"Golden Passport" Program for Foreign Investors from Argentina

The Argentine government announced a new program that provides citizenship to foreigners who bring a high amount of capital to the country. Applications are expected to start in the last quarter of 2026 within the scope of the program announced by Economy Minister Luis Caputo at the investor event in Paris.

TWO DIFFERENT OPTIONS FOR CITIZENSHIP

Foreigners who want to participate in the program will be able to make a non-refundable contribution of 350 thousand dollars to the National Treasury of Argentina. In the other option, 800 thousand dollars of government bonds to be issued for the program will be purchased and the bond will have to be held for 7 years.

The investor's spouse and single and childless children between the ages of 18-25 can also participate in the program. The contribution amount for these people will be 100 thousand dollars. For children under the age of 18, there will be a contribution requirement of 25 thousand dollars.

According to the New York Times, a family of four consisting of the investor, his wife and two young children will be able to apply for citizenship with a total contribution of 500 thousand dollars.

APPLICATIONS WILL BE Strictly Examined

The Argentine government announced that applications made within the scope of the program will be examined comprehensively. The source of money deposited by applicants, financial transparency and national security criteria will be evaluated.

Under the program, all money will need to be transferred through the official financial system. Applications will also be examined according to rules on preventing money laundering and terrorist financing.

GOVERNMENT WANTS TO ATTRACT FOREIGN CAPITAL

The government plans to use the resources obtained from the program to strengthen the country's fiscal and financial structure. One of the main goals of the application is to attract new foreign capital to Argentina.

Argentina's postponement of its return to international bond markets also directs the government to alternative financing sources. The Argentine Treasury has foreign currency debt of approximately 22 billion euros until 2027.

According to investment consortiums, the program could provide up to 2.2 billion euros to the country if it reaches the targeted number of applications.

"GOLDEN PASSPORT" PROVIDES VISA-FREE ACCESS TO MORE THAN 140 COUNTRIES

Economy Minister Caputo stated that the Argentinian passport provides visa-free access to more than 140 countries, including China, Russia, the Schengen area and most of Latin America.

London School of Economics (LSE) Lecturer Prof. Kristin Surak stated that Argentine citizenship could expand travel and trade opportunities for some investors, especially in Southeast Asia and the Arab world.

Approximately 60 countries in the world implement "golden visa" programs that provide residence permits in exchange for investment. Argentina, on the other hand, is preparing to implement the "golden passport" program that grants direct citizenship with the new application.

IT LEFT BEHIND IN FOREIGN INVESTMENT

The program was announced at a time when Argentina remained low in attracting foreign investment. According to OECD data, Argentina received $3.134 billion in direct foreign investment in 2025.

In the same period, Brazil attracted 76.877 billion dollars of direct foreign investment and Mexico 40.871 billion dollars.