DNU 366/2025: What has changed regarding Argentine citizenship and how does it affect your application today?

The Decree of Necessity and Urgency No. 366/2025, published on May 29, 2025, introduced substantial modifications to the Migration Law No. 25,871 and the Citizenship Law No. 346, among others.

Main changes regarding Argentine citizenship

1. From Judges to the Migrations Authorities.

The decree transfers the authority to grant citizenship from federal judges to the National Migration Authorities (DNM). As of October 6, 2025, the process can be initiated entirely online through the RaDEx system.

2. Continuous residence and no departures from the country

The previous regulation required two years of residency and allowed for the counting of time the period of time spent under "Precaria Residence". The new decree tightens the requirement: residency must be legal, continuous, and without leaving Argentine territory during the calculation period. This change directly impacts those who planned the process under the previous regulation.

3. New path: citizenship by investment

El decreto habilita una vía alternativa vinculada a la realización de una 'inversión relevante' en Argentina. Esta vía, a la fecha de redacción del presente texto, aún no ha sido completamente reglamentada (El Dcto. 524/2025 no establece cual es una inversión relevante).

The decree creates the a new path to acquire Argentine Citizenship by making a 'relevant investment' in Argentina. As of the date of this writing, this mechanism has not yet been fully regulated (Decree 524/2025 does not define what constitutes a relevant investment).

4. Mandatory health insurance and changes in public services.

Temporary residents must have private health insurance with coverage in Argentina. Free access to public healthcare and university education is also limited for foreigners without permanent residency.

Changes to the General Immigration System

• Ampliación de causales de cancelación de residencia y expulsión

• Habilitación de retención administrativa de migrantes

• Incorporación de la categoría de Ciudadanía por Inversión

• Stricter entry restrictions for foreigners with criminal records

• Expansion of grounds for residency cancellation and deportation

• Authorization for administrative detention of migrants

• Introduction of the Citizenship by Investment category

Decree 366/2025 represents the most significant change to the Argentine immigration and citizenship system in over two decades. A case-by-case analysis is essential to determine whether the changes introduced by this decree apply to each citizenship application.