Argentina to launch citizenship‑for‑investment scheme later this year

The Argentine government plans to introduce a citizenship‑by‑investment programme before year‑end, allowing wealthy foreigners to obtain a passport by making a non‑refundable contribution of about US$500,000 or by buying roughly US$1 million of zero‑coupon Argentine government bonds. The proposal is part of President Javier Milei’s strategy to draw foreign capital as the country seeks new financing to meet large debt repayments and remains largely shut out of international capital markets since its 2020 sovereign‑debt restructuring.

If approved, Argentina would become one of the largest nations offering a CBI scheme, granting visa‑free or visa‑on‑arrival access to nearly 170 destinations. The plan follows recent changes to Argentina’s citizenship rules, which are currently facing legal challenges over constitutional authority. Critics argue that citizenship regulation resides with Congress, not the executive, and warn of security and governance risks. “There is simply nothing else like Argentina in the citizenship‑by‑investment market,” said Eric Major, chief executive of Latitude Group, which advised the government. Immigration lawyer Paula Carello warned that “the many risks associated with this type of programme outweigh the benefits for a country of its size and profile.”