Citizenship in Argentina
Naturalisation timelines, tests, and dual nationality
Argentine citizenship is granted by a federal judge, not by an administrative department, after roughly two years of residence in the country. That threshold is among the shortest anywhere, the applicant is not required to renounce another nationality, and anyone born on Argentine soil is a citizen from birth.
| Residence required | Roughly two years of continuous residence source |
| Decided by | A federal court, through a judicial application |
| Renunciation of other nationality | Not required |
| Birth on the territory | Citizenship automatically |
| Children of Argentines born abroad | May opt for citizenship through the consulate source |
A court decides, not a ministry
Naturalisation in Argentina is a judicial proceeding. The application is filed with a federal court, which examines residence, means of living and the absence of a disqualifying criminal record, and then issues a ruling. There is no points test, no formal language examination and no civics test of the kind used in North America or western Europe.
Because it is judicial, timing varies considerably between courts and districts. Two years is the residence threshold, not the length of the case, and the case itself has commonly taken many additional months.
What is examined
- Continuous residence in Argentina for the qualifying period, evidenced by migration records and by everyday proof of presence.
- An honest means of living, which can include employment, self-employment, a pension or income from abroad.
- A criminal record check, in Argentina and generally in the country of origin.
- In practice, sufficient Spanish to conduct the proceedings, although this is handled through the process rather than by a set examination.
Dual nationality
Argentina does not require a new citizen to give up an existing nationality, and Argentine nationality itself is treated in law as something that cannot simply be discarded. Whether the other nationality survives is a question for that other country's law, not Argentina's.
Once naturalised, a person may hold an Argentine passport and vote. Argentine citizenship also passes to children, and children of Argentines born abroad may generally opt for it through a consulate.
Why the timeline is genuinely unusual
Most countries ask for five to ten years of residence. A two-year threshold, with no renunciation requirement and no examination, makes Argentina one of the fastest routes to a nationality anywhere, and this is a large part of its appeal to people whose main aim is a second passport rather than a change of life.
The rules governing residence and naturalisation have been the subject of repeated political debate and executive decrees, and have been amended and challenged in the courts more than once. Anyone planning around the two-year figure should confirm the position as it stands at the time of applying.
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Checked against these pages in September 2026. Fees and processing times change without notice — confirm before you act.