Foreign nationals who make large investments in Argentina will be eligible to apply for Argentine citizenship. On Thursday, the government issued a decree that laid out the rules for the new program, which was established in President Javier Milei’s migration reform in May.

The investment pathway to citizenship went into effect on Thursday after the decree was published in the Official Gazette. The decree states that it applies for foreigners who have made a “significant investment.” The Economy Ministry will be in charge of deciding which investments meet this criteria, and will also have the power to create “specific investment projects” aimed at attracting those foreign investments.

The norm does not say how much foreign nationals will have to invest to be considered for  citizenship through this route.

In May, Milei added an article to the 1869 Citizenship Law allowing foreigners who make large investments to apply for citizenship. The process normally requires the individual to have been living in Argentina legally for at least two years.

However, applicants for citizenship through investment will be eligible no matter how long they have been living in Argentina, as long as they can show that they have made a “significant” investment that has been recognized as such by the Economy Ministry.

While Milei has given foreign investors the benefit of a faster route to citizenship, his migration reform made deportations easier, restricted migrants’ access to health and education, and added more requirements for other foreigners to obtain Argentine citizenship or permanent residency.

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How to apply for Argentine citizenship through investment

Decree 524/2025 established that investors wishing to access Argentine citizenship will have to apply for it before the newly-created Investment Citizenship Programs Agency, which depends on the Economy Ministry.

The agency will verify whether the applicant’s investment falls within the ministry’s requirements to be considered “significant.” Then, the agency will request technical reports on the individual from state offices and even private entities, in order to determine whether “granting citizenship to the applicant could potentially pose a risk to national security or national interests.”

State bodies that can be asked for information about the applicant include the Security Ministry, the Financial Information Unit (UIF, by its Spanish initials), the National Recidivism Registry, the National People’s Registry (RENAPER) and the State Intelligence Secretary (SIDE).

After receiving the reports, the agency will tell the National Migration Directorate whether it advises for or against approval of the individual’s application. Migration will then have 30 working days to decide whether to grant citizenship.

If the application is approved, the individual will also be granted a Unique Tax Identification Number (CUIT), which is required to carry out economic activities in the country.