How to get Argentine residency in 2026

How the process works

The process takes 3-5 months and consists of several steps.

• The applicant comes to Argentina.
• Files the documents - translations and apostilles take about two weeks. The documents can be sent in advance, in which case the filing can be arranged within a few days of arrival.
• You have to stay in the country until you receive the residence card itself - that takes about 4 months.
• Once you have the card you can travel freely to the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean. Trips to other countries require a legal justification prepared by Murblz specialists - that is a separate service.

With residence and a local ID you can open an account at an Argentine bank: which bank details it gives you and how they differ is covered in our guide to bank and virtual account codes in Argentina.

Grounds for residence in 2026

An Argentine residence permit is granted on a ground the applicant chooses in the migration service's remote filing system. The most common are:

• employment with an Argentine company;
• rentier - living on your own funds and income from abroad;
• pensioner - a pension granted in another country;
• study at a recognised institution;
• scientific and academic work;
• family reunification with an Argentine citizen or resident;
• citizenship of a Southern Common Market country - a separate nationality-based ground.

Remote work for foreign clients has its own status, covered on the Argentina digital nomad visa page.

How much money you need for Argentine residency: grounds and thresholds

The threshold for a rentier and a pensioner is five Argentine minimum wages a month. In October 2026 that is about $1,300, and the amount rises every month until April 2027 together with the minimum wage. Income is measured in pesos, so when the peso weakens the dollar threshold can even fall.

The state fee total is the same and small everywhere: a migration fee of about $70 and a temporary permit renewal of about $10. The real costs are translations, apostilles and living in the country while the case is reviewed.

Does buying property give Argentine residency

No. A flat or house bought to live in is not a ground for residence in Argentina. Investor residence is granted for an investment in a productive, commercial or service project: you need a business plan and a bank transfer into the country, and buying a home does not fall into this category.

Property can still help, just differently. Rental income from a flat counts for a rentier if it reaches $1,300 a month. And your own home settles the address question, without which you cannot start filing.

The government announced citizenship by investment on 2 October 2026: $350,000 non-refundable or $800,000 in government bonds. But applications are not open yet, and there is no regulation with the amounts and no portal. What is known about the programme is in Argentine citizenship by investment.

How much Argentine residency costs: fees by item

• migration fee for temporary or permanent residence - about $70 for citizens of countries outside the Southern Common Market and about $35 for citizens of its member countries;
• children under 18 included in a family application pay no migration fee;
• renewal of the temporary permit while the case is pending - about $10;
• optional priority processing - about $35 more;
• fees for the identity card and the Argentine criminal record certificate - in the same filing system;
• apostilles and sworn translations of documents.

Total state fees for one adult from outside the South American common market come to about $80: the $70 fee and one $10 renewal of the temporary permit. Fees per the migration service table under Decree 584/2024, at 1,519 pesos per dollar on 6 October 2026, rounded up. Our manager calculates the cost of our support in the chat.

Documents and where to get them

1. Passport and proof of legal entry - the entry stamp or an entry certificate.
2. Birth certificate - apostilled in the issuing country and translated into Spanish.
3. Criminal record certificates from the countries where you lived in the last 3 years - apostilled and translated.
4. Argentine criminal record certificate - requested directly in the filing system.
5. Proof of address - for example a certificate of residence; how to get one is covered in our article on the certificate of residence.
6. Documents for your ground: an employment contract, proof of income from abroad, a pension, enrolment or kinship.

Translations are made by a sworn translator registered in Argentina and certified by the translators' association.

How to get approved without delays

• foreign documents without an apostille or a sworn translation;
• criminal record certificates missing for some countries where you lived in the last 3 years;
• the system cannot see your legal entry into the country;
• the temporary permit was not renewed in time while the case was pending;
• the ground is not documented, for example income from abroad does not show in statements.

Who can apply: rules by citizenship

Argentina's migration rules have no separate restrictions for any citizenship, including Russia and Belarus: grounds, documents and fees are the same as for other countries outside the South American common market. Citizens of many countries enter visa-free for up to 90 days.

Difficulties arise with money and documents. For the rentier and pensioner grounds, income must arrive through banks supervised by Argentina's Central Bank, so choose in advance a bank that can transfer money to Argentina. A police certificate from your country of citizenship needs an apostille and a sworn translation and is ordered close to filing so that it does not expire.

Taxes for residence holders

A foreigner living in Argentina for reasons other than work becomes tax resident from the 13th month of stay. Residents pay tax on worldwide income, so plan before moving where and how your income will be taxed. More on the Argentina taxes page.

From residence to an Argentine passport in 2 years

Residence in Argentina is not the goal but the entry ticket. Under Law 346 you can apply for citizenship after 2 years of continuous life in the country: a federal judge reviews the application, with no court fee. That is faster than Uruguay and Paraguay with their 3 years and Brazil with 4.

Argentina does not require giving up your previous citizenship, so a foreigner with an Argentine passport legally remains a citizen of their country. The courts are busy, though: review takes from a year to 2-5 years. All stages, timelines and risks are on Argentine citizenship.

What changes in 2026

Under the migration service's March 2026 guide, the whole family can be included in one application, and children under 18 pay no migration fee. A priority appointment is available for an extra fee, and the temporary permit can be renewed online no earlier than 15 days before it expires. On 30 June 2026 the National Electoral Chamber declared void Decree 366/2025, which had changed the migration law and the naturalisation procedure; the government's appeal awaits a Supreme Court ruling.

Comparison with neighbouring countries

Advantages of an Argentine residence permit

How to get the residence permit: step by step

FAQ