Buenos Aires Province moves to charge foreigners for health and university

Lawmakers in the Buenos Aires Province legislature, led by La Libertad Avanza deputy Agustín Romo and supported by PRO deputy Alejandro Rabinovich, have introduced a bill that would require foreigners who do not have permanent residence in Argentina to pay for public hospital services and for undergraduate programs at provincial universities. The proposal stipulates that payment can be made through health insurance, a third‑party obligor, or direct payment, and that in emergency situations care cannot be denied, with any recovery of costs to occur after the patient is stabilised. Revenues would be earmarked for hospital infrastructure and supplies, while exemptions would apply to victims of human trafficking, vaccination campaigns and other public‑health measures. The initiative was presented in July 2026 amid a wave of social‑media criticism of the Argentine national football team, which some commentators described as an “anti‑Argentina campaign”. At the national level, the government has reaffirmed that Decree‑Law 366/2025, issued in May 2025, already permits public universities to charge non‑resident foreigners for degree programs, and officials say the provincial proposal could be used as a model for broader legislation. The bill is currently under political debate and has not yet been enacted.