Which residency fits someone living on rental income?

The temporary rentier residency, provided the rent comes from your own assets, is stable, of lawful origin and reaches the required minimum (five monthly minimum wages).

Can I use my remote-work salary for rentier residency?

No. The rentier category excludes income from personal work. The digital nomad visa (transitory) or another structure must be assessed.

Does forming a company grant investor residency?

Not on its own. It must be a real investment: your own capital, a viable project, traceable funds, jobs and economic impact. An idle company is not enough.

Does the spouse of an Argentine get permanent residency automatically?

This needs an up-to-date review. Immigration currently frames it as temporary residency by family reunification (up to 3 years). The validity of that change depends on the litigation over Decree 366/2025.

Temporary Residency in Argentina: Rentier, Investor, MERCOSUR, Work & Family

Temporary residency lets you live and work in Argentina for the authorized period (usually up to 3 years, depending on the criterion) and grants a temporary DNI. It is the step before permanent residency by arraigo. These are the main criteria.

⚠ Legal update — July 2026On 30 June 2026 the National Electoral Chamber (case «Yang, Liping») declared Decree 366/2025 void, in a ruling focused on the transfer of citizenship powers (a matter the Constitution bars from emergency decrees). Its effect on the migratory rules of the same decree — family reunification, how «precaria» time is counted, physical-presence requirements and cancellation for absences — is still under review. Those points must be re-verified when each application is filed before the National Immigration Directorate or the consulate. Each file is decided on its own merits.

A · MERCOSUR nationality

For nationals of Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela (and certain naturalized citizens with the required seniority). Usual term: 2 years, with multiple entries and exits. One of the simplest routes, because it is based mainly on nationality — no need to prove employment, income or investment first.

B · Migrant worker

Employment contract or pre-contract with an Argentine employer, employer registration with RENURE, early payroll registration, etc. Usually granted for 1 year initially, extendable (up to 3 years under the Law).

C · Rentier

Passive, stable income from abroad (rent, dividends, interest, royalties). Income from personal work is not accepted. Usual requirement: monthly income equal to or above five minimum wages. Funds must be remitted through BCRA-authorized entities. Usual term: up to 3 years, renewable.

Watch outSalary from remote work does not qualify for the rentier category, because it comes from personal work. In that case, the digital nomad visa (transitory) or another structure is assessed.

D · Retiree / pensioner

A regular pension or retirement benefit from a foreign State, an international body or a recognized entity. Same minimum of five minimum wages. Difference from the rentier: the source must be specifically a pension.

E · Investor

A contribution of your own capital to a productive, commercial or service activity of interest to the country. Buying real estate, opening an account, forming an idle company or making passive financial investments is not enough. Immigration assesses project viability, traceability of funds, job creation and economic impact. The regulations keep outdated nominal figures; what matters is the real economic consistency of the project. Term: up to 3 years, renewable.

F · Students and academics

Enrollment or admission at a recognized institution. Usual term 1–2 years, renewable while continuity of studies is shown. The institution must be RENURE-registered where applicable.

G · Scientists, specialists and transferred staff

Contract, transfer letter or appointment, and sponsor registration.

H · Athletes and artists

Contract with a club, producer or institution.

I · Religious workers

Involvement of the religious institution and, where applicable, the Secretariat of Worship.

J · Family reunification

Spouse, parent or child of an Argentine citizen or of a permanent/temporary resident (with nuances for age and disability). When the relative is Argentine or a permanent resident, temporary residency can be granted for up to 3 years; when the relative holds temporary residency, it is usually granted for the same period.

Advisory · verify case by caseBefore Decree 366/2025, certain direct relatives of Argentines or permanent residents accessed permanent residency directly. The pages currently published by Immigration frame several of these cases as temporary. There is open litigation: every family application must be reviewed against the rules and practice in force when it is filed.

K · Humanitarian grounds

Case-by-case assessment for vulnerable situations that do not fit the refugee or asylum regime, including risk of human-rights violations, victims of trafficking, serious health risks and other circumstances covered by the non-refoulement principle.

Aníbal Falivene

Attorney · CPACF Volume 71, Folio 132 · Buenos Aires

25+ years in Argentine public and private law. Foreign investment structuring, residency, immigration and citizenship, with direct service in English, Spanish, Portuguese and Chinese.

Updated 19 July 2026. This guide is general information, not personalized legal advice. Rules and required documents can change and each file is decided on its own merits. We recommend a consultation before starting any procedure, particularly while the scope of the annulment of Decree 366/2025 is being clarified.

Temporary residency in Argentina