Argentina Citizenship by Descent: Requirements & Process

Argentina has one of the most accessible citizenship by descent programs in South America. If you were born to an Argentine parent, you are entitled to Argentine nationality — there is no residency requirement, no time limit, and the process can be completed entirely at an Argentine consulate without ever setting foot in Argentina. The Argentine passport is one of the strongest in Latin America, with visa-free access to over 170 countries including the entire EU Schengen area.

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Table of Contents

Who Qualifies
Process
Passport
Professional Support

Who qualifies	Born to at least one Argentine citizen parent, regardless of birthplace
Registration deadline	None — you can claim at any age
Residency required	No — the entire process can be done at an Argentine consulate
Where to apply	Argentine consulate in your country of residence, or Registro Civil in Argentina
Processing time	2–6 months at most consulates; faster in smaller consulates
Cost	Consulate fees approximately $100–$300 + apostille and translation costs
Dual citizenship	Argentina fully recognizes dual citizenship — no restrictions
Argentine passport	Visa-free to 171 countries: all EU Schengen, UK, Japan, Brazil, most of Latin America

Who Qualifies for Argentine Citizenship by Descent

Under Article 1 of Law 346, Argentine citizenship by birth extends to children born outside Argentina to an Argentine citizen parent. This is jus sanguinis — citizenship through blood — and applies even if your Argentine parent was born outside Argentina themselves, provided they were an Argentine citizen at the time of your birth.

Key points:

Only one Argentine parent is required — father or mother
Your parent must have been an Argentine citizen at the time of your birth
There is no age limit for claiming
Argentina allows dual citizenship, so you do not need to renounce your current passport
If your Argentine parent was naturalized in another country, check whether they formally renounced Argentine citizenship — if not, the chain is intact

Documents You Will Need

Your birth certificate	Apostilled by the issuing country’s competent authority + Spanish translation if not in Spanish
Parent’s Argentine birth certificate	Apostilled copy from the Argentine civil registry (Registro Civil)
Parent’s Argentine DNI or passport	Copy — this proves they were Argentine at time of your birth
Parent’s marriage certificate	Apostilled, if applicable and if your family name differs
Your government-issued ID	Passport from your current citizenship
Completed application form	Provided by the consulate — varies by consulate

The Application Process Step by Step

Step 1: Contact Your Nearest Argentine Consulate

Argentine consulates worldwide handle citizenship by descent claims. Processing times vary significantly: consulates in New York, Los Angeles, and Madrid handle very high volumes and can take 4–6 months. Smaller consulates in less-populated cities are often faster — some expats deliberately use a less-busy consulate in a country they can visit easily.

Step 2: Gather and Apostille Documents

Every foreign document (your birth certificate, any marriage certificates) must be apostilled by the relevant authority in the issuing country. In the US, apostilles are issued by the Secretary of State office in the state where the document was issued. See our apostille guide for the complete process.

Step 3: Submit Application at the Consulate

The consulate verifies your documents, completes your file, and transmits it to the Registro Civil in Argentina. Some consulates issue a Carta de Ciudadanía (citizenship certificate) locally; others route everything through Buenos Aires.

Step 4: DNI (Argentine National ID)

Once citizenship is confirmed, you receive your DNI — Documento Nacional de Identidad. The DNI is required to apply for an Argentine passport. Some consulates can process the DNI application simultaneously with the citizenship claim.

Step 5: Argentine Passport

Apply for your Argentine passport at the consulate or at the Registro Nacional de las Personas (RENAPER) in Argentina. Argentine passports are issued quickly — typically 2–3 weeks once the DNI is confirmed. The passport is valid for 10 years (adults) or 5 years (minors under 14).

The Argentine Passport — What It Gets You

Argentina’s passport ranks among the strongest in Latin America. Key access points:

EU Schengen area — visa-free for 90 days in any 180-day period
United Kingdom — visa-free for 6 months
Japan — visa-free for 90 days
Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Uruguay — visa-free
Most of Latin America and Caribbean — visa-free
United States — requires B-1/B-2 visa (Argentina is not in the US Visa Waiver Program)
Canada — requires visitor visa

For access to the US and Canada, the Argentine passport alone does not solve the visa requirement. If EU access is your primary goal, the Argentine passport delivers — combined with an Italian, Spanish, or Irish citizenship by descent claim (if eligible), you get unrestricted EU living and working rights.

Argentina vs. Other Latin American Citizenship by Descent Programs

Country	Difficulty	Passport Strength
Argentina	Easy — consulate only, no residency	171 countries
Mexico	Easy — consulate only, no residency	160 countries
Colombia	Easy — consulate only, no residency	152 countries
Brazil	Medium — complex documentation requirements	171 countries
Peru	Medium — some cases require in-country steps	141 countries
Chile	Medium — stricter descent rules	157 countries

Need help claiming your citizenship?

Our team has helped hundreds of clients navigate citizenship by descent claims across Latin America. View our citizenship services or contact us to discuss your case.

Related Guides

Use our Citizenship by Descent Checker to verify your eligibility instantly — select your ancestry and see your documents, timeline, and next steps in seconds.

Professional Filing Support

Document matching, consulate scheduling, and registry follow-through are where most Argentina CBD files stall. Our team manages the full filing path on Argentina Citizenship Assistance — not advisory-only.

Before you order apostilles, confirm eligibility against Latin America citizenship by descent hub and compare passport outcomes on the LatAm Passport Power Index.