Argentina sets $1m bond price for citizenship targeting US wealthy
Argentina is preparing to sell full citizenship to foreign investors for up to $1 million in government bonds, aiming to become a large-scale safe haven for ultra-high-net-worth individuals diversifying their geographic risk.
Argentina has established an Investment Citizenship Programs Agency within its economy ministry, paving the way for foreigners to obtain full citizenship without prior residency. Under Decree 524/2025, passed in July, the government is finalizing a scheme where investors can secure passports through a $500,000 non-refundable donation or a $1 million purchase of zero-coupon government bonds. Palantir co-founder Peter Thiel signaled the shift this summer by relocating his family to Buenos Aires and meeting with President Javier Milei.
The program represents a structural departure for the investment migration industry, which has historically been dominated by small states like Malta and Montenegro. “This is a country of over 40 million people, and the opportunities, the business opportunities that are available in Argentina are endless,” said Nuri Katz, founder of Apex Capital Partners. For Argentina, the bond purchase route offers a direct mechanism to raise sovereign capital from foreign investors.
For US buyers, the appeal is geopolitical hedging rather than tax avoidance, as acquiring a second passport does not alter an American's IRS liabilities. “Why on earth would you have one country of citizenship and only one country that you can live in when you have the financial capacity to build a portfolio of options?” said Dominic Volek of Henley & Partners. A survey of 1,800 Americans commissioned by Katz’s firm found 61% would consider leaving the US within five years.
Advisors stress that buying Argentine citizenship does not mean moving capital into the country. “You need to separate where you live from where your assets are,” said David Lesperance, an international tax and immigration advisor. “If you’re going to physically move yourself and your family to a place like Argentina, that does not require me to move my wealth to Argentina.”
Beyond the passport itself, citizenship grants settlement rights across the nine-member Mercosur bloc, including Brazil and Colombia. Katz noted that Argentina’s time zone alignment with the US, combined with a lack of European-style jet lag, makes it practical for American executives. South America is also currently the only inhabited continent not involved in a conflict.
Henley & Partners expects the program to launch by the end of the year and already holds a roster of clients ready to apply. “For our business and for the investment migration industry as a whole, it will be quite a game changer,” Volek said. The ultimate test is whether Buenos Aires can convert billionaire curiosity into sustained capital inflows, overcoming the country's historic reputation for economic volatility.
