Argentina is preparing to sell citizenship to foreign investors, with applications set to open in the fourth quarter of 2026, according to Economy Minister Luis Caputo. The program will be South America’s first citizenship-by-investment scheme.
The first route requires a non-refundable $350,000 contribution for a single applicant, with a family of four expected to pay $500,000. The second route requires an $800,000 investment in a government security created for the program. The announcement did not give maturity, yield or repayment terms for the bond.
The review process is designed to run through the Agency for Citizenship by Investment Programs, working with the State Intelligence Secretariat, the Financial Information Unit and the Ministry of Security. Checks will cover identity, source of funds, criminal and reputational records, and immigration history. Funds must move through the formal financial system, and the National Directorate of Migration will make the final decision.
Nuri Katz, founder of Apex Capital Partners, said he expects the program to become a status symbol for wealthy Americans. 'I expect that the Argentina program will become so popular with the American [high-net-worth individuals] that really wealthy Americans will be embarrassed if they do not have an Argentina passport,' Katz said.
Katz also said Argentina offers American high-net-worth individuals 'the first opportunity to quickly and easily acquire a citizenship of a country that is both a safe haven and a huge business opportunity.' He said the demand for 'jurisdictional diversification' among wealthy Americans is 'overwhelming.'
Apex released a survey in June of 1,733 Americans with household incomes above $200,000. In that survey, 61% said they would consider leaving the U.S. within five years. Cost of living and taxes ranked first at 68%, ahead of political climate at 54%. Europe was the top destination at 42%, followed by Canada at 18% and the Caribbean at 16%. The survey measured intent, not actual moves.
Katz told Fortune in June that Argentina was developing South America’s first citizenship-by-investment program and that it would draw 'significant American interest.' He also said he expects the national debt to force a choice between inflation and default, and that wealthy Americans are too concentrated in dollar assets.
The broader lesson is hard to miss. When governments pile up debt and taxes, capital looks for exits, hedges and second passports. That is not a moral lecture; it is a market signal. Wealth buys flexibility, and flexibility has value when policy risk rises.
Argentina is trying to turn that reality into a revenue stream. Whether the program becomes a prestige product or a real magnet for capital, it shows how quickly free enterprise adapts when states need dollars more than investors need bureaucracy.
