How to get Argentine citizenship: every route and timeline

How to get Argentine citizenship: in brief

In brief: a foreigner has three routes: naturalisation after two years of living in the country, naturalisation as the spouse or parent of a citizen, and citizenship by investment from $350,000 with no residence. Children born in Argentina are citizens from birth.

The table shows that the routes differ in timing and in the body that makes the decision. Naturalisation means a court and years of living in the country; the investment programme means checks by state agencies and a decision by the migration service, with no residence. Birth in the country gives the child citizenship immediately, and the parents the right to residence and then to naturalisation.

The choice of route depends on whether the family is prepared to live in Argentina. If so, naturalisation is cheaper: the main costs are living in the country, documents and a lawyer. If not, the investment programme remains. More about it in the article the cost of Argentine citizenship and on the programme page.

By birth

In brief: every child born in Argentina is a citizen of the country regardless of the parents' citizenship. The exception is children of foreign diplomats.

Article 1 of Citizenship Law No. 346 enshrines the right of the soil: everyone born in Argentina is a citizen, whatever the parents' citizenship. The child is registered with the civil registry and then receives a DNI and a passport from RENAPER. The first DNI for a newborn is issued free of charge; the passport carries a fee.

For the parents, the birth of an Argentine child is a basis for residence and a route to naturalisation. Until 2025, Decree 3213/84 allowed the parent of a citizen by birth to naturalise without a residence period. Decree 366/2025 removed this exception; since the Chamber's ruling, the courts apply the previous rules. Details in the articles giving birth in Argentina and the child's citizenship and what changed for parents after 2025.

By option: children of citizens

In brief: a child of an Argentine citizen by birth who was born abroad can opt for Argentine citizenship at a consulate or at RENAPER. The law does not give this route to children of naturalised citizens.

Decree 3213/84, as amended in 2004, simplified the option for citizenship: for a child under 18, the parents apply at an Argentine consulate; an adult applies in person. The consul checks the relationship and that the parent is a citizen by birth, and enters the child in the consulate's register. The option can also be exercised in Argentina, directly at RENAPER.

For an investor family this is an important limitation: a naturalised citizen, including one naturalised by investment, cannot pass citizenship by option to children born abroad after naturalisation. That is why all children are included in the application from the start. More in the article what Argentine citizenship gives you.

Naturalisation after two years

In brief: a foreigner aged 18 or over who has lived in Argentina for two consecutive years, has a lawful source of income and no criminal-record obstacles can apply for citizenship. The decision is made by a federal judge.

Under Law No. 346 and Decree 3213/84, the conditions for naturalisation are: age 18 or over, two years of continuous residence in the country, and a declaration of the wish to become a citizen before a federal judge. An application is refused if the applicant has no occupation or lawful means of support, is under criminal investigation in Argentina or abroad, or has been convicted of an intentional offence with imprisonment of more than three years and five years have not passed since the sentence ended.

The application is filed with the federal judge in the applicant's place of residence. Within three days the judge requests reports from the migration service, the police, the intelligence service, the national register of persons and the criminal records register, and on that basis issues a decision within 90 days. In practice it takes longer because of the courts' workload. A positive decision is formalised with a citizenship certificate, after which the new citizen receives a DNI and a passport.

The route begins with entry: citizens of Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan enter Argentina visa-free for 90 days. A residence permit is then obtained on one of the available grounds: rentista, work, study or family. From that moment the residence period starts to run. On the types of residence permit, see the article Argentine residence permit.

What Decree 366/2025 changed

Decree 366/2025 of 28 May 2025 transferred citizenship decisions to the migration service, required the two years of residence to be lawful, continuous and without leaving the country, and introduced a requirement of permanent residence at the time of application. It also narrowed the exceptions to the residence period. For applicants, this meant a longer route: temporary residence, then permanent residence, and only then citizenship.

On 30 June 2026, the National Electoral Chamber declared the decree null: citizenship is linked to voting rights, and the president cannot regulate those by decree. The Chamber returned decisions to federal judges and noted that migration categories do not in themselves determine whether the residence requirement is met. The government is appealing the ruling in the Supreme Court. Until there is a ruling, practice varies. Details in the article the legal basis and the court case over Decree 366/2025.

The comparison shows how different the competing sets of rules now are. For an applicant this is a matter of choosing the court, the timing and the documents, and the decision to apply is made in light of the practice of the particular court on the filing date.

Naturalisation without a residence period

In brief: Decree 3213/84 allows naturalisation without a residence period for spouses and parents of citizens by birth, as well as for those who have served in the armed forces, established an industry in the country, teach or have worked in public service.

The list of exceptions to the residence period in Decree 3213/84 is broad: service in the armed forces, public service, establishing a new industry in the country or a useful invention, teaching, living in remote territories, and having a spouse or child who is an Argentine citizen by birth. For years, families whose child was born in Argentina used this last ground: the parents applied for citizenship soon after the birth.

Decree 366/2025 narrowed the exceptions: what remains is military service and a significant business that has operated in the country for at least eight years. Under the decree, spouses and parents of citizens naturalise on general terms. Courts following the Chamber's ruling apply Decree 3213/84 in its previous form, but the final answer will come from the Supreme Court. More on marriage in the section below, and on childbirth in the article giving birth in Argentina.

Through marriage to a citizen

In brief: marriage to an Argentine citizen does not give citizenship automatically, but it does give the right to residence and, under Decree 3213/84, to naturalisation without a residence period. Under Decree 366/2025, the spouse naturalises on general terms.

The spouse of an Argentine citizen first obtains a residence permit on family reunification grounds. They then apply for citizenship: under the previous rules with no residence period, under the decree after two years. The marriage must be registered and, if concluded abroad, legalised in Argentina. The courts check that the marriage is genuine: living together, a shared household, the history of the relationship.

A marriage entered into solely for citizenship is grounds for refusal and for criminal prosecution. That is why evidence of a shared life is gathered in advance: a joint lease, joint accounts, photographs, correspondence.

By investment, without residence

In brief: the main applicant contributes $350,000 to the Treasury or buys an $800,000 bond. The application is reviewed by the Agency for Citizenship by Investment Programmes, and the decision is issued by the migration service. Applications open in Q4 2026.

The investment basis was introduced by the same Decree 366/2025: a significant investment replaces the residence requirement. Decree 524/2025 set out the procedure: an application to the Agency, verification of the investment and the applicant, opinions from the security services and financial intelligence, a recommendation and a decision by the migration service within 30 working days. For a spouse and for children aged 18 to 25 the contribution is $100,000 each, and for children under 18, $25,000 each.

Because the basis was introduced by a contested decree, its fate depends on a Supreme Court ruling or a law passed by Congress. BRIDGES recommends preparing documents and proof of funds, but transferring the contribution only after the regulations are published and the court position is clear. Details on the programme page and in the article Argentine citizenship for Russians.

Example: a family relocates on a rentista permit

In brief: a couple with a child enter visa-free, obtain a rentista residence permit based on rental income from a flat abroad, live in Buenos Aires for two years and apply for citizenship.

A family from Moscow lets out a flat and receives passive income that meets the threshold for rentista residence: five Argentine minimum wages a month, received through a bank. The couple enter Argentina visa-free, apply for temporary residence, receive permission to live and work while the application is pending, and then foreigners' identity cards. The two-year period runs from the date of residence.

After two years, the main applicant applies for citizenship to the federal judge in their place of residence, with documents on residence, income and criminal record certificates. The spouse files their own application: the marriage provides grounds for the simplified procedure under Decree 3213/84. A child born before the move obtains citizenship through a separate application by the parents. If a child is born to the family in Argentina during this time, they will be a citizen from birth.

Such a family's costs are two years of living in Buenos Aires, the residence application, translations and apostilles, and professional support. This is cheaper than the investment programme but requires relocation and patience. More about life in the country in the article living in Argentina.

Children when parents naturalise

In brief: in naturalisation, each family member over 18 files their own application. Children under 18 obtain citizenship under a separate procedure: the parents apply on their behalf, and the court checks the consent of both parents and the birth documents.

Law No. 346 treats naturalisation as a personal act: the court considers each adult's application separately. For minor children of naturalised parents the law provides separate grounds, and how they are applied depends on the court's practice. In the investment programme this is simpler: children under 25 are included in the main applicant's application for a set contribution.

That is why families with children plan in advance who applies and when, so that every family member has the documents and the residence period by the right date. If a child is about to turn 18, their application is prepared separately, as an adult's.

Documents for naturalisation

In brief: passport, foreigner's identity card, birth certificate with an apostille and translation, criminal record certificates from Argentina and the country of origin, proof of address and of income.

• Identity document. Passport of the country of citizenship and the foreigner's identity card in Argentina.
• Birth certificate. With an apostille and a translation by an Argentine sworn translator, certified by the College of Translators.
• Criminal record certificates. The Argentine one from the national register; the foreign one from the country of origin and from the countries where the applicant has lived in recent years.
• Proof of address. A certificate of residence or a lease agreement.
• Income. An employment contract, tax payments as a self-employed person, bank statements, rentista documents.
• Family documents. Marriage certificate and children's birth certificates, if they affect the basis of the application.

If a surname has changed in the documents or has been transliterated differently into Latin script, you will need documents on the change of name and a single spelling across all translations. Criminal record certificates are valid for a limited period, so they are ordered closer to the filing date.

How long it takes

In brief: naturalisation after residence takes at least two years of living in the country plus the court review, usually from several months to a year or more. The timing of the investment route will become clear once the regulations are published.

The overall naturalisation timeline is made up of the time needed to obtain a residence permit, two years of residence and the review of the application. Decree 3213/84 gives the judge 90 days to decide after receiving the reports, but the workload of the federal courts makes the review longer. RENAPER then issues the DNI and the passport, which takes from a few days to a few weeks depending on the fee tier.

For the investment programme, 30 working days have been announced for the migration service's decision after the Agency's recommendation. How long the checks before the recommendation will take is unknown. A comparison with other countries in the region is in the article Latin American citizenship.

Language and knowledge of the country

In brief: the law does not expressly set an exam, but judges check that the applicant can make themselves understood in Spanish. Decree 366/2025 introduced a requirement to know the language and the Constitution.

In the practice of the federal courts, the applicant speaks with the judge and court staff, and conversational Spanish is needed for that. There is no formal exam under the previous procedure. Decree 366/2025 introduced a requirement to know the official language and the Constitution, but, like the decree itself, its fate depends on the Supreme Court ruling.

No language requirements have been announced for the investment route. Documents for the Agency are translated into Spanish, and communication is handled by the applicant's representative. For a family that relocates, Spanish is needed in any case: for work, the children's schooling and everyday life.

Where applicants go wrong

In brief: they leave the country during the qualifying period, confuse a tourist stay with residence, apply with expired certificates and do not follow the dispute over the rules.

1. Counting tourist months as residence. The period runs from lawful residence.
2. Leaving for long periods during the qualifying period. Long absences break the continuity of residence.
3. Applying with expired certificates. Criminal record certificates are valid for a limited time.
4. Not following the dispute over Decree 366/2025. The filing rules depend on the court and the Supreme Court ruling.
5. Expecting citizenship through marriage automatically. Marriage gives the right to residence and simplified naturalisation, not citizenship.

What to check before you start

In brief: whether the family is ready to live in Argentina for two years, which residence basis is available, whether there are family grounds for simplified naturalisation, and what the budget is.

• Whether the family is ready to live in Argentina without long absences.
• Which residence basis is available: rentista, work, study or family.
• Whether there is a spouse or child who is an Argentine citizen by birth.
• Which court will review the application and what its practice is.
• Whether the investment programme is simpler if relocation is not planned: estimate.

All the rule changes of the year are collected in the article Argentine citizenship in 2026, and our review of the pros and cons of citizenship will help you weigh the decision.