SAS, SRL, SA or SAU — the choice sets how much cash you lock in on day one, who bears liability, how shareholders enter and exit, and whether the structure survives scrutiny from a bank or a regulator. Here are the numbers and the rules that actually decide it.
Entity choice is not cosmetic. It determines how much cash must be locked in on day one, who bears liability, how shareholders enter and exit, and how well the structure will withstand scrutiny from a bank, a regulator or the immigration authority. Speed and filing cost — the two things most comparisons lead with — are the least relevant criteria in a serious investment.
| SAS | SRL | SA / SAU | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shareholders | One or more | 2 to 50 | Two or more (SA); one (SAU) |
| Minimum capital | 2 × statutory minimum wage — ARS 744,800 | None by law | ARS 30,000,000 |
| Cash on incorporation | 25% of cash capital | 25% of cash capital | ARS 7,500,000 (SA); 100% (SAU) |
| Capital represented by | Shares | Quotas | Shares |
| Management | One or more administrators | One or more managers | Board of directors |
| Domicile rule | At least one administrator resident in Argentina | Management consistent with law and actual operations | Absolute majority of directors resident in Argentina |
| Recurring cost | Accounting and filings | Accounting and filings | Accounting, filings and director guarantee |
| Transfers | Flexible, per bye-laws | Instrument + registration required | Flexible, per bye-laws and agreements |
Figures current at 22 July 2026. The SAS minimum is indexed to the statutory minimum wage: from 1 August 2026 it becomes ARS 753,200. Always verify the figure on the day of filing.
One or more shareholders, individuals or entities; capital divided into shares; management by one or more administrators. It is the default choice for straightforward operating subsidiaries and for founders who want share-class flexibility without a board.
Model bye-laws save time and money but will not protect a meaningful investment. Where there are several shareholders, unequal contributions, pre-emption rights, exit clauses, vesting, transfer restrictions, multiple voting or dispute-resolution mechanisms, use bespoke bye-laws and, in most cases, a complementary shareholders' agreement.
Between two and fifty quotaholders; capital represented by quotas; management by one or more managers. The traditional structure for companies with a settled group of partners.
The most formal of the alternatives: capital divided into shares, management by a board of directors. Preferred for institutional investment, regulated projects, companies expecting new shareholders, and activities requiring stronger corporate governance.
The IGJ offers expedited incorporation of SAs and SRLs, with a five-business-day official registry period where the filing is complete and unobserved. That period excludes preparation of documents, powers of attorney, apostilles, translations, tax identification and banking.
Large mining, energy, infrastructure, forestry, technology and oil & gas projects may qualify for the RIGI large-investment incentive regime (Law 27,742), which grants tax, customs and foreign-exchange stability in exchange for high minimum investment thresholds and compliance with a committed plan.
For projects shared between several companies, the associative contracts of the Civil and Commercial Code — UTE (temporary business union), collaboration groupings and cooperation consortia — allow parties to cooperate without creating a new legal entity. They are standard in mining, energy and public works, and are frequently the correct answer when a client asks «what company should we set up».
Registries are local. A company files with the IGJ if its seat is in the City of Buenos Aires, or with the legal-entities authority of the relevant province.
Jurisdiction has real consequences for cost, timing, observation practice, proof-of-seat requirements and the availability of entity types. For projects with assets in San Juan, Mendoza, Neuquén, Salta or Catamarca, coordination with the provincial registry and local counsel is usually decisive — and the registered seat should not be chosen for administrative convenience, but for where the asset, the operation and any future litigation will be.
Routes into the market, timelines, the four cost groups and the reference fee.
Branch or shareholding, the 2026 regime, beneficial ownership and the Section 124 trap.
Tax ID, powers of attorney, banking, inbound investment and repatriating dividends.
Yes. Its minimum capital is indexed to the statutory minimum wage and, in Buenos Aires City, filings run through the TAD platform. Availability and workflow in provincial jurisdictions should be confirmed case by case.
Because it requires ARS 7,500,000 locked in as cash on incorporation, a guarantee posted by each acting director, and a collegiate management body with the governance and filing burden that comes with it.
No. An SRL requires a minimum of two quotaholders. For a sole owner, the options are an SAS or a single-shareholder SAU.
It depends on the applicable regime and on the counterparty. For contained operations, an SAS or SRL; for regulated, institutional or capital-raising projects, an SA; for RIGI projects, whichever vehicle the regime admits.
Yes, through a statutory conversion, but it carries cost, time and a fresh registry examination. It is considerably cheaper to get the choice right at the outset.
Indirectly. What Immigration assesses is the reality of the investment and the applicant's role in it. The entity type matters because it determines how capital is contributed, documented and evidenced.
Updated 22 July 2026. The SAS minimum capital is indexed to the statutory minimum wage and changes with it; verify the figure on the day of filing. This page is general information, not personalized legal advice. Corporate, tax, foreign-exchange and immigration rules change, and every file is decided on its own merits. We recommend a consultation before incorporating or preparing documents abroad.
Tell us the activity, where the money comes from, who the investors are and whether anyone intends to relocate. We will map the right structure, the documents your home jurisdiction has to produce, and the realistic timeline. We act under power of attorney, so you do not have to travel. Confidential first reply, typically within one business day.