Argentine Naturalization

Summary

Argentina's naturalization is one of the fastest in the Americas — two years of continuous legal residence is all the statute requires. The rule has stood since Ley 346 of 1869 and it remains a judicial process, not an executive one. A federal judge — not the president or a minister — rules on your application.

Two recent changes matter. Decree 366/2025 redefined "continuous residence" in very strict terms: any departure from Argentine soil during the two-year window resets the clock, including short trips to neighboring countries. And since 6 October 2025, the intake runs online through the National Directorate of Migration's RaDEX system before the file moves to the federal court. Dual citizenship is allowed.

Eligibility

You qualify to naturalize when all of the following are true:

• You are at least 18 years old.
• You have held legal residency (temporary or permanent) for two continuous years immediately prior to filing.
• The two years are genuinely continuous — no days spent outside Argentina, per Decree 366/2025.
• You can demonstrate honorable means of subsistence (income or savings adequate for your situation).
• You have a clean criminal record in Argentina and your country of origin.
• You can communicate in Spanish at a functional level (no formal test, but the judge evaluates in person).

What counts as legal residence

• Temporary residency (Rentista, Pensionado, Investor, Worker, Digital Nomad-to-PR conversion, family-tie).
• Permanent residency.
• MERCOSUR temporary residency under Argentina's bilateral reciprocity framework (applies to nationals of MERCOSUR member and associate states, not to Americans).

Time on a tourist stamp or visa-free entry does not count, even if you were physically present for years.

The continuous-residence rule under Decree 366/2025

Before the 2025 reform, short trips abroad were tolerated. They no longer are. In practice:

• Plan the two-year window around a stable life in Argentina.
• If an emergency forces you to leave, the clock restarts when you re-enter.
• Some judges have discretion for documented humanitarian exceptions (serious illness of a close relative, etc.) but no one should count on it.

Alternate routes with shorter residency

Ley 346 also lets federal judges naturalize foreigners under the two-year bar in specific cases — most commonly:

• Marriage to an Argentine with two years of continuous cohabitation in Argentina.
• Argentine child born to the applicant during legal residence.
• Service to the Argentine state (teaching, public works, military).
• Introducing a productive industry or making substantial investment in national wealth.

These are judicial discretion routes — they exist on paper but are not routine and typically require a strong case record.

What This Route Allows

If approved, this route can lead to citizenship in Argentina. Citizenship is the national status itself, not a residence permit: you can document the citizenship, apply for citizen identity or passport documents, and live in Argentina without a separate immigration permit.

What This Route Is Not

This is not automatic citizenship. Naturalization, registration, and restoration routes usually require an application, supporting documents, and a decision by the relevant authority.

Next Steps

1. Secure legal residency first. Pick the best-fitting route (Rentista, Pensionado, Investor, Worker, family-tie) and hold it for a continuous 24 months on Argentine soil.
2. Assemble the civil-record package. Apostilled birth certificate, marriage certificate (if applicable), apostilled FBI Identity History Summary (or your country-of-residence equivalent) plus Argentine criminal records from the Registro Nacional de Reincidencia, and proof of residence for the full period (rental contracts, utility bills, DNI movements).
3. File through the RaDEX online portal. Since 6 October 2025 the National Directorate of Migration receives the intake electronically and routes it to the competent federal court.
4. Attend the judicial hearing. A federal judge reviews the file and conducts a brief interview. Backlogs vary by jurisdiction, so keep your contact details current with the court.
5. Take the oath and receive your carta de ciudadanía. The ceremony is administrative; the judgment itself grants the citizenship.
6. Update your DNI and apply for an Argentine passport. RENAPER reissues a DNI reflecting your new status, and you can request a passport at any ANSES or consular office.

Sources

• Ley 346 de Ciudadanía — statutory framework for naturalization.
• Decreto 366/2025 — 2025 reform tightening the continuous-residence rule and moving intake online.
• Dirección Nacional de Migraciones — RaDEX — online intake portal.
• Ministerio del Interior — Naturalización — general citizenship administration.
• Registro Nacional de Reincidencia — Argentine criminal-record certificate.