Key facts
- Spouse: US$100,000.
- Children aged 18–25: US$100,000 each, only if single and without children of their own.
- Children under 18: US$25,000 each.
- Official example: principal + spouse + two minors = US$500,000 on the US$350,000 contribution route.
- Not included in the announced categories: parents, siblings, children over 25.
For most families, the question is not whether one person can obtain Argentina citizenship by investment, but whether the whole household can. The official release of 2 October 2026 answers part of that. It allows the spouse and children of the principal applicant to apply, at fixed amounts, and gives one worked example. It leaves several common situations unaddressed.
This guide explains who qualifies, what each person costs, where the edges of the rules are, and what happens to children born after the family becomes Argentine.
Who qualifies
The official release says the spouse and children of the principal applicant may apply. It sets three categories:
| Family member | Contribution | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Spouse | US$100,000 | — |
| Child aged 18–25 | US$100,000 each | Single and without children of their own |
| Child under 18 | US$25,000 each | — |
The government’s example is a principal applicant, a spouse and two children under 18, for a total of US$500,000. That is US$350,000 + US$100,000 + US$25,000 + US$25,000.
Spouses and partners
The release refers to the “cónyuge”, the spouse. It does not say whether an unmarried partner qualifies. Argentina’s migration authority recognises a cohabiting partnership (unión convivencial) for residence admissions under Disposición DNM 4880/2015, but the programme has not said whether it will do the same. If you are not married, wait for the detailed rules or take legal advice before you plan around a partner’s inclusion.
The 18–25 rule
Adult children are the most complex category. A child aged between 18 and 25 qualifies only if both of these are true:
- they are single; and
- they have no children of their own.
Three practical points follow.
Marriage or parenthood removes eligibility. On the announced terms, a 22-year-old who is married, or who has a child, is not a dependant under the programme, whatever their financial situation.
The age boundary is not yet defined in detail. The release says “between 18 and 25”. It does not say whether a child who has turned 25 but not 26 still qualifies, or whether age is measured on the date of application or the date of decision. If you have a child close to the limit, this matters.
The price is the same as for a spouse. At US$100,000, an adult child costs four times as much as a minor. For a family with a 17-year-old, the timing of the application could change the total.
We do not yet know what evidence of single status the Agency will want. Expect a sworn statement at minimum, and civil-registry records where your country issues them. Our requirements guide has a provisional document checklist.
What it costs: worked examples
The examples below use the confirmed amounts on Route I, the US$350,000 non-refundable contribution. The official release does not say how family members are priced on Route II, the US$800,000 bond. Where we show a bond-route figure, it assumes the same family contributions are paid on top of the bond. That is our assumption, not a published rule.
Example 1: a couple with two young children
Principal US$350,000, spouse US$100,000, two children under 18 at US$25,000 each.
Route I total: US$500,000. This is the government’s own example. On the bond route, assuming the same family contributions, the total would be US$1,000,000, of which US$800,000 is the bond.
Example 2: a couple with a university-age child and a teenager
Principal US$350,000, spouse US$100,000, a 21-year-old who is single and has no children US$100,000, a 15-year-old US$25,000.
Route I total: US$575,000.
Example 3: a widowed parent with three adult children
Principal US$350,000. The children are 19, 24 and 28. The 19-year-old and the 24-year-old are single and have no children, so each costs US$100,000. The 28-year-old is outside the announced categories.
Route I total for four people: US$550,000, leaving the eldest child without a place in the file. On the published terms, the eldest would appear to need an application of their own as a principal, at US$350,000. The government has not confirmed this.
Example 4: a couple whose 23-year-old is married
Principal US$350,000 and spouse US$100,000, total US$450,000. The married child does not qualify as a dependant. Their own spouse and children are not covered either.
For your own figures, use the family cost calculator on our home page. Our cost guide sets out every confirmed and unpublished cost.
Who is not covered
Children over 25, or married, or with children
These children are not covered by the announced categories. The published rules do not say what happens to them. The most likely reading is that each would need to qualify in their own right, as a principal applicant with their own investment. Until the Agency publishes detailed rules, treat that as an open question rather than a confirmed route.
Parents
Parents of the principal applicant or of the spouse are not included in the announced categories. A parent who wants Argentine citizenship would need a route of their own: a separate investment application, or ordinary naturalisation after two continuous years of legal residence under Ley 346.
Siblings
Siblings are not included in the announced categories either. The same alternatives apply.
Other routes to living in Argentina
Not every family member needs citizenship to live in Argentina. Nationals of countries that apply the Mercosur Residence Agreement, such as Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Uruguay, can obtain temporary residence for up to two years, which can later become permanent. Ordinary residence categories also exist under Argentina’s migration law. A lawyer can tell you which fits each relative.
Children born after you become Argentine
Many families ask what happens to children born after the grant. The answer depends on where the child is born.
Born in Argentina
Under Article 1 of Ley 346, everyone born on Argentine territory is Argentine, with narrow exceptions such as the children of foreign diplomats. A child born in Argentina to parents who obtained citizenship through investment is therefore Argentine by birth, in the same way as any other child born in the country.
That status has two consequences worth knowing. Argentine nationality by origin cannot be renounced, according to settled Argentine case law. And a child who is Argentine by origin may have access to benefits that naturalised citizens do not, such as Spain’s two-year residence route to Spanish nationality, which applies only to Ibero-American nationals by origin.
Born abroad
This is the harder case. Ley 346 allows children born abroad to native Argentines to opt for Argentine nationality. This is the procedure known as the “opción de nacionalidad”. The government’s own guidance describes the option as available to the children of Argentines who are “nativos o por opción”, that is, native-born or Argentine through the option themselves. It does not list children of naturalised Argentines. Argentine legal press reports that children of naturalised parents must instead apply for naturalisation.
Parents who obtain citizenship through investment are naturalised, not native. On the official guidance, a child born to them abroad would not appear to qualify for the option.
Two further points apply:
- Residence. Article 22 of Argentina’s migration law, Ley 25.871, recognises children born abroad to Argentines who are “native, naturalised or by option” as permanent residents, with free entry to the country. That text was itself introduced by DNU 366/2025, the decree now before the Supreme Court.
- Older provisions. Ley 346 still contains nineteenth-century rules on children of naturalised fathers (Articles 3 and 4), which link citizenship to enrolment in the National Guard. Their modern application is unclear, and we would not rely on them.
The programme itself has not said whether a child born after the grant can be added later as a dependant, and at what price. If you plan to have more children, ask your lawyer about the place of birth and the timing of your application.
Dual citizenship for children
Argentina allows dual and multiple citizenship. A child who becomes Argentine through the programme does not have to give up another nationality under Argentine law.
The question is whether the other country allows it. Some countries, including India, China and Indonesia, restrict dual citizenship, and the rules for minors can differ from those for adults. Check each nationality in the family separately. Our dual citizenship guide covers the main points.
Children who become Argentine through the programme are naturalised. Under Spain’s Civil Code, the two-year residence route to Spanish nationality applies only to Ibero-American nationals by origin, so naturalised Argentines, including children naturalised through the programme, do not benefit from it.
Travel for the whole family
Each family member who becomes Argentine can hold an Argentine passport, with visa-free or simplified access to about 170 destinations, including the Schengen Area. The United States and Canada still require visas. See our passport guide.
What to do now
- List every family member and check them against the three categories.
- Note any child close to 18 or 25, and any child likely to marry soon.
- Gather civil documents for each person, including evidence of single status for adult children.
- Check the dual-citizenship rules of every nationality in the family.
- Take legal advice on parents, siblings and older children, who will need their own routes.
Decisions about family structure and nationality are personal. Speak to a qualified adviser before you commit.
Sources
- Government of Argentina, official release on the launch of the citizenship by investment programme (2 October 2026)
- Ley 346, Argentine citizenship law (consolidated text)
- Government of Argentina, DNI with the Argentine nationality option (“hijos de argentinos nativos o por opción”)
- Cancillería Argentina, nationality option for children of native Argentines
- Ley 25.871 consolidated text, Article 22 as substituted by DNU 366/2025
- iProfesional, how to obtain Argentine citizenship: step-by-step guide for foreigners (30 June 2026)
- Abogados.com.ar, native Argentine nationality cannot be renounced
- Iberley, Article 22 of the Spanish Civil Code
- Quinterno Fidanza, Argentine citizenship and dual nationality
- Mercosur Residence Agreement (Argentine official text)
- Mondaq, what is the Mercosur Residence Agreement
- Perfil, Cámara Nacional Electoral ruling on DNU 366/2025