Argentina is considering a bold and controversial new strategy to tackle its staggering debt by selling citizenship. Argentina is thinking about a way to deal with its huge debt by selling citizenship to people.
According to a report from the Financial Times that came out on June 27 2026 the government of President Javier Milei is planning to start a ” passport” program later this year. Argentina citizenship program would give people from countries Argentine citizenship if they pay a lot of money. The government wants to get a lot of money from this program to help pay off the country’s debt.
The Price of a Passport
People who want to buy citizenship would have two choices:
· They could make a one-time donation of around $500,000
. They could buy around $1 million in Argentine bonds
The government thinks this program could bring in tens of billions of dollars to help Argentina pay its debt. Argentina has had a time getting money from other countries since it had trouble paying its debt in 2020. The government is looking for ways to get the money it needs.
If this plan happens Argentina would be one of the countries to sell citizenship to people. An Argentine passport is very useful because it lets people visit 170 countries without a visa.
A Nation in Need
The government is doing this because President Milei wants to make changes to the economy.. Argentina has a lot of financial problems. The country has been trying to find ways to get money since it had trouble paying its debt. This idea is similar to something that was tried in the United States. The United States had a program that let people buy a visa for $1 million. Not many people were interested in it.
Who Would Buy an Argentine Passport?
Some people think that rich people from the United States and Europe might be interested in buying a passport. These people are worried about what’s happening in their own countries. They think Argentina is a place to have a second passport because it is far away from the problems in other parts of the world.
David Lincoln, who started a company that helps people with this kind of thing said that some of his clients like Argentina because it is in a location. He said that a lot of people are worried about what is happening in the world and that is why they want a second passport.
Eric Major, who is the boss of another company that helps people with this said that Argentina is a special place. He said that there is no country like Argentina that sells citizenship to people. Some people also like that they would not have to live in Argentina for a time if they buy a passport. This means they would not have to pay a lot of taxes.
A High-Profile Endorsement
A rich and famous man named Peter Thiel has shown interest in this program. He even moved to Buenos Aires for a while. Some people think that having someone like Peter Thiel in the program is a good thing.
The Critics Speak Up
Not everyone thinks this is a good idea. Some people think that selling citizenship is not right. They think it could lead to corruption and security problems. They also think that it might not be legal.
The European Court of Justice said that programs like this are not allowed. Some countries have stopped doing this kind of thing because of pressure from people who want transparency.
People who do not like this idea are worried about a things:
· They think it could lead to corruption and money laundering
· They think it could pose security risks if the government does not check the people who are buying passports carefully
· They think it might not be allowed under Argentine law
The government made some changes to the law last year to make it possible to sell citizenship.. Some people are challenging those changes in court.
What’s Next?
For now the government is still thinking about this idea. They are not saying much about it. The details of the program are still being worked out could change.
One thing is, for sure, if Argentina decides to sell citizenship it will be a risk. The government will be betting that there are rich people who want to buy an Argentine passport and help the country pay its debt. Argentina citizenship program is a deal. Argentina is hoping that its citizenship program will bring in a lot of money. Argentina needs the money to pay off its debt.