Key facts
- Route I: US$350,000 non-refundable contribution to the National Treasury.
- Route II: US$800,000 subscription to a programme bond, reported to pay zero interest and to be held for seven years.
- Family: spouse US$100,000; single, childless children aged 18–25 US$100,000 each; children under 18 US$25,000 each.
- Official example: principal + spouse + two minors = US$500,000.
- Still unpublished (as of 2 October 2026): government fees, due-diligence fees and bond redemption terms.
On 2 October 2026 the Ministry of Economy published the first official price list for Argentina citizenship by investment. It is short. There are two ways in, a set of fixed amounts for family members, and one worked example. Everything else, from application fees to the small print of the bond, is still to come.
This page sets out what is confirmed, what is reported, and what is simply not known yet. Where we have had to make an assumption, we say so in the row or the sentence where it applies.
The two routes at a glance
The official release describes two investment options for the principal applicant.
| Route I: Treasury contribution | Route II: programme bond | |
|---|---|---|
| Amount | US$350,000 | US$800,000 |
| Nature | Direct, non-refundable payment to the National Treasury | Subscription to a public bond created for the programme |
| Do you get it back? | No | Expected, on maturity (terms not yet published) |
| Interest | Not applicable | Zero, according to Infobae |
| Holding period | Not applicable | Seven years, according to AP |
| Source | Official release | Official release; bond terms from press reports |
Route I: the US$350,000 contribution
This is the simpler of the two. You pay US$350,000 to the National Treasury and the money does not come back. It is a cost, not an asset. For most families who value certainty and liquidity, this is likely to be the reference price.
Route II: the US$800,000 bond
The second option is to subscribe to a public bond of US$800,000 “created specifically for the programme”, in the government’s words. The official release says nothing about interest, maturity or how the bond is repaid.
Two press reports fill part of the gap. Infobae describes the instrument as a “zero-rate” bond, meaning it pays no interest. The Associated Press reports that it must be held for seven years. Neither point appears in the government’s own text, so treat both as reported rather than confirmed until the bond’s terms are published.
Family add-ons
The principal applicant’s spouse and children may apply in the same file. The official amounts are:
| Family member | Contribution | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Spouse | US$100,000 | — |
| Child aged 18–25 | US$100,000 each | Must be single and have no children |
| Child under 18 | US$25,000 each | — |
The government has not announced a category for parents, siblings, or children over 25. For who qualifies and how the age rule works in practice, see our guide to family and dependants.
What families will pay: worked scenarios
The table below adds up the confirmed amounts for common family shapes. Route I totals use the official figures. The official release does not say how family members are priced on the bond route, so the Route II column assumes the same family contributions are paid on top of the US$800,000 bond. That is our assumption, not a published rule.
| Family | Route I total (confirmed amounts) | Route II total (assuming the same family contributions) |
|---|---|---|
| Single applicant | US$350,000 | US$800,000 |
| Single parent + 1 child under 18 | US$375,000 | US$825,000 |
| Couple | US$450,000 | US$900,000 |
| Couple + 1 child under 18 | US$475,000 | US$925,000 |
| Couple + 2 children under 18 | US$500,000 (official example) | US$1,000,000 |
| Couple + 3 children under 18 | US$525,000 | US$1,025,000 |
| Couple + 1 child aged 18–25 + 1 child under 18 | US$575,000 | US$1,025,000 |
| Couple + 2 children aged 18–25 | US$650,000 | US$1,100,000 |
How the rows are built (Route I): US$350,000 for the principal, plus US$100,000 for a spouse, plus US$100,000 for each eligible child aged 18–25, plus US$25,000 for each child under 18. For example, the couple with one young-adult child and one minor is 350,000 + 100,000 + 100,000 + 25,000 = US$575,000.
Two points are worth stating plainly. First, on Route II the family contributions would be a different kind of money from the bond: if they follow the Route I model, they are non-refundable, while the bond capital is expected to be repaid. Second, none of these totals include fees, which are discussed below.
To model your own family, use the family cost calculator on our home page.
The real cost of the bond: an opportunity-cost illustration
If the bond pays no interest, its economic cost is the return you give up by holding it instead of investing elsewhere. The illustration below assumes a seven-year hold, full repayment of US$800,000 at the end, no fees and no default. It is arithmetic, not a forecast and not investment advice.
Forgone return over seven years
The amount you would have at the end of seven years, if you had invested US$800,000 at an annual return r instead, is 800,000 × (1 + r)7. The forgone return is that amount minus the US$800,000 you get back:
Forgone return = 800,000 × ((1 + r)7 − 1)
| Alternative annual return | (1 + r)7 | Forgone return after 7 years |
|---|---|---|
| 4% | 1.047 = 1.315932 | 800,000 × 0.315932 ≈ US$252,745 |
| 5% | 1.057 = 1.407100 | 800,000 × 0.407100 ≈ US$325,680 |
| 6% | 1.067 = 1.503630 | 800,000 × 0.503630 ≈ US$402,904 |
Comparing like with like
The forgone return above is measured in year-seven dollars, while the US$350,000 contribution is paid today. To compare the routes fairly, put both on the same footing.
In today’s money. The value today of US$800,000 received in seven years is 800,000 ÷ (1 + r)7. At 4% that is about US$607,934, so the bond’s economic cost is about US$192,066. At 6% it is about US$532,046, so the cost is about US$267,954. Both are below the US$350,000 of Route I.
In year-seven money. US$350,000 paid today and not invested would have grown to 350,000 × 1.047 ≈ US$460,576 at 4%, or 350,000 × 1.067 ≈ US$526,271 at 6%. Again, both are higher than the bond’s forgone return at the same rate.
Break-even rate. The two routes cost the same in today’s money when 800,000 × (1 − 1 ÷ (1 + r)7) = 350,000. Solving gives (1 + r)7 = 800 ÷ 450 ≈ 1.7778, so r ≈ 8.6% a year. Below that alternative return, the bond is cheaper on paper for a single applicant; above it, the contribution is cheaper.
What the arithmetic leaves out
The bond only looks cheaper if several things go right. You need US$800,000 of liquid capital rather than US$350,000. You carry the credit risk of the Argentine state for the holding period. You may not be able to sell or pledge the bond early; the transfer rules are unpublished. Tax treatment in your own country may differ between a sunk contribution and a bond held at a loss of yield. And on our assumption, family members still add non-refundable amounts on top.
For these reasons, the choice between the routes is a personal one. Speak to a qualified financial and tax adviser before you decide.
Costs not yet published
As of 2 October 2026 the government has not published the following. We do not quote figures for any of them, because none have been announced.
- Government application or processing fees. Most programmes charge a per-applicant fee. Argentina has not set one yet.
- Due-diligence fees. The official release describes detailed background checks aligned with OECD and FATF standards. Who pays for them, and how much, is not yet known.
- Bond terms. Maturity, redemption mechanics, transferability and any costs of subscription are unpublished.
- Legal and advisory fees. These are set by private firms, not the government, and will vary with the complexity of your file.
- Documents, translations and apostilles. Birth and marriage certificates, police records and similar documents will likely need official translation into Spanish and an apostille or consular legalisation. The cost depends on your country and the number of family members.
- Passport and identity documents. Once citizenship is granted, the national identity card (DNI) and passport are issued by RENAPER for a fee. Fees for new citizens under this programme have not been specified.
When these figures appear, we will add them to this page and to our live updates.
What the cost does not buy you
Two points are often misunderstood.
Tax residence. According to PwC’s tax summary for Argentina, a person naturalised through investment is not treated as an Argentine tax resident solely because of that naturalisation. The ordinary residence rules apply. Citizenship and tax residence are separate questions, and you should check both with a tax adviser.
Legal certainty. On 30 June 2026 the Cámara Nacional Electoral declared DNU 366/2025, the decree that created the investment route to naturalisation, unconstitutional. The government has appealed to the Supreme Court and says the decree remains in force while the ruling is not final. No Supreme Court decision had been found as of 2 October 2026. Any money you commit carries this legal risk until it is resolved. Read our legal status briefing before you budget.
How Argentina’s price compares
At US$350,000 for a single applicant, Argentina costs more than the Caribbean donation programmes, whose 2026 minimums for a single applicant range from about US$200,000 (Dominica) to US$250,000 (St Kitts & Nevis). A like-for-like comparison has to include family pricing, processing time, the strength of the passport and legal risk, not only the headline figure. Our programme comparison sets these out side by side.
Sources
- Government of Argentina, official release on the launch of the citizenship by investment programme (2 October 2026)
- Boletín Oficial, Decreto 524/2025 (31 July 2025)
- Associated Press via ABC News, “Debt-saddled Argentina pitches golden passport scheme” (seven-year bond hold)
- Infobae, programme launch report (zero-rate bond)
- Perfil, how to obtain an Argentine passport (RENAPER)
- Dominica CBIU, Economic Diversification Fund
- Global Citizen Solutions, Caribbean CBI comparison
- PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries, Argentina, individual residence
- La Nación, government appeal to the Supreme Court (1 July 2026)
- Perfil, Cámara Nacional Electoral ruling on DNU 366/2025