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South Koreans and Argentina: a trade, not an addition

For most South Koreans, Argentine citizenship does not sit beside a Korean passport. It replaces one of the strongest passports in the world. This guide sets out the law plainly, and the cases where the trade can still make sense.

Updated 8 min readSourced from official announcements

Key facts

  • Korea's Nationality Act (Art. 15(1)): a Korean who voluntarily acquires a foreign nationality loses Korean nationality at that moment.
  • Korea ranks 2nd in the Henley Passport Index (July 2026) with 188 destinations. Argentina ranks 16th with 169.
  • Korean men who leave Korean nationality before military service lose access to F-4 Overseas Korean status until the year they turn 41.
  • Argentine residence, not citizenship, keeps your Korean nationality intact.
  • Cost: US$350,000 non-refundable, or a US$800,000 bond. The legal basis is before the Supreme Court. See legal status.

Most of our nationality guides answer the question “what does an Argentine passport add?” For a South Korean citizen, the question is different. Korean law does not let you add it. You exchange your Korean nationality for an Argentine one.

That makes this one of the shortest decisions on our site for most readers. We set out the law, the cost of the trade and the few cases where it can still make sense. For the programme rules, see our overview of Argentina citizenship by investment and the cost guide.

Note. The investment route rests on DNU 366/2025. On 30 June 2026 the Cámara Nacional Electoral declared the decree unconstitutional, after a federal appeals chamber had struck down part of it on 18 June. The government has appealed to the Supreme Court and says the decree stays in force until the ruling is final. No Supreme Court decision had been reported by 10 October 2026. Read our legal status page before you commit funds.

What Korean law says: automatic loss

Article 15(1) of the Nationality Act is direct. A national of the Republic of Korea who voluntarily acquires the nationality of a foreign country loses Korean nationality at the time they acquire it. An application for Argentine citizenship by investment is voluntary by any reading.

Korea did open the door to dual nationality in 2010, with effect from 1 January 2011. But the new route, a pledge not to exercise the foreign nationality in Korea, applies to defined groups:

  • people who are dual nationals from birth;
  • certain foreigners who naturalise in Korea or restore Korean nationality, such as some people aged 65 or over;
  • people who acquire a foreign nationality involuntarily, through marriage, adoption or acknowledgement. They must declare an intention to keep Korean nationality within six months (Art. 15(2)).

An adult Korean who chooses a second nationality fits none of these groups. The Ministry of Justice describes the rule in the same terms: Korean nationality is lost when the foreign nationality is acquired.

Loss has practical consequences:

  • Report the loss. Article 16 requires you to report the loss to the Minister of Justice. Reports can be made at immigration offices and Korean missions abroad.
  • Rights reserved to nationals. Under Article 18, you lose those rights from the time of loss. Transferable rights that only Koreans may hold must pass to a Korean national within three years.
  • Visits to Korea. You would enter Korea as an Argentine, which currently means a K-ETA, or under an Overseas Korean (F-4) status if you qualify.

Military service

This is the part that needs the most care. Korean law treats the link between nationality and military service seriously. Under the Act on the Immigration and Legal Status of Overseas Koreans, as amended in 2017, a man who becomes a foreigner by losing or renouncing Korean nationality before he completes or is exempted from service cannot receive F-4 status until 1 January of the year he turns 41.

One entry-ban dispute, about a singer who took US citizenship before his service, began in 2002 and was still before the Korean courts in October 2026. If your family includes sons who have not yet served, take advice from a Korean lawyer before anyone applies. A US$25,000 add-on for a child under 18 can have consequences far beyond its price.

Mobility: an honest table

Destination Korean passport Argentine passport
United States ESTA (Visa Waiver Program) B1/B2 visa required
Canada eTA Visa, or eTA if you hold a US visa or a recent Canadian visa
Australia ETA Online visa (e600)
Schengen Area 90 days in 180 90 days in 180
Japan Visa-free Visa-free
Mainland China Visa-free 30 days visa-free until 31 Dec 2026
South Korea Home country K-ETA
Henley index, July 2026 188 destinations (#2) 169 destinations (#16)

Henley’s data show only one destination, the Cayman Islands, where the Argentine passport has easier entry than the Korean one. On every other route, the Korean passport is equal or better. If travel is your reason, stop here.

When the trade can still make sense

We see three realistic cases:

  • You have already left Korean nationality. Many Korean-heritage families in North America, Latin America or Europe already hold another nationality. Article 15 is then no longer your concern, and the guide for your current nationality applies.
  • You plan to settle abroad permanently. If you have already decided to leave Korea, and another nationality would end your Korean nationality in any case, Argentina is one option to compare with others. Our comparison of programmes can help.
  • You think in decades. Korean law lets some former nationals aged 65 or over restore Korean nationality and keep a foreign one by pledge. Restoration is discretionary. Treat it as a possibility, not as a plan.

For everyone else, there is a simpler route. A residence permit is not a nationality, so it does not trigger Article 15. If you want a second home in Buenos Aires, Mendoza or Patagonia, look first at Argentine residence. Our guide to residency versus citizenship explains the options. Note that ordinary naturalisation after two years of residence would also be a voluntary acquisition, with the same result under Korean law.

Tax and foreign exchange

Korea taxes residents on their worldwide income. You are resident if you have a domicile in Korea or reside there for 183 days or more in a tax year. From 2026, a stay of 183 consecutive days across two tax years also counts. A change of nationality alone does not end Korean tax residence.

Three further rules matter for wealthy families:

  • Exit tax. Since 2018, Korea taxes unrealised gains on domestic shares when a large shareholder emigrates after five years of residence. Foreign shares are added from 1 January 2027.
  • Overseas account reporting. Residents must report foreign financial accounts if the total balance exceeds KRW 500 million on the last day of any month. The report is due by 30 June.
  • Remittances. Since July 2023, residents can send up to US$100,000 a year abroad without supporting documents, according to Korean law firm Shin & Kim. A US$350,000 contribution is well above that, so plan the transfer with your foreign-exchange bank and keep every document. See our source of funds guide.

On the Argentine side, naturalisation through investment does not by itself make you an Argentine tax resident. A foreigner who moves to Argentina for reasons other than work generally becomes resident from the 13th month. Speak to a qualified adviser in both countries.

Documents and due diligence

  • Apostille. The Hague Apostille Convention has applied in Korea since 14 July 2007 and in Argentina since 1988. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs apostilles public documents, and the Ministry of Justice handles notarial documents.
  • FATF. Korea is not on the FATF grey list after the June 2026 plenary.
  • Checks. Argentina’s Agency reviews identity, the traceability of funds, assets, jurisdictional risk, criminal and reputational background, and migration history. Migraciones gives final approval.
  • Translation. Korean documents need certified Spanish translations. The Agency had not published its document rules as of 10 October 2026.

The donation route costs US$350,000 for one person, US$450,000 for a couple and US$500,000 for a couple with two children under 18. The bond route is US$800,000; press reports say it is held for seven years and pays no interest.

Is it right for you?

Probably not, if you are a Korean national who wants a second passport. You would give up a top-two passport for a weaker one, and your sons’ position may become complicated.

Possibly, if you have already left Korean nationality, or you have firmly decided to emigrate and want a South American nationality with Mercosur residence rights after five years. Our page on Mercosur residence rights explains that wait.

For a confidential view of your situation, request a private briefing. This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

Can a South Korean keep Korean nationality after becoming Argentine by investment?

No. Article 15(1) of the Nationality Act says a Korean who voluntarily acquires a foreign nationality loses Korean nationality at the time of acquisition. The pledge of non-exercise that lets some people keep both nationalities does not cover this case.

Is the Argentine passport stronger than the Korean passport?

No. In the Henley Passport Index for July 2026, Korea ranks 2nd with 188 destinations and Argentina 16th with 169. An Argentine passport also needs a visa for the United States and Canada, where Koreans use an ESTA or an eTA.

What happens to military service if a Korean man loses nationality?

Korean law limits the options of men who leave Korean nationality before they complete or are exempted from service. Under the Overseas Koreans Act as amended in 2017, such a man cannot receive F-4 Overseas Korean status until 1 January of the year he turns 41. Take advice from a Korean lawyer before you act.

Is there a way to live in Argentina without losing Korean nationality?

Yes. A residence permit does not involve a foreign nationality, so it does not trigger Article 15. Many Koreans who want a base in Argentina will be better served by residence than by citizenship.

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