Who can buy
Argentina's Rural Land Law and Foreign Buyers: What Applies Today
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 · status as of October 12, 2026 Argentina's rural land law, Ley 26.737 (the Rural Land Law), limits how much rural land foreigners can own. Congress never repealed it: a 2023 emergency decree (DNU 70/2023, art. 154) did, and the validity of that decree is still being argued in court. According to press reports, on October 9, 2026 the Supreme Court provisionally suspended the effects of that article in a case that began in Bariloche, so the law's limits would be applying again on a provisional basis. The situation changes often: this page is updated with dates.
What Argentina's Rural Land Law (Ley 26.737) says
The law was published in the Boletín Oficial (the official gazette) on December 28, 2011. It is a matter of public order and covers the whole country. Its main points:
- What counts as rural land. Any parcel located outside the urban boundary (the ejido urbano), whatever its use (art. 1). The law lists tourist uses among them, so a tourist lot outside the ejido counts as rural land for these purposes.
- Who counts as a "foreigner". Foreign individuals, whether or not they live in Argentina, and companies with more than 51% foreign capital or foreign majority control, among other cases (art. 3).
- 15% cap. Foreign ownership of rural land cannot exceed 15% of the national total, and the same percentage is calculated for the province and the municipality where the property is located (art. 8).
- Cap per nationality. A single foreign nationality cannot exceed 30% of that 15% (art. 9).
- Cap per owner. A single foreign owner cannot exceed 1,000 hectares in the "core zone" (zona núcleo), or the equivalent in other zones (art. 10).
- Bodies of water. Foreigners cannot own property that contains or borders large, permanent bodies of water (art. 10).
- Border security zones. Art. 10 bars foreign holders from properties in these zones except as Decreto-Ley 15.385/44 (the border security decree-law, amended by Ley 23.554) allows, and art. 13 requires the prior consent of the Ministry of the Interior to acquire rural property there. That ministry's functions passed to the Chief of Cabinet's Office (Jefatura de Gabinete) in July 2026 (DNU 571/2026). See what the border zone requires (in Spanish).
- Certificate. The Registro Nacional de Tierras Rurales (the National Registry of Rural Lands) issues the habilitation certificate (certificado de habilitación) required for each covered transfer (art. 14). See when the certificate is needed (in Spanish).
- Exceptions for individuals. The limits do not apply to people with ten years of continuous, permanent and documented residence; people with Argentine children and five years of residence; and people who have been married to an Argentine for at least five years and have five years of residence (art. 4).
- Penalty. Acts carried out in violation of the law are totally, absolutely and irremediably null, with no right to claim compensation for the authors and participants of the unlawful act (art. 7).
What has happened since 2023
| Date | Event | Type |
|---|---|---|
| December 21, 2023 | DNU 70/2023 is published in the Boletín Oficial; its art. 154 repeals Ley 26.737 | Emergency decree (decreto de necesidad y urgencia) |
| March 14, 2024 | The Senate rejects the DNU (42 votes against, 25 in favor, 4 abstentions) | Vote of one chamber |
| Around March 21, 2024 (date of the press reports) | The Federal Appeals Court of La Plata declares art. 154 unconstitutional in a case brought by CECIM | Second-instance ruling |
| September 29, 2026 | The Supreme Court overturns the La Plata ruling and dismisses the lawsuit for lack of standing; it does not rule on whether the decree is constitutional | Supreme Court ruling |
| October 9, 2026 | The Court provisionally suspends the effects of art. 154 in the case of the association Árbol de Pie and others, and sends the case back to the federal court in Bariloche | Interim measure (medida cautelar) from the Court |
| October 15, 2026 | Special session called by opposition blocs in the Chamber of Deputies, with the rejection of the DNU on the agenda | Pending |
Two notes on how to read this:
- Under Ley 26.122 (art. 24), rejection by both chambers of Congress repeals the decree. The Senate's 2024 vote alone did not repeal it, and the Chamber of Deputies did not take it up.
- The September 29 ruling decided a procedural point. The Court itself later clarified that it had not ruled on the substance of the land regime. The October 9 measure is provisional until the Bariloche court decides.
What applies today to foreign buyers
According to press reports, since October 9, 2026 the limits of Ley 26.737 (15%, 30% and 1,000 hectares in the core zone or the equivalent elsewhere, plus the ban on large and permanent bodies of water) apply again on a provisional basis. The Registro Nacional de Tierras Rurales and notaries (escribanos) have not yet published how they are applying this situation, so confirm it with the notary before any transaction involving rural land.
According to press reports, the measure does not mean that every purchase already made by foreigners is automatically annulled. As of this date, the measure is known through press coverage.
What this means if you are buying a lot
- If the lot is inside the urban boundary (ejido urbano), Ley 26.737 does not apply. See whether a foreigner can buy land in Argentina.
- If it is outside the boundary, it is rural land, and the law, if it is in force, imposes the limits and the certificate.
- How to find out. The law does not define the ejido, and it is generally set by the province or the municipality. Ask the municipality whether the lot is inside the urban boundary.
- Before you sign. Make the purchase agreement (boleto) conditional on obtaining the habilitation certificate where one applies, and put in writing who bears the risk if it is refused.
- Do not rely on a single news article. Check the current status with a notary or lawyer on the day of the transaction.
If you do not live in Argentina, see also buying land in Argentina as a non-resident.
What comes next
- The federal court in Bariloche must decide whether the plaintiffs have standing and whether the interim measure should stay in place.
- Opposition blocs called a special session of the Chamber of Deputies for Thursday, October 15, 2026, with the rejection of the DNU on the agenda. A quorum of 129 deputies is needed to meet, and it was reported that the quorum was not assured. If both chambers reject the decree, it stops being in force going forward. The Government has said, in DNU 628/2025, that a rejection by both chambers works only going forward and does not bring back the rules the decree repealed (Ley 26.122, art. 24). Whether Ley 26.737 would be back in force after a rejection is therefore disputed, and a lawyer should confirm it.
- According to press reports, two Chamber of Deputies committees (Constitutional Affairs and General Legislation) are called for October 14 to discuss restrictions on foreign ownership within the private property bill, which has Senate approval.
This page is updated when any of these points changes.
Related reading
- Can foreigners buy land in Argentina?
- Buying land in Argentina as a non-resident
- CUIT for foreigners buying land in Argentina
- Foreigners and land: the full guide (in Spanish)
- Lots on a lake or river shore (in Spanish)
See also: buying in your name or through a company, land scams and red flags.
See also: buying a house or an apartment in Argentina.
Sources
- Text of Ley 26.737 (Boletín Oficial, December 28, 2011), in Spanish: Colegio de Escribanos
- Decree 820/2016, in Spanish: argentina.gob.ar
- DNU 571/2026, Official Gazette, July 3, 2026, in Spanish: biblioteca.afip.gob.ar
- DNU 628/2025, Official Gazette, September 3, 2025, in Spanish: boletinoficial.gob.ar
- Supreme Court, measure of October 9, 2026 (in Spanish): ANB, October 9, 2026 and Chequeado
- Ruling of September 29, 2026 (in Spanish): Palabras del Derecho and the Court's clarification
- La Plata Federal Appeals Court and Senate (2024), in Spanish: Palabras del Derecho and Los Andes
- Effects on purchases already made (in Spanish): Noticias NQN, October 9, 2026
- Ley 26.122, art. 24, as cited in the Boletín Oficial (in Spanish): Boletín Oficial
- Chamber of Deputies session of October 15 (in Spanish): El Cronista
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