Overview
- Economy Minister Luis Caputo unveiled the scheme in Paris on Friday and said applications are expected to open before the end of 2026.
- Applicants can either make a nonrefundable $350,000 contribution to the Treasury or buy a specially created $800,000 government bond that must be held for seven years, with higher fees for family members.
- A government-advising consortium estimates the program could raise up to $2.5 billion but the Treasury still faces nearly $25 billion in foreign-currency payments due in 2027.
- Officials promised intelligence and financial-agency vetting of identities, criminal records and sources of funds while watchdogs and a 2025 EU court ruling on Malta warn such programs are vulnerable to money laundering.
- If approved, Argentina would be the first South American country to offer paid citizenship, a move likely to draw wealthy investors, legal challenges and sustained domestic political opposition.