Who can buy

Can Foreigners Buy Land in Argentina?

By Nico F. · Updated October 12, 2026 · Leer esta nota en español

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 Yes. A foreigner can buy a lot or a house inside an urban area (ejido urbano) without being a resident. The restrictions apply to rural land, which Law 26.737 regulates (currently disputed in court), and to border security zones, where prior authorization is needed. The first thing to find out is whether the lot is inside or outside the urban area. What matters is the type and location of the lot, so the same first step applies whether you are looking in Patagonia or anywhere else in the country.

Which rules apply to the land you want to buy

Where the lot is What applies What to do
Inside the urban area, outside a border zone Law 26.737 does not apply. There is no equivalent general restriction for urban lots. Verify the title and sign before a notary (escribano). You need a tax ID from ARCA (the national tax agency), called CUIT.
Outside the urban area (rural land, including tourism uses) Law 26.737, if in force: caps of 15%, 30% and 1,000 hectares in the core zone (or the equivalent area set for the location), and a habilitation certificate (certificado de habilitación). Confirm the current status of the law and request the certificate. See the rural land law and foreigners.
Rural land that contains, or borders, a large and permanent body of water (lake, river and similar) Article 10 of the law bars foreigners from owning these properties, while the law is in force. For an urban lot on the water, raise it with the notary before going further.
In the Border Security Zone (defined in Decree 253/2018) Prior approval may be needed (Resolution 166/2009), with exceptions only inside urban centers: the centers listed in Annex B and, in other urban centers, lots of up to 5,000 m² not used for profit, provided the buyer has no records affecting national security (arts. 16 and 17). See what the border zone requires (in Spanish) and ask the notary to confirm, before you sign, whether the lot is in the zone and whether approval is needed.

The urban area (ejido urbano) is not defined by the land law and is generally set by the province or the municipality. To find out whether a lot falls inside or outside it, ask the municipality.

Exceptions for people who live in Argentina

Law 26.737 does not apply its limits to individuals who meet one of these conditions (art. 4):

Permanent residence is proved to the Registry with a certificate from the Migration Office. These exceptions are written for the rural land law: ask the notary whether they change anything in a border zone.

What you need to buy: a CUIT

To buy, a foreigner needs a CUIT, the ARCA tax ID, because the registry will not record the deed unless the parties' identification number, issued by ARCA or ANSES, appears in it (Law 17.801, art. 3 bis). Since March 2, 2026, ARCA no longer issues the CDI to individuals: the CUIT replaced it. Earlier CDIs stay valid until some detail is changed. A resident without a DNI applies online, and a non-resident applies through a representative with an address in Argentina. See how to get a CUIT and, if you do not live in the country, buying land as a non-resident.

Steps to buy land in Argentina

For the full process, see the guide to buying land in Argentina. In short:

  1. Locate the lot: inside or outside the urban area, and whether it is near water or the border.
  2. Request the title report (informe de dominio) and verify the title (see how to do it, in Spanish).
  3. Review the survey plan and the measurement (see cadastre and survey, in Spanish).
  4. Sign a purchase agreement (boleto) if the deal closes with a deposit (see what a boleto protects, in Spanish).
  5. Complete the deed (escritura) before an Argentine notary. The public deed is the title, and delivery of possession completes the transfer of ownership. Registration in the Property Registry makes that ownership enforceable against third parties.
  6. Pay the transaction costs (see the cost of buying land in Argentina).

What happens if the land is rural

For a person or company covered by the law, every transfer of rural land requires a habilitation certificate (certificado de habilitación) from the National Registry of Rural Lands (see when it is needed, in Spanish). Acts that violate the law are void. The current status of the law is covered in this article.

See also: buying in your name or through a company, paying for land from abroad, property taxes on land, land scams and red flags.

See also: lots in a fideicomiso, land prices in Patagonia, building a house on a lot in Patagonia.

See also: lakefront and riverfront land.

See also: buying a house or an apartment in Argentina, the expat guide to Argentina.

Sources

Argentina updates

Rule changes, prices and new guides for buying property and living in Argentina. No fixed schedule.