Official · 02.10.2026Argentina announces South America's first Citizenship by Investment Programme→
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A second passport for Mexicans: what Argentina really adds

Mexicans keep their nationality when they naturalise elsewhere. The harder question is what a US$350,000 Argentine passport gives a Mexican family that its own passport does not.

Updated 7 min readSourced from official announcements

Key facts

  • Mexico allows dual nationality for Mexicans by birth (Constitution, Art. 37; Nationality Law of 1998).
  • Travel gain is modest: Mexico 156 destinations, Argentina 169 (Henley Passport Index, July 2026).
  • Mercosur residence rights apply to naturalised Argentines only after 5 years of Argentine nationality.
  • Cost: US$350,000 non-refundable, or a US$800,000 bond. Applications open in Q4 2026.
  • The decree behind the programme is under appeal at the Supreme Court. See legal status.

Mexican clients rarely ask us about visas. Their passport already opens Europe, the United Kingdom and Japan. They ask about something else: a second legal home in the region, a plan B that does not depend on one government, and a structure that covers the whole family.

Argentina citizenship by investment can serve those goals. It will not change how you travel to the United States.

Mexican nationality law permits it

Mexico moved to accept dual nationality with the constitutional reform that took effect in 1998. Two rules matter:

  • Article 37 of the Constitution: no Mexican by birth may be deprived of their nationality. Naturalising in Argentina does not change that.
  • The Nationality Law (in force since 20 March 1998): a Mexican who holds another nationality must enter and leave Mexico as a Mexican, and is treated as Mexican in Mexico.

There is one practical limit. Article 32 of the Constitution reserves certain posts for Mexicans by birth who do not hold another nationality, such as members of the armed forces in peacetime, police officers and captains or crew of Mexican-flagged ships and aircraft. If you or a child may want one of those careers, factor that in.

Argentina also allows dual nationality and does not ask you to renounce Mexican citizenship. Our dual citizenship guide covers the Argentine side.

Passport comparison: an honest table

Destination Mexican passport Argentine passport
Schengen Area Visa-free, 90/180 days Visa-free, 90/180 days
United Kingdom ETA ETA
Japan Visa-free Visa-free
United States Visa required Visa required
Canada Visa, or eTA by air with a US visa or a recent Canadian visa Visa, or eTA with a US visa or a recent Canadian visa
Brazil and the Southern Cone Visa-free visits Visa-free; Argentine ID card accepted for travel; Mercosur residence after 5 years of nationality
Henley Passport Index, July 2026 156 destinations (#22) 169 destinations (#16)

The headline gap of roughly a dozen destinations is real but small. Look at the list before you pay for it. Our Argentine passport guide has the detail, including China’s 30-day visa-free regime for Argentines (valid to 31 December 2026).

On the United States, be clear. Argentina left the Visa Waiver Program in 2002. A statement of intent to rejoin was signed in July 2025, and in September 2026 the US ambassador said work continues, but there is no date.

Mercosur: a long-term advantage, not an immediate one

The Mercosur Residence Agreement, signed on 6 December 2002, lets nationals of participating states obtain temporary residence for up to two years in another participating state, convertible to permanent residence. It is applied by Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. Mexico does not take part, so a Mexican who wants to live in São Paulo, Montevideo or Santiago must use each country’s ordinary immigration rules.

Be careful with the sales pitch here. Article 2 of the Agreement covers naturalised nationals only once they have held that nationality for five years. An investor-citizen cannot use the Mercosur route on the day of the grant. Plan on it as a benefit from around year five onwards.

What you do get sooner is practical: the Argentine national ID card (DNI) is accepted as a travel document in Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay. For a family with business across South America, the combination of easy regional travel now and residence rights later is the core of the case.

Tax and reporting

Mexico taxes its residents on worldwide income, regardless of nationality, with a top marginal rate of 35% in 2026. A new nationality does not change that. Only a change of tax residence does, and Mexican rules on leaving the tax net need specialist advice.

On the Argentine side, people naturalised through investment are not treated as Argentine tax residents solely because of the naturalisation. Argentine tax residence follows the ordinary tests, such as permanent residence or 12 months on temporary authorisation.

The programme requires all funds to move through the formal financial system. Expect your Mexican bank to run its own anti-money-laundering checks on a transfer of this size. Prepare the source-of-funds file once and use it for both the bank and the Argentine Agency.

Compliance and documents

  • FATF: Mexico is not on the FATF list of jurisdictions under increased monitoring after the June 2026 plenary.
  • Apostille: Mexico has been a party to the Hague Apostille Convention since 14 August 1995, and Argentina since 1988. Mexican birth, marriage and criminal-record certificates can be apostilled rather than legalised by a consulate.
  • Due diligence: Argentina’s Agency checks identity, the traceability and legality of funds, assets, jurisdictional risk, criminal and reputational background, and migration history. SIDE, the UIF and the Ministries of Security and the Interior take part, and Migraciones gives final approval.

Two federal courts have ruled against DNU 366/2025, the decree that allows naturalisation for a “relevant investment”. On 18 June 2026, Chamber III of the federal civil and commercial appeals court (the Volosh case) struck down the parts that give citizenship decisions to Migraciones. On 30 June 2026 the Cámara Nacional Electoral declared the decree 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 published as of 2 October 2026. Read our legal status page before you commit funds.

Cost for a Mexican family

Family Donation route
Single applicant US$350,000
Couple US$450,000
Couple + 2 children under 18 (official example) US$500,000
Couple + 1 child aged 18–25 + 1 minor US$575,000

The bond route starts at US$800,000 for the main applicant. Press reports say the bond must be held for seven years and pays no interest. Government fees and processing times are not yet published. See our cost guide.

Is it right for you?

It can fit if you want easier regional travel now and South American residence rights in the longer term, a second nationality for planning reasons, and you accept that travel gains are marginal.

It is a weak fit if your main aim is the United States or Canada, or if you or your children plan careers that Article 32 reserves for Mexicans with no other nationality.

Either way, speak to a qualified Mexican tax adviser before you transfer funds. A private briefing can help you test the case against your family’s plans.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

Can a Mexican by birth lose Mexican nationality by becoming Argentine?

No. Article 37 of the Mexican Constitution says no Mexican by birth may be deprived of their nationality, and the Nationality Law in force since 20 March 1998 accepts that a Mexican by birth may hold another nationality. Naturalised Mexicans are in a different position and should take advice.

Do I have to use my Mexican passport when I travel to Mexico?

Yes. Mexican law requires Mexicans who hold another nationality to enter and leave Mexico as Mexicans, so carry proof of Mexican nationality on every trip home.

Would an Argentine passport help me enter the United States or Canada?

No. Argentina is not in the US Visa Waiver Program, so a B1/B2 visa is still required. For Canada, Argentines and Mexicans face the same rule: a visa, or an eTA by air only if you hold a valid US non-immigrant visa or held a Canadian visa in the last 10 years.

Does Argentine citizenship give me Mercosur residence rights at once?

No. The Mercosur Residence Agreement covers naturalised nationals only after they have held that nationality for five years. Before then, the Argentine national ID card is accepted as a travel document in Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay.

Next stepPrivate Briefing

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