The Argentina Investor Visa, Explained

Yes. You can apply for an investor visa both outside Argentina and after arriving in the country. The application for residency by a foreigner not native to a MERCOSUR state can be made either abroad, by the interested party or their representative, before an Argentine consular or immigration authority with jurisdiction in the applicant's domicile, or within Argentine territory, by a representative, first-degree relatives of the applicant, or by a requester, before the National Immigration Office.

The processing time for the investor visa application is approximately 30 business days, starting from the date the file is generated. This timeline begins once the payment is confirmed. However, this timeframe is not specific as it depends on the the volume of applications.

Yes. There is an option to obtain an appointment faster by paying an extra fee when filing the residency application. See the visa fees page for details.

Yes. You can bring dependents or family members to Argentina together with you under an investor visa. Accepted family members are the spouse, children, or parents of the main visa applicatant. The children must be under 18 years old or older with a disability.

The duration of an investor visa in Argentina is up to three years (two years for Mercosur citizen). The visa is usually given for 1 year, and can be renewed. After three years (two years for Mercosur citizen), you must apply for permanent residency.

Yes. Once you have been granted an investor visa, you are considered a legal resident and can freely leave and re-enter the country without restrictions from the immigration perspective.

No. There is no cap on the number of investor visas issued each year by Argentina.

No. Purchasing real estate in Argentina does not qualify for an investment visa. The law specifies that an individual seeking an investment visa must make a productive, commercial, or service investment of interest to the country, with a minimum amount of 1,500,000 pesos. The investor must present an investment project to the National Immigration Office, proving the origin and legality of the funds. The Ministry of Industry and Tourism will then analyze the project. The nature of the investment is one of the parameters considered in the analysis. The law does not mention real estate purchases as a qualifying investment.

The required investment amount in Argentina to qualify for an investor visa is one million five hundred thousand pesos ($1,500,000).

No. The text does not explicitly state that it is required to transfer funds to a local bank account in Argentina. However, it does mention that an electronic payment slip (VEP) is automatically sent to the bank account associated with the Fiscal Key during the process. The applicant must then pay the VEP through their home banking. It also mentions that sufficient funds must be accredited to cover the beginning of the stay (minimum of € 2,500 euros), which can be demonstrated with bank statements from the last three months or credit card statements.

• Sufficient funds to cover initial expenses of your stay
• Return ticket, or sufficient funds to purchase one
• Health and accident insurance covering hospitalization and repatriation costs for the 12 months of stay
• Payment of consular fees and visa tariffs
• Visa application form
• Commitment to tell the truth
• Sworn declaration
• Certificate issued by the corresponding health authority, if required by the Ministry of Health
• Birth certificate and documents related to the civil status of the individuals, required depending on the cause of the requested residency. If presenting such documentation becomes impossible due to reasons beyond the applicant's control, supplementary proof may be submitted, which will be evaluated according to national legislation
• Any documentation expressly required in the agreed entry permit.

No. There is no requirement to employ a certain number of local citizens as part of the investment in Argentina.

No. There is no publicly available restriction on the countries of origin for potential investors in Argentina.

No.

Yes. You can switch to a different visa type while residing in Argentina on an investor visa. The law states that foreigners can change their immigration category or subcategory without needing to leave Argentine territory. In order to do so, you need to qualify for the new visa category by providing all the required documents.

Yes. It is possible to renew this visa. You must renew it before it expires though. You can file the renewal application starting from 60 days before the expiry date, up to 10 days. If you are late, it is possible to renew the visa up to 30 days after the expiry date, paying an additional fee. After 30 days following the expiry date, it is no longer possible to renew a visa.

Yes for permanent residency. No for citizenship. You can apply for permanent residency in Argentina after two years (Mercosur citizen) or three years (citizens from non-Mercosur countries). For citizenship application, you must first be a permanent resident. There is no direct path to citizenship from temporary residency.