Argentina Creates Citizenship Agency for $500,000 Investor Path as Milei Courts Wealthy Foreigners
Updated
Updated · Fortune · Jul 16
Argentina Creates Citizenship Agency for $500,000 Investor Path as Milei Courts Wealthy Foreigners
2 articles · Updated · Fortune · Jul 16
Summary
Decree 524/2025 created an Investment Citizenship Programs Agency, opening a route for foreigners to seek Argentine citizenship without first living in the country.
A draft structure under discussion would grant citizenship for about a $500,000 non-refundable donation or $1 million in zero-coupon government bonds, with advisers expecting the program to launch by year-end.
Buenos Aires is pitching scale and mobility: a 40 million-plus country with Vaca Muerta, lithium and farm exports, plus settlement rights across the nine-country Mercosur bloc.
Peter Thiel’s move to Buenos Aires has become a showcase for that strategy, as Milei’s government tries to turn billionaire interest into durable capital despite Argentina’s history of inflation, controls and defaults.
Advisers say demand is real—one survey of 1,800 Americans found 61% would consider leaving the U.S. within five years—but clients are largely waiting for final program terms.
With its direct citizenship plan stalled, can Argentina's alternative 'golden visa' still lure the world's top investors?
After courts blocked its billionaire passport plan, is Argentina’s dream of becoming a safe haven for the ultra-rich now dead?
Argentina’s $1 Million Citizenship-by-Investment Program: South America’s First Direct CBI and Mercosur Access Explained (2026)
Overview
Argentina is set to launch South America's first direct Citizenship-by-Investment (CBI) program, marking a major policy shift under President Javier Milei's administration. This initiative positions Argentina as a pioneer in the region by offering a direct path to citizenship in exchange for investment. The government is actively developing the program, showing a strong commitment to its implementation. The CBI program not only builds on Argentina's existing visa-free passport but also introduces valuable settlement rights across the nine-country Mercosur bloc, making it highly attractive to global investors seeking greater mobility and regional opportunities.