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Argentina dual citizenship: keeping both passports

Argentina will not ask you to give up your current nationality. Whether you can keep it depends on your own country's law, and that is where most of the real answers lie.

Updated 10 min readSourced from official announcements

Key facts

  • Argentina's position: dual and multiple nationality are allowed. Naturalised citizens do not have to renounce their original nationality.
  • Your home country decides the rest: India, China, Japan, Singapore and Indonesia, among others, generally end citizenship when a citizen voluntarily acquires another.
  • Spain and Italy: both allow their nationals to become Argentine without losing their own nationality.
  • Border rule: Argentina expects its citizens to identify as Argentine when entering and leaving the country.
  • Legal caveat: the decree behind the investment programme is under appeal at the Supreme Court.

“Does Argentina allow dual citizenship?” is the question we hear most after “what does it cost?”. The first half of the answer is simple. The second half depends entirely on the passport you already hold.

Does Argentina allow dual citizenship?

Yes. Argentina allows dual and multiple nationality. A foreigner who becomes Argentine through naturalisation, including through the Argentina citizenship by investment programme, is not required to renounce an existing nationality.

Argentina’s citizenship law, Ley 346 of 1869, recognises three routes to nationality: birth, option (for children of Argentines born abroad) and naturalisation. The investment programme is a form of naturalisation. It is based on DNU 366/2025, which lets the government naturalise a foreigner who makes a “relevant investment” regardless of time spent living in the country.

Legal caveat. On 30 June 2026 the Cámara Nacional Electoral declared DNU 366/2025 unconstitutional. The government is appealing to the Supreme Court and says the decree stays in force while the ruling is not final. See our legal status page.

The question that matters more: your home country’s rules

Argentina’s permission is only half of the picture. Many countries end citizenship automatically when a citizen voluntarily acquires another one. Others require permission in advance or notification afterwards. Argentina cannot override that.

The table below summarises the position for nationalities that commonly consider second citizenship. It is a starting point, not legal advice: rules change, and exceptions often depend on how and when you acquired your current nationality. Confirm with a lawyer in your home country before you apply.

Home country Can you keep it after becoming Argentine? Notes
United States Yes Dual nationality is permitted. Loss of US citizenship requires an intention to relinquish it.
United Kingdom Yes No permission needed.
Canada Yes Automatic loss on acquiring another nationality was abolished in 1977.
Australia Yes Allowed since 4 April 2002.
Germany Yes Allowed without restriction since 27 June 2024.
Italy Yes Italians acquiring another nationality on or after 16 August 1992 generally keep Italian citizenship.
Spain Yes, for Argentina Acquiring the nationality of an Ibero-American country does not cause loss of Spanish nationality of origin (Art. 24.1 Civil Code).
Brazil Yes Since a constitutional amendment in October 2023, acquiring another nationality no longer causes loss of Brazilian nationality.
Mexico Yes, for Mexicans by birth Mexicans by birth cannot lose their nationality (since 1998). Naturalised Mexicans can.
Nigeria Yes, for citizens by birth Dual nationality is permitted for Nigerians by birth.
South Africa Yes On 6 May 2025 the Constitutional Court struck down the rule that removed citizenship from South Africans who took another nationality without permission. Parliament could legislate again.
Russia Yes, with notification Russians must notify the authorities of a second citizenship within 60 days; failure is a criminal offence. Russia treats its citizens as Russian only.
Türkiye Yes, with notification Turkish citizens must inform the authorities (usually through a consulate) after acquiring another nationality.
Egypt Only with permission An Egyptian needs permission by decree of the Minister of the Interior before acquiring another nationality.
Saudi Arabia Only with permission Prior permission of the Prime Minister is required; without it, Saudi nationality can be withdrawn.
United Arab Emirates Generally no The 1972 nationality law provides for withdrawal of citizenship from an Emirati who acquires a foreign one. The 2021 reform let selected foreigners become Emirati without giving up their nationality; it did not change this rule for Emiratis.
Pakistan Only with listed countries Pakistan allows dual nationality with a list of about 22 countries, including the UK, US, Canada, Australia and several EU states. Argentina is not on the list.
Ukraine Only with listed countries A 2025 law allows multiple citizenship only with states on a government list, which reached 34 countries by June 2026. We have not been able to confirm whether Argentina is included.
Vietnam Restricted Vietnam follows a single-nationality principle, but acquiring a foreign nationality does not automatically end Vietnamese citizenship. Seek specific advice.
India No Voluntarily acquiring another citizenship ends Indian citizenship automatically. Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) gives lifelong residence and work rights, but it is not citizenship.
China (PRC) No China does not recognise dual nationality. Chinese nationals settled abroad lose PRC nationality automatically on voluntarily acquiring another.
Japan No Voluntary acquisition of a foreign nationality ends Japanese nationality automatically.
Singapore No Singapore citizenship is lost on voluntarily acquiring another citizenship.
Indonesia No Voluntarily obtaining another nationality is a ground for losing Indonesian citizenship.

What “no” really means

For nationals of India, China, Japan, Singapore and Indonesia, becoming Argentine will, in law, end your current citizenship. That has consequences well beyond travel: property ownership, inheritance, business licences, residence rights and access to public services at home can all be affected. Some of these can be managed (India’s OCI status, for example), others cannot.

For these families, Argentine citizenship is a decision to change nationality, not to add one. The comparison page explains why some choose a residence programme instead.

Permission and notification countries

Egypt and Saudi Arabia expect you to ask first. Russia and Türkiye expect you to tell them afterwards. In each case the risk of getting it wrong is not theoretical, and in Russia’s case it is criminal. Build the step into your timeline before you file in Argentina.

List-based countries

Pakistan and Ukraine permit dual nationality only with named states. Pakistan’s list does not include Argentina. Ukraine’s has expanded quickly during 2026; check the current list before you proceed.

Spain and Italy: the two treaties

Argentina has long-standing dual-nationality arrangements with the two European countries most closely tied to its population.

Spain

The Spain–Argentina Convention on Dual Nationality dates from 1969, with a Protocol signed in 2001. In addition, Spanish law itself states that acquiring the nationality of an Ibero-American country, Argentina included, is not enough to cause the loss of Spanish nationality of origin. A Spaniard who becomes Argentine through investment therefore keeps Spanish nationality.

The reverse route is narrower than many people assume. Spain’s Civil Code allows nationals of Ibero-American countries to apply for Spanish nationality after only two years of legal residence, instead of the usual ten. That shortcut applies to nationals by origin. A person who became Argentine by naturalisation, including through the investment programme, does not qualify and remains on the ten-year track. An Argentine passport obtained by investment is not a fast route to Spain.

Italy

The Italy–Argentina convention dates from 1971, with an Additional Protocol of 2005. Since Italy’s nationality law of 1992, Italians who acquire another nationality generally keep Italian citizenship. For an Italian investor, becoming Argentine does not put Italian (and so EU) citizenship at risk.

Native Argentine nationality cannot be renounced

One feature of Argentine law surprises many families. Argentine nationality acquired by birth cannot be renounced. Argentina’s courts have confirmed this in a plenary ruling.

This matters for the next generation. A child born in Argentina is Argentine by birth under Ley 346, whatever the parents’ nationality, and will remain Argentine for life in Argentina’s eyes. If your home country restricts dual nationality, take advice before planning a birth in Argentina. Our family guide covers children included in an investment application.

Entering and leaving Argentina as a dual national

Argentina expects its citizens to identify as Argentine at its own border. The Dirección Nacional de Migraciones applies detailed rules, which depend on two things: whether you live in Argentina, and whether your other country has a dual-nationality treaty with Argentina.

For an investor-citizen whose other nationality is from a country without such a treaty:

  • If you do not live in Argentina: you may enter on your foreign passport, which is stamped “ARGENTINO – 180 DÍAS”. You may leave on that passport if your stay has not exceeded 180 days. Beyond that, you need Argentine travel documents to leave.
  • If you live in Argentina: you must leave on a valid Argentine travel document. You may re-enter on a foreign passport that records your Argentine status, but later departures again require Argentine documents.

Treaty countries, such as Spain and Italy, follow separate rules. In practice, the simplest approach is to carry your Argentine DNI or passport whenever you travel to or from Argentina, and your other passport for everywhere else. The DNI alone is enough for travel within most of South America; see our passport guide.

Your other country may have mirror-image rules about which passport its citizens must show at its own border. Check them, and plan to travel with both.

Other practical points

  • Tax. Argentina taxes on residence, not citizenship. People naturalised through investment are not treated as Argentine tax residents solely because of their naturalisation; the ordinary residence tests apply. Your home country’s tax rules are unaffected by Argentine citizenship, unless it is one of the few that taxes by citizenship.
  • Consular help. In a country of which you are also a national, that country may treat you only as its own citizen. Argentine consular help may be limited there.
  • Public office. Some countries bar dual nationals from certain public posts. If you hold or plan to hold office at home, check before applying.
  • Documents. Keep both nationalities’ documents valid. A lapsed foreign passport can complicate exit from Argentina; a lapsed DNI can complicate passport renewal.

Every one of these points depends on personal circumstances. Speak to a qualified adviser in each country concerned, or request a private briefing and we will point you to the right people.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

Does Argentina allow dual citizenship?

Yes. Argentina permits dual and multiple nationality, and people who naturalise as Argentines are not required to renounce their existing citizenship.

Can a US citizen become Argentine and keep US citizenship?

Yes. US law permits dual nationality and does not treat acquiring another citizenship as giving up US citizenship unless the person intends to relinquish it. Argentina does not require renunciation either.

Will I lose my Indian or Chinese citizenship if I become Argentine?

Very likely, yes. Indian and Chinese nationality law both treat the voluntary acquisition of another citizenship as ending the original one. Indian nationals can apply for Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) instead, which is a residence status rather than citizenship.

Can a naturalised Argentine use Spain's two-year route to Spanish citizenship?

No. Spain's shortened two-year residence period applies to nationals of Ibero-American countries by origin. People who became Argentine by naturalisation, including through investment, need the standard ten years.

Must I use my Argentine passport to enter and leave Argentina?

Generally, yes. Argentine migration rules expect Argentines to identify as Argentines at the border. A non-resident dual national of a country without a treaty with Argentina can enter on a foreign passport and leave on it if the stay does not exceed 180 days; residents must leave on Argentine documents.

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