organised and consistent |
| Parental consent / custody | Children under 18 | Notarised, apostilled and translated |
| Proof of payment | Main applicant | Only through the official channel |
Indicative list prepared by the firm. The official list will be set by the Agency (Decree 524/2025, art. 6).
Procedure step by step
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Preliminary assessment
We review nationality, residence, family composition, background and the dual-nationality rules of your current country before you commit any funds.
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Engagement and document plan
Written engagement, conflict check and a checklist adapted to each family member: civil records, criminal records, apostilles and sworn translations.
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Source-of-funds file
We organise evidence of the lawful origin, ownership and traceability of the funds that will be used.
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Official payment channel
Funds are paid only to the account or instrument designated in the official rules. Never to intermediaries.
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Filing with the Agency
The application is filed with the Agencia de Programas de Ciudadanía por Inversión when the channel is open. The Agency evaluates the investment and requests security and financial reports.
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Decision by Migraciones
The Agency sends a reasoned report to the Dirección Nacional de Migraciones, which must decide within 30 business days of receiving it.
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After the decision
If approved: naturalisation certificate, national identity card (DNI), passport and tax ID (CUIT). If refused: review of the reasons and available remedies.
Deadlines and administrative delay
The only deadline set by Decree 524/2025 is the one for Migraciones: 30 business days from receipt of the Agency’s report (art. 4). The decree does not set deadlines for the Agency’s own evaluation or for the reports of the bodies consulted. The overall duration is therefore unknown and should not be presented as “citizenship in 30 days”.
If the administration fails to decide within the applicable deadlines, the National Administrative Procedure Law (Law 19.549, amended by Law 27.742) provides tools such as a formal request to expedite and the amparo por mora, a judicial action to order the administration to decide.
Approval or refusal
If approved, Migraciones issues the naturalisation certificate and coordinates with RENAPER the issue of the national identity card (DNI) (art. 6 of Law 346, as amended). ARCA must enable the tax identification number (CUIT) for the new citizens (Decree 524/2025, art. 5). The passport is then requested.
If refused, the decision must state its reasons. Depending on its content, the remedies of the administrative procedure (reconsideration and hierarchical appeal) and judicial review before the federal courts are available. See the remedies section of our legal guide.