Argentina · Citizenship
Argentina citizenship for Americans: how many years, and can you keep US citizenship?
Short answer
The Constitution says 2 years of continuous residence. A 2025 decree made it stricter, and courts are striking that down case by case.
The rules
| Timeline | 2 years of continuous residence, but the rules are disputed in court Needs review |
|---|---|
| Dual citizenship | Depends: no rule requiring you to give up US citizenship was found, but this isn't settled. Not established yet |
Checked against the law The Constitution's 2-year rule.
Not yet verified The court rulings, read only in news and law-journal reports, and whether every part of this timeline is confirmed.
Pending change The government's reported Supreme Court appeal, and bills in Congress to annul the decree.
Good to know
- The Constitution's rule: 2 years of continuous residence in Argentina.
- The 2025 decree's rule: 2 years of legal residence with no trips abroad at all, filed with immigration instead of a federal judge.
- In court: two appeals courts and a federal judge have struck down the decree's changes in individual cases.
- Pending time doesn't count: months on a temporary permit issued while your residence is processed never count.
- Investment route: the decree adds citizenship for a significant investment; no official minimum is set.
- Tests: the decree sets none; any language test under the court procedure is Not established yet
- Older applications: cases filed before the decree continue in court under the old rules.
- Keep a clean record: a prison sentence for an intentional crime can cancel your residence.
Sources (6)
Legal basis and exact figures
- Branch 1: Constitución art 20: naturalisation 'residiendo dos años continuos en la Nación'.
- Branch 2: Ley 346 art 2 as replaced by DNU 366/2025 art 37 (BO 29 May 2025): 2 years of continuous and legal residence before applying, no trip abroad at all, filed with DNM; investment route (art 2 inc 2, 2 bis, 6 bis-quáter; Decreto 524/2025: the Agencia de Programas de Ciudadanía por Inversión assesses, Migraciones decides within 30 business days; no minimum; reported USD 350,000 / 800,000 figures appear in no official text). Pre-DNU applications continue in court (DNU art 45).
- Courts: Cámara Nacional Electoral (Yang, 30 Jun 2026) declared the DNU null; CCF Sala III (Volosh, 18 Jun 2026) and a federal judge in Esquel declared arts 4, 37 and 39 unconstitutional; Supreme Court appeal reported. Rulings not read.
- Other: precarious residence never counts (Ley 25.871 art 20); conviction for an intentional crime with a prison sentence is a ground to cancel residence (art 62 b). Not established: whether tourist or nomad time counts, language or civics tests, dual nationality.
Every rule, with its legal basis
The rules
Two branches; Needs review. (1) Constitution art 20: foreigners 'Obtienen nacionalización residiendo dos años continuos en la Nación'. (2) Ley 346 art 2 as replaced by DNU 366/2025 art 37 (BO 29 May 2025): adults who prove continuous and legal residence for the 2 years before the application, with continuity defined as no trip abroad at all during those 2 years, apply to the Dirección Nacional de Migraciones instead of a federal judge; a separate route gives citizenship for a 'relevant investment' regardless of residence time (Ley 346 art 2 inc 2, 2 bis, 6 bis-quáter). Applications filed before the DNU continue before the court under the old grounds (DNU art 45). Courts have struck down the citizenship changes in individual cases: Cámara Nacional Electoral (case Yang, 30 Jun 2026) declared the DNU absolutely null and restored the judicial procedure; Cámara Civil y Comercial Federal Sala III (Volosh, 18 Jun 2026) and a federal judge in Esquel (Aug 2026) declared arts 4, 37 and 39 unconstitutional; the State reportedly appealed to the Supreme Court, with no decision found as of 13 Nov 2026 (news and law-journal reports only; rulings not read). Which residence counts: a precarious residence does not count (Ley 25.871 art 20); whether transitory (tourist, nomad) time counts is not established. For a US retiree on temporary residence, the earliest realistic date is 2 years of lawful residence; under the DNU text any trip abroad restarts the clock.
Language or civics tests: none in the DNU text; the pre-DNU judicial requirements (and any Spanish test) were not read.
Dual nationality: no renunciation requirement found in the texts read; not established.
Not yet verified Whether every part of this timeline is confirmed at the official source.
Links
- Constitución de la Nación Argentina (Infoleg)
- Decreto de Necesidad y Urgencia 366/2025 (Boletín Oficial 29-05-2025)
- Ley 25.871 de Migraciones, texto actualizado (Infoleg)
- Press reports: Cámara Nacional Electoral declares DNU 366/2025 null (case Yang, 30 Jun 202
- Law-journal report: CCF Sala III, 'Volosh, Yana s/ Solicitud de Carta de Ciudadanía' (18 J
- DNM: Ciudadanía (autogestión)
Citizenship in Argentina, in full → The full Argentina guide →
Questions people ask
How many years until I can become a citizen of Argentina?
2 years of continuous residence, but the rules are disputed in court (Needs review)
Can I keep US citizenship if I become a citizen of Argentina?
Depends: no rule requiring you to give up US citizenship was found, but this isn't settled. (Not established yet)