Argentina has introduced a new citizenship-by-investment program aimed at attracting greater foreign capital amid declining economic inflows. Announced on Friday by President Javier Milei’s administration, the initiative offers citizenship to foreign nationals who invest a minimum of $350,000 in the country.
The program, designed to stimulate Argentina’s foreign direct investment, provides two primary options for applicants. Investors may either make a direct, non-refundable payment of $350,000 to the National Treasury or purchase a specially created government bond valued at $800,000. Spouses and children of applicants can also acquire citizenship under the scheme, with contributions set at $100,000 for spouses and $25,000 for minors.
According to the government, funds raised through the initiative will be allocated to reinforcing Argentina’s fiscal and financial stability. The Economy Ministry emphasized that all investments will go through a stringent evaluation process to ensure transparency, uphold national security, and prevent money laundering.
This move arrives after Argentina experienced the lowest foreign direct investment among major Latin American economies in 2025, according to data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The organization reported that Argentina attracted $3.134 billion in foreign direct investment last year, considerably less than Brazil’s $76.877 billion and Mexico’s $40.871 billion.
The citizenship program coincides with recent judicial developments regarding foreign ownership of land in Argentina. Earlier this week, the Supreme Court upheld a decree from 2023, signed by President Milei, which abolished a 15-percent cap on foreign ownership of rural land that had been in place since 2011. This ruling has sparked opposition from various groups, particularly war veterans from Argentina’s 1982 conflict with the United Kingdom over the Falkland Islands (referred to in Argentina as Las Malvinas), who have criticized the government for allegedly compromising national sovereignty.
Opposition parties have announced plans to challenge the recent changes to the land ownership regulations in the Argentine Parliament. Demonstrations are also scheduled for next week to protest the court’s decision and the government’s broader policy direction.
As Argentina seeks to reverse declining foreign investment trends, the new citizenship scheme and relaxation of foreign land ownership rules reflect a broader strategy by the Milei administration to attract international capital, though they continue to provoke debate over national interests and economic sovereignty.