Argentina unveils $350,000 investment scheme for citizenship

Buenos Aires: Argentine President Javier Milei's administration announced a $350,000 investment scheme for citizenship on Friday. South America's second-largest economy recorded the lowest levels of foreign direct investment among major Latin American nations in 2025, according to the OECD. The new Citizenship by Investment Program offers two straightforward avenues for acquiring an Argentine passport.

Investors can either contribute a non-refundable $350,000 to the National Treasury or purchase a $800,000 government bond specifically designed for the program. Spouses and children of applicants can also obtain citizenship by contributing $100,000 to the Treasury (or $25,000 for those under 18). The funds generated will bolster the fiscal and financial standing of the Argentine Republic.

The government assured that investments will undergo a rigorous evaluation process, ensuring traceability of funds, prevention of money laundering, and safeguarding national security. This initiative follows the Supreme Court's decision to lift the cap on foreign ownership of rural land, a law that veterans of Argentina's 1982 Falkland Islands war opposed.

The court upheld a 2023 decree by Milei repealing the 15-percent limit on foreign land ownership, which dates back to 2011. Demonstrations are planned next week to protest the change in land ownership law, which the opposition aims to thwart in Parliament. According to the OECD, Argentina received $3.134 billion in foreign direct investment last year, a small fraction of the $76.877 billion attracted by Brazil and the $40.871 billion secured by Mexico.