Argentina Pensionado / Rentista Visa

Argentina offers two temporary residence categories for people who live on income from abroad: rentista, for income from assets, and pensionado, for a pension. Both sit in art. 23 of Ley 25.871.

• Status: active
• Income floor: five times the national minimum wage (SMVM), ARS 1,919,000 a month from Sept. 1, 2026
• DNM fee: ARS 100,000
• First permit: 1 year when filed inside Argentina
• Path: permanent residence after three years of temporary residence (two for MERCOSUR nationals)

Short-term remote workers from visa-exempt countries may prefer the digital nomad transitory residence, which has no income floor but no path to settlement. The Argentina guide covers costs and cities.

• Rentista: people who live on income from assets brought from abroad, such as financial instruments, real estate or company shares. Pay for personal work does not count, and the funds must come in through banks authorized by the Central Bank (DNM rentista page).
• Pensionado: people who receive a regular, permanent pension from a government, an international organization or a private company for services abroad (DNM pensionado page).

Income: at least five times the Salario Mínimo Vital y Móvil. That is ARS 1,919,000 a month from Sept. 1, 2026. The minimum wage schedule raises the SMVM every month to April 2027, so the floor rises with it; applicants should check the amount for the month they file.

Family members allowed: Yes. A spouse, parents and unmarried children under 18 can apply for family reunification residence, each with their own application.

Local work allowed: Yes. Temporary residents may work during their authorized stay, but work income does not count toward the income test.

DNM's service pages list:

• A valid passport
• An Argentine criminal record certificate (for applicants 16 and over; obtained through RaDEX)
• Criminal record certificates from every country where the applicant lived for more than one year in the last three years
• Proof of address in Argentina
• Rentista: proof that the income comes from assets and reaches the floor, and that the funds arrive through authorized banks
• Pensionado: a certificate from the paying government, organization or company stating the pension amount
• A sworn statement of health insurance, required of every foreigner seeking admission since May 29, 2025

Foreign documents need an apostille or Argentine consular legalization, and any not in Spanish need a translation by an Argentine public translator legalized by the translators' association. Originals are required.

• DNM fee: ARS 100,000 per applicant (half for MERCOSUR nationals), under the Cuadro de Tasas Migratorias. Each extension and the change to permanent residence cost the same.
• Consular route: a residence filed through an Argentine consulate is charged in consular units under the same table.

DNM also sells faster appointments for an extra charge. Apostilles, translations and certificates are private costs.

Where to apply: Online through DNM's RaDEX system after a regular entry to Argentina, then an in-person appointment; or from abroad through a Permiso de Ingreso followed by a visa at the Argentine consulate.

Inside Argentina (RaDEX):

1. Enter Argentina regularly.
2. Register on RaDEX, fill in the form, pay the fee and upload the documents.
3. Attend the in-person appointment DNM sends by email.

From abroad: apply for a Permiso de Ingreso, then have the passport visaed at the Argentine consulate in the country of origin or legal residence. This route can give up to three years of residence.

DNM publishes no processing time for either route.

• First permit: 1 year through RaDEX, or up to three years through a Permiso de Ingreso.
• Renewal: Renewable (prórroga) while the income requirement is still met; each extension pays 100 UMSM.

Longer term: Permanent residence by arraigo after 3 years of temporary residence (2 for MERCOSUR nationals), with at least 50% of the time spent in Argentina and no absence of 6 months or more in a row (DNM).

Under the income tax rules: Foreigners become tax resident on obtaining permanent residence or after 12 months with temporary authorizations; no 183-day rule. Rentistas and pensionados therefore usually become tax resident 12 months into temporary residence, and Argentina then taxes worldwide income, subject to any tax treaty with the country paying the pension or income.

Anyone planning the move should check the treaty position and the tax treatment of the income source before filing.