How to move to Argentina from the US: 6 steps

Your first 90 days set the filing window

Arrival on a US passport gives you 90 tourist days without a visa or AVE electronic travel authorization. Migraciones can grant one 90-day extension if you apply before the initial stay ends. Tourist entry excludes paid work in Argentina; an overstay brings a fine on departure. Border crossings to restart the clock are an uncertain substitute for filing a residence application during your first 90 days.

Match residence to the income or tie you actually have

The rentista route covers passive income from abroad, such as rent, dividends or interest. Pensionado covers a foreign pension, including US Social Security. Both require monthly income of at least five times Argentina's minimum wage (SMVM), about ARS 1.9 million or US$1,250 in September 2026, and neither permits work in Argentina.

An Argentine employer's signed offer supports work residence, while enrollment at a local university or school supports study. Under DNU 366/2025, spouses and parents of Argentine citizens receive temporary family-reunification residence first and can move to permanent residence later.

For a shorter trial, digital nomad status lasts 180 days and can be extended once for another 180. It covers remote work for foreign employers or clients, but provides no DNI and the time does not count toward permanent residence or citizenship.

The documents that must start in the US

For applicants age 16 and older, the FBI Identity History Summary needs an apostille from the US Department of State. The state that issued a birth certificate, or a marriage certificate for a spouse on the application, supplies that document's apostille through its secretary of state. Rentista and pensionado applicants also show income with records such as pension award letters or bank statements.

Once in Argentina, a sworn translator (traductor público) translates English documents into Spanish. Each family member, including each child, applies separately and needs their own document set.

RaDEX filing comes before the DNI

The residence application begins online in Migraciones' RaDEX system and continues at an appointment where you present the originals. Filing costs ARS 100,000; a preferential appointment adds ARS 50,000. The precaria issued after filing is a provisional certificate that keeps your stay legal while Migraciones decides. It usually lasts 90 days, can be renewed, and decisions typically take 3 to 12 months.

After approval, a RENAPER or Registro Civil appointment leads to the national ID card, or DNI. The first foreign resident's DNI costs ARS 20,000 and arrives by mail in 2 to 6 weeks. People taking local jobs get a CUIL work and social-security number from ANSES; for taxes and invoicing, ARCA (formerly AFIP) issues a CUIT and a clave fiscal online tax password.

A short rental buys time to choose a neighborhood

A furnished first stay of one to three months lets you learn a neighborhood before committing to a longer lease; the first-months housing guide for Mendoza takes that decision beyond the capital. You can search furnished rentals on PlataPlace in English or Spanish. DNU 70/2023 repealed the 2020 rental law, leaving owner and tenant to agree the term, currency (often US dollars) and rent adjustments. Many owners want a local property guarantee (garantía propietaria); some accept a guarantee-company policy or income proof. Check whether expensas, monthly building charges, are included in the quoted rent.

In September 2026, a one-bedroom in central Buenos Aires rents for about US$750 a month, against US$545 outside the center. Total monthly spending for one person is around US$1,300–1,900; Córdoba and Mendoza run 20–30% cheaper.

The systems you will live with after arrival

Public hospitals provide emergency care free to everyone. Under DNU 366/2025, they may charge non-residents for other care, while residents with a DNI have free public care. Private plans (prepagas) from OSDE, Swiss Medical, Galeno or Medifé run roughly US$130–870 a month at age 30 and cost more with age. Medicare generally does not cover care in Argentina.

Individual exchange controls ended in April 2025, and US cards now get close to the official rate, about ARS 1,545 to the dollar in September 2026. US citizens still file annual US tax returns and an FBAR if foreign accounts together exceed US$10,000 at any point in a year. The countries have neither an income tax treaty nor a Social Security totalization agreement, so work credits cannot be combined.

For belongings brought from home, Argentina's electricity runs at 220 volts and 50 hertz; US appliance labels show which can handle it. Emergency numbers are 911 for police, 107 for an ambulance in Buenos Aires and 100 for fire.