Argentina vs. Vanuatu Citizenship by Investment

Argentina

• Non-refundable contribution: USD 350,000 to the National Treasury.
• Alternative route: USD 800,000 subscription of government securities (sovereign bonds).

Vanuatu

• Non-refundable contribution (Development Support Program, DSP): from USD 130,000 for a single applicant.
• Combined route (Capital Investment Immigration Plan, CIIP): approximately USD 165,000, including a non-refundable donation and USD 50,000 refundable after 4 to 5 years in approved agricultural funds.

Key difference: Vanuatu offers one of the lowest entry costs on the market. Argentina requires considerably more capital, but its alternative route is backed by tradable sovereign bonds.

Argentina

• Spouse: additional USD 100,000.
• Children under 18: USD 25,000 each. Children aged 18 to 25: USD 100,000 each (unmarried and without children).

Vanuatu

• Package pricing: single applicant USD 130,000; couple USD 150,000; family of four USD 180,000 (DSP) or a flat USD 165,000 (CIIP).
• Scope: spouse, dependent children up to 25 and dependent parents over 50 or 55.

Key difference: adding family members is considerably less expensive in Vanuatu. Both programs allow dependent children up to 25.

Argentina

• Physical residence: no physical presence is required before or after citizenship is granted.
• Tax residence: worldwide income taxation applies only if tax domicile and habitual residence are established in Argentina.

Vanuatu

• Physical residence: no stay in Vanuatu is required. The process can be completed remotely or through authorized offices abroad.
• Tax regime: no personal income tax, and no tax on wealth, inheritance, capital gains or gifts.

Key difference: Vanuatu is a tax-neutral jurisdiction, while Argentina has a formal tax system that applies to those who become tax residents.

Tax outcomes depend on each investor's personal circumstances and should be reviewed with a qualified tax adviser.

Argentina

• Institutions: supervised by the Agency of Programs for Citizenship by Investment (Ministry of Economy), with involvement of national security and intelligence bodies.
• Standards: aligned with OECD and FATF standards on anti-money laundering and source of funds.

Vanuatu

• Institutions: initial screening by the Vanuatu Financial Intelligence Unit, with Interpol checks.
• Context: the program has been subject to significant international scrutiny regarding its past vetting procedures.

Argentina

• Procedure: centralized assessment by the Agency, followed by the National Directorate of Migration (DNM), which has 30 business days to issue its decision. This period refers to the DNM decision only, not to the whole process.
• Overall timing: still to be confirmed in practice once application intake begins.
• Legal nature: Argentine citizenship by naturalization is described as irrevocable and non-renounceable.

Vanuatu

• Processing times: among the fastest in the market, typically 30 to 60 days.
• Legal nature: citizenship is granted by executive decision and may be revoked administratively if false information or serious breaches are identified.

Key difference: Vanuatu is considerably faster, while Argentina offers a more stable legal status once granted.

Argentina

• Global mobility: visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to more than 170 destinations, including the entire Schengen Area, the United Kingdom, Japan, Israel and South America.
• US access (E-2 visa): Argentina has a Treaty of Commerce and Navigation with the United States, allowing its citizens to apply for the E-2 Treaty Investor visa.
• MERCOSUR: residence, work and settlement rights across the South American bloc.
• Geopolitical profile: a continental South American economy and G20 member.

Vanuatu

• Global mobility: approximately 85 to 90 destinations, mainly in Asia, Oceania and the Caribbean.
• Europe and the UK: no visa-free access. The European Union suspended visa-free travel for Vanuatu passport holders over concerns about the program's controls, and the United Kingdom introduced a visa requirement.
• US access: no E-2 treaty with the United States.

Key difference: this is the most significant gap between the two programs. The Argentine passport keeps visa-free access to Europe, the UK and Japan, together with E-2 and MERCOSUR access.

Argentina

• Status: legal framework established (Decree 524/2025 and operational resolutions). Formal application intake is expected in Q4 2026.

Vanuatu

• Status: active for several years, with ongoing restructuring and biometric reforms aimed at restoring the confidence of the European Union and the United Kingdom.

Vanuatu may suit investors whose priorities are a low entry cost, fast processing, inexpensive family inclusion and tax neutrality, and who do not need visa-free travel to Europe or the UK.

Argentina may suit investors who prioritize global mobility — including the Schengen Area, the United Kingdom and Japan — E-2 treaty access, MERCOSUR rights and a stable legal status, and who accept a higher investment and a newer program whose operational details are still developing. No program is universally superior, and no program guarantees approval.