Top line
Argentina’s new citizenship-by-investment program is seen as a turning point for wealthy Americans who are seeking not only an insurance policy against political and economic instability, but also a new status symbol.
The Argentine capital of Buenos Aires is nicknamed the “Paris of the South” due to its grand European-inspired architecture, wide tree-lined boulevards and bustling café culture.
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Key facts
Announced Friday by Argentina’s Economy Minister Luis Caputo and scheduled to launch before the end of 2026, the country’s citizenship-by-investment program is the first in South America, the first from a G20 country and the first to recognize same-sex married couples.
There are two ways to participate in the program: make a one-time, non-refundable donation or invest in a seven-year interest-free bond.
Wealthy Americans are increasingly looking for a “plan B” as “an insurance policy” against instability in a volatile world, two investment migration advisers who have advised the Argentine government told Forbes.
Since 2020, immigration attorneys and ancestry services have also seen growing interest among Americans seeking dual citizenship by descent, but the Trump administration’s staff reductions at the National Archives have made it more difficult to access necessary genealogical records. the Boston Globe reported.
Crucial quote
“I think every wealthy American will think about this,” said Nuri Katz, president of Apex Capital PartnersForbes said. “It’s so unique that it will be seen as both an insurance policy and a sort of status symbol, like the Amex black card. As in ‘oh, you don’t have Argentina’.”
How citizenship by investment will work in Argentina
Before launching its citizenship by investment product, the Argentine government consulted a consortium of five global migration consulting firms, including World LatitudeApex Capital Partners, Passport inheritance, Arton Capital And AIM Global Residency and Citizenship. The resulting program offers two paths to citizenship. An applicant can make a one-time gift of $350,000 for an individual or $450,000 for a couple, plus $25,000 for each child under 18 and $100,000 for each adult child ages 18 to 24. Alternatively, an applicant can purchase a seven-year interest-free Treasury bond for $800,000 for an individual or $900,000 for a couple, plus $25,000 for each child under 18 and $100,000 for each adult child ages 18 to 24. Katz expects the first option to be more popular. “Any decent investor should be able to double their money in seven years,” he said. “For a family of four, paying $950,000 for a seven-year interest-free bond means losing $950,000 in the future,” he said. “It’s worse than giving up $500,000 now.”
An insurance policy in times of instability
Surveys show that geopolitical tensions have most Americans at the end of their tether. “The world is changing right now,” Katz said. “Not just in North America, but in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and all over the world.” Eric Major, CEO and president of Latitude World, told Forbes that Americans now make up about three-quarters of its business and many customers are worried about doomsday scenarios. “They think, ‘If tanks roll through the streets of Washington or World War III or whatever, I might have to pick up my bags and move until the dust settles.’ What we’re offering is a form of insurance, and it’s one of those things where people would rather not pay for insurance unless they really feel they need it.
Geographic diversification is a driver
“In the same way that we want to diversify our assets and our portfolio holdings, with exposure to the Japanese, Chinese, European and American markets, Americans are starting to realize that there is value in having a European passport, a South American passport, an Australian passport, wherever they can get one,” Major told Forbes. Katz notes the same shift in thinking. “It shocks me that Americans, when considering diversifying their finances, think about buying stocks rather than bonds rather than real estate or private equity, but it’s all happening in the United States. And yet the United States is facing a debt crisis of historic proportions that has never been seen before.” For Americans, a second citizenship in Argentina also has the geographic advantage of staying in the same general time zone. “For a North American business person, whether it’s a banker, an investment manager or whatever, when you come to Argentina, there’s no time difference. You don’t miss anything,” Katz said.
The Mercosur bonus
Since 2010, acquiring Argentinian nationality brings another significant advantage. THE Mercosur residency agreement gives citizens of nine South American countries – Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay – the right to reside, work and study freely within the bloc. Citizens can also travel within the bloc without a passport or visa, provided they have a national ID. “It’s the South American version of the European deal, where citizens of one country can live or work in any other member country,” Major told Forbes.
Tangent
“What is the Trump Gold Visa? It’s gone,” Katz said of the US president’s eponymous visa, which was initially advertised at $5 million apiece before getting his price reduced to $1 million in September 2025. In February, a White House spokesperson told the Wall Street Journal that the Trump administration’s policies were attracting “countless wealthy foreigners” who were “paying $1 million for a Gold Card to come to the United States.” But in April, only a Gold Card visa had been approved. “Reducing the price to $1 million was huge, but it still doesn’t work,” Katz told Forbes.
Further reading
Wealthy Americans are collecting citizenships as “plan B” during these uncertain times (Forbes)
Trump’s failures on the Gold Card visa? Only one approved so far. (Forbes)
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