Who can buy
Argentina's Border Security Zone: What a Foreigner Buying a Lot Needs
General information, not legal, immigration or tax advice. Rules, exchange rates and prices change and every case has its own details. Before you pay, sign or apply for residency, check the current rules with an Argentine notary (escribano), lawyer or accountant.
Quick answer According to the official maps attached to Decree 253/2018, the Andean strip of Neuquén, Río Negro and Chubut lies inside the Border Security Zone (Zona de Seguridad de Fronteras). A foreigner who buys there needs prior consent (conformidad previa), unless an exception applies: the urban centers listed in Annex B of Resolution 166/2009, or an urban property of up to 5,000 square meters for non-profit use. Which towns fall under each case should be confirmed with the notary (escribano) before you sign the purchase agreement (boleto).
What the border security zone is and who sets it
The Border Security Zone limits how foreigners can acquire property around Argentina's borders. Its basis is Decree-Law 15.385/44. Decree 253/2018 set the zone currently in force, with a descriptive annex and official maps for each province, and repealed decrees 887/94 and 1648/07. In Neuquén, Río Negro and Chubut the annex defines the zone mostly by roads, among them National Route 40.
El Bolsón and Epuyén are also listed as border development areas (Law 18.575), a promotion regime that is separate from prior consent. The official maps show the Andean strip inside the zone: San Martín de los Andes, Junín de los Andes, Villa La Angostura, Bariloche, Dina Huapi, El Bolsón, Lago Puelo, El Hoyo, Epuyén, Cholila, Esquel and Trevelin. There is no official town-by-town list, so this is a reading of the maps. In Dina Huapi, Junín de los Andes and Esquel, the boundary follows national routes and lots can sit on the edge of the zone.
Who needs prior consent
The rule that governs the procedure is Resolution 166/2009 of the Ministry of the Interior. These people are exempt throughout the zone (arts. 3 and 4), as long as they have no criminal record affecting national security (art. 5):
- native-born Argentines and Argentines by option;
- Argentines naturalized more than five years ago.
Foreigners, foreign companies (incorporated abroad, with majority foreign capital, or controlled by or linked to a foreign company by more than 25%) and Argentines naturalized less than five years ago need the consent, unless an exception applies.
The exceptions
- Urban centers in Annex B. The resolution exempts the urban centers in Annex B, whatever the buyer's nationality (art. 14). The annex lists departments, each with "all localities", among them Futaleufú, Cushamen, Huiliches and Pilcaniyeu. Based on which department each town belongs to, Esquel, Trevelin, Lago Puelo, Cholila, Epuyén, El Hoyo, El Maitén, Junín de los Andes and Dina Huapi would be exempt.
- Up to 5,000 m² and non-profit use. In urban centers that are not in Annex B, foreigners are exempt if the total area does not exceed 5,000 square meters and the use is not for profit (art. 16, as worded by Resolution 434/2010). San Martín de los Andes, Villa La Angostura, San Carlos de Bariloche and El Bolsón are not in Annex B because of the department they belong to.
- Argentine companies in any urban center (art. 15).
This is a reading of the lists and of the department each town belongs to. The notary should confirm it before you go further.
These three exceptions apply only to urban centers: land divided into blocks, with streets and services (art. 13). A rural parcel inside those departments is not exempt, even if it is under 5,000 square meters. For the exceptions for Argentine companies and for a property of up to 5,000 square meters, you must sign a sworn statement (declaración jurada) and have no criminal record affecting national security (art. 17).
If no exception applies
- Rural property. A foreign individual needs ten years of uninterrupted residence; otherwise the exception route applies (art. 9).
- Exception route. You file forms with documents certified by a notary (companies add certified corporate documents), criminal records from your country of residence (translated and legalized) and an investment project (arts. 19, 23 and 24). The consent is conditional on that project, with reports every six months (arts. 25 and 26). It is valid for one year and, if it expires unused, the transaction is treated as made without authorization (art. 39). Foreign companies buying rural land can only use this route (art. 11). No official timeframes or costs are published.
What the notary does
For the exceptions in arts. 15 and 16, the notary cites the resolution in the deed (escritura), adds the original sworn statement to the notarial protocol and sends a certified copy of the deed within 30 days (art. 17). Where consent is required, the notary files the request. A digital platform for these filings was launched in August 2022; paper requests already filed continued in parallel, so confirm which channel applies today. For the Annex B exemption (art. 14) the resolution sets no declaration, so ask the notary what will be recorded.
Who handles it today
Resolution 166/2009 puts the procedure before the Ministry of the Interior (art. 1). Its Secretariat of the Interior (Secretaría de Interior) keeps the database and receives the notary's copies (arts. 2 and 17), and a border technical directorate (Dirección de Asuntos Técnicos de Fronteras; a Dirección Nacional in 2022) handled the filings. The Ministry of the Interior ceased to exist under Emergency Decree (DNU) 571/2026 (signed July 2 and published July 3, 2026), which moved its functions to the Chief of Cabinet's Office (Jefatura de Gabinete) and transferred its units and staff provisionally until new structures are approved. It also created a Deputy Chief of Cabinet for the Interior. The decree does not mention the border directorate. In addition, Decree 253/2018 authorizes the Ministry of Security to exclude certain urban centers from this settlement control, so the Annex B list may have changed. Which office receives the request today, and whether there are new exclusions, should be confirmed with the notary.
How it relates to the rural land law
For a rural property, Law 26.737 also refers to the security zone regime and requires the prior consent of the Ministry of the Interior (arts. 10 and 13). See the note on Argentina's rural land law and whether a foreigner can buy land in Argentina. If your lot borders a lake or river, see also lakefront and riverfront land for foreigners.
What to do before signing a purchase agreement
- Ask the notary to confirm whether the lot is inside the zone and whether an exception applies.
- If consent is needed, make the purchase agreement conditional on obtaining it. Read how the boleto de compraventa works for land first.
- If the lot is over 5,000 m², is not in an urban center, or will be used commercially, ask about the exception route from the start.
If you are buying from abroad, buying land in Argentina as a non-resident covers the rest of the process.
Sources
- Decree 253/2018 (Border Security Zones), with annexes I and II (in Spanish): Boletín Oficial
- Resolution 166/2009 (Ministry of the Interior) (in Spanish): argentina.gob.ar and Annex B: reproduction of the text (in Spanish)
- Decree 571/2026 (transfer of units of the Ministry of the Interior) (in Spanish): Boletín Oficial
- Digital platform for border procedures, 2022 (in Spanish): argentina.gob.ar
- Law 26.737, arts. 10 and 13 (in Spanish): Boletín Oficial
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