Official · 02.10.2026Argentina announces South America's first Citizenship by Investment Programme→
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Argentina citizenship for Russians: the compliance reality

Russian law allows a second citizenship, and an Argentine passport would remove most visa queues. But Russian applicants face the strictest due diligence of any group, and the programme is built to screen for sanctions exposure.

Updated 8 min readSourced from official announcements

Key facts

  • Russia allows dual citizenship, but you must notify the MVD within 60 days (Federal Law 138-FZ, Art. 11). Failure to notify can be a crime.
  • Travel gain is large: Russian passport 114 destinations, Argentine 169 (Henley, July 2026), including Schengen, the UK and Japan.
  • Russia is not on the FATF lists, but its FATF membership is suspended and the EU lists it as high-risk for money laundering.
  • Argentina's checks cover source of funds, jurisdictional risk and reputation. Sanctions exposure will be screened.
  • Cost: US$350,000 non-refundable, or a US$800,000 bond. Applications open in Q4 2026.

Since 2022, Argentina has become familiar with Russian families. Residence applications by Russians rose from 1,700 in 2022 to 7,123 in 2023, before falling to 4,915 in 2024, according to Migraciones data reported by La Nación. In February 2023 the authorities also moved against “birth tourism” after a wave of pregnant Russian women arrived to give birth in Argentina.

That history matters. Russian applicants to Argentina citizenship by investment will be reviewed by officials who know the pattern, under a programme that was launched with explicit commitments to FATF and OECD standards. This guide is for applicants with clean, documented wealth. It is not, and cannot be, a route around sanctions.

Russian law: dual citizenship with a notification duty

Russia’s citizenship law is Federal Law 138-FZ of 28 April 2023, in force since 26 October 2023. It allows a Russian citizen to hold another citizenship. Russia continues to treat you as a Russian citizen inside Russia.

Article 11(6) imposes a notification duty:

  • You must notify the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) within 60 days of acquiring a foreign citizenship or a foreign residence permit.
  • If you are outside Russia when you acquire it, the 60 days run from your next entry to Russia.
  • Late or incomplete notice: an administrative fine of RUB 500–1,000 (Code of Administrative Offences, Art. 19.8.3).
  • No notice at all: a criminal offence under Art. 330.2 of the Criminal Code, with a fine of up to RUB 200,000 or up to 400 hours of compulsory work.

A draft would extend the duty to Russians living abroad from 1 January 2028. It is not law as of 2 October 2026. Argentina, for its part, allows dual nationality and does not ask you to renounce Russian citizenship. See our dual citizenship guide.

Sanctions and due diligence: what to expect

Argentina’s official release lists the checks: identity, traceability and legality of funds, asset and financial analysis, jurisdictional risk, criminal and reputational background, and migration history. The State Intelligence Secretariat (SIDE), the Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF), the Ministry of Security and the Ministry of the Interior take part. Migraciones gives final approval.

For a Russian applicant, assume the review will cover:

  • whether you, your family or your companies appear on any sanctions list, or are owned or controlled by someone who does;
  • links to state-owned enterprises, the defence sector or public office;
  • how your wealth was built, and how it has moved since 2022;
  • the route the investment funds take into Argentina.

The wider environment adds friction. Russia’s FATF membership has been suspended since February 2023, although Russia is not on the FATF grey or black list. The EU added Russia to its list of high-risk third countries for money laundering by Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/46, in force from 29 January 2026. Banks in Europe and beyond apply enhanced due diligence as a result.

Note. A second citizenship does not lift sanctions. Sanctions attach to people, entities, assets and transactions, not only to a passport. If you are subject to sanctions, or your funds are, do not apply. If you are unsure, take sanctions advice before you engage any agent.

Moving funds out of Russia

All funds must move through the formal financial system. On the Russian side, the Central Bank of Russia’s guidance (updated 1 June 2026) says resident individuals may transfer funds abroad, to their own accounts or to other people’s accounts, without a limit.

The practical barrier is elsewhere. Many Russian banks are subject to sanctions, and foreign correspondent banks can block or return payments. A transfer that works on paper in Moscow can stop in a European or US-dollar clearing bank. Most successful applicants will fund from an account outside Russia that has its own clean, documented history.

Russian residents also have reporting duties for foreign accounts. Under Law 173-FZ, you must notify the Federal Tax Service within one month of opening a foreign account and file an annual cash-flow report by 1 June. Keep these filings; the Argentine Agency may ask for proof of compliance.

Tax

Russia treats people present for 183 days or more in 12 months as tax resident, with progressive personal income tax rates of 13% to 22% from 2025. A new nationality does not change your Russian tax residence.

People naturalised through Argentina’s programme are not treated as Argentine tax residents solely because of the naturalisation. Ordinary residence tests, such as permanent residence, apply. Speak to a qualified adviser in both countries.

The mobility gain

Destination Russian passport Argentine passport
Schengen Area Visa required Visa-free, 90/180 days
United Kingdom Visa required ETA
Japan Visa required Visa-free
United States Visa required Visa required
Canada Visa required Visa, or eTA if you hold a US visa or a recent Canadian visa
Henley Passport Index, July 2026 114 destinations (#48) 169 destinations (#16)

Argentina is not in the US Visa Waiver Program. Read the details in our Argentine passport guide.

Russia has been a party to the Hague Apostille Convention since 31 May 1992, and Argentina since 1988, so Russian civil-registry and police documents can be apostilled.

The investment route rests on DNU 366/2025. 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 whole decree unconstitutional. The government has appealed to the Supreme Court and says the decree remains in force until the ruling is final. See our legal status page.

Cost

The donation route is US$350,000 for the main applicant, plus US$100,000 for a spouse or for each child aged 18–25 (single, without children), and US$25,000 for each child under 18. The official example, a couple with two minors, is US$500,000. The bond route is US$800,000; press reports say it is held for seven years at zero interest. See our cost guide.

Is it right for you?

Possible fit: you have no sanctions exposure, your wealth is documented, your funds already sit in a well-regarded bank outside Russia, and you will meet the MVD notification duty.

Not a fit: if you, a relative or a business you control has any sanctions link, or if your plan depends on moving funds through informal channels. The application will fail, and it may create a record that follows you.

A private briefing can help you test your file honestly before you commit.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

Is it legal for a Russian citizen to hold Argentine citizenship?

Yes. Federal Law 138-FZ of 28 April 2023 allows a Russian citizen to hold another citizenship, but Article 11 requires notice to the Ministry of Internal Affairs within 60 days of acquiring it. If you are abroad, the 60 days run from your next entry to Russia.

What happens if I do not notify the MVD?

Late or incomplete notice carries an administrative fine of RUB 500–1,000. Failing to notify at all is a criminal offence under Article 330.2 of the Criminal Code, punishable by a fine of up to RUB 200,000 or up to 400 hours of compulsory work.

Can Argentine citizenship help me avoid sanctions?

No, and the programme is designed to stop that. Argentina's Agency checks source of funds, jurisdictional risk and criminal and reputational background with the intelligence secretariat and the Financial Intelligence Unit. A second passport does not change sanctions that apply to a person, an asset or a bank.

Do Russian applicants face extra checks?

Expect them. The EU added Russia to its anti-money-laundering high-risk list with effect from 29 January 2026, so banks in the EU and elsewhere apply enhanced due diligence to Russian-linked transfers, and Argentina's review includes jurisdictional risk.

Next stepPrivate Briefing

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Applications open in Q4 2026. Join the priority list for a confidential briefing, early access to the official regulations, and a file prepared before the first day.

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