Is it worth it to go for Temporary Residency in Argentina or not worth it?

[Robert]

I’m honestly getting pretty fed up trying to figure out whether it’s even worth applying for this so-called temporary residency based on pension income (“pensionado”).

All I want is to stay a couple more months beyond my current 90 day window without jumping through endless bureaucratic hoops or doing another ridiculous visa run. Eventually, sure, I’ll need to decide whether Argentina could actually be a long-term option, and it’d be great to get a head start on permanent residency while I’m at it.

But here’s where it starts to grate. Apparently, I’ll be forced to deposit my pension into an Argentine bank account for the entire duration of the temp visa. So even when I’m back in Brazil where I actually live and spend my time and money, I’m supposed to feed my hard-earned pension into the Argentine treasury, get stuck with a shaky currency, and then exchange the money back just to pay for my regular expenses. It’s absurd. And on top of that, if I spend more than five months outside Argentina, the whole three-year countdown toward permanent status resets. How is that “temporary residency”? Sounds more like a trap.

I’m not trying to argue with the logic (or lack thereof) of this setup — I just want to hear from anyone currently dealing with these rules. How strictly are they enforced in practice? My other option would be to just extend my tourist visa by another three months, but then I lose a year toward permanent residency. I’m not even thinking about citizenship yet.

Any advice from people who’ve been through this would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Peabody]

There is a ton of red tape here. It still seems fairly easy to qualify in Argentina and not much money. This can and probably will change. I waited too long in Mexico and now I don't quality for permanent because the income requirement went up drastically over the past few years. I think in Argentina it will get much more difficult so even though you might not think it's worth it, if you plan to stay long term it probably will be worth it.

It is painfully slow here. If you are only going to stay a few more months just go and renew your tourist visa.

Don't dismiss the bureaucracy just because it's slow—use its slowness to your advantage. If your goal is simply to bridge the next few months without a visa run, the mere act of applying is your shield.

• The Documentation Shield: It will take you at least a month or two just to gather the apostilled paperwork required to reach the "Precaria" stage. Once you hit that stage, you are legally "in process." Migraciones won't even look at your file for months.

• The Banking Gap: You don’t owe them a cent in an Argentine account until they actually grant the residency, which is easily 6 to 12 months from the day you start. If you only plan to stay a "sentence" of one year and have no intention of renewing, you could effectively live out that year on the Precaria and the initial residency without ever satisfying the banking requirement. You only "pay to play" if you want Year 2.

• The Actual Cost: If you do decide to pay, ignore the "total pension" myth. You only need to deposit the equivalent of five times the local minimum wage. In today’s 2026 market, that’s roughly $1,500 USD per month.

There is a misunderstanding about the "5-month rule" and the 3-year clock. It’s not that the clock "resets" to zero; it’s that the bridge collapses.

• The Non-Cumulative Trap: If you spend too much time in Mexico and fail to meet the physical presence requirements during your first 12 months, you won't be "3 years away" from permanent status—you'll be nowhere.
• Total System Restart: Once that 12-month temporary residency expires, if you haven't lived in the country enough to renew it or bridge to the next year, the entire legal structure vanishes. You don't just "lose a year"; you have to start the entire application from scratch—new background checks, new apostilles, new fees.
• The Judicial Route: Remember that for citizenship (which you aren't seeking yet), the 2-year clock is handled by a federal judge, not an immigration officer. They look at "habitual" residence. If you’re treating Argentina as a secondary base while living in Puebla or Guadalajara, a judge will see right through it.

​

If you want to stay 5-6 months total and never look back, just Prórroga (extend) your tourist visa or live on a Precaria you never intend to finish. But if you want a "head start" on Permanent Residency, you have to actually live there. You cannot "game" a 3-year residency clock from a beach in Mexico. You either commit to the soil or you accept that you’re just a long-term tourist.

 

[earlyretirement]

I’m honestly getting pretty fed up trying to figure out whether it’s even worth applying for this so-called temporary residency based on pension income (“pensionado”).

All I want is to stay a couple more months beyond my current 90 day window without jumping through endless bureaucratic hoops or doing another ridiculous visa run. Eventually, sure, I’ll need to decide whether Argentina could actually be a long-term option, and it’d be great to get a head start on permanent residency while I’m at it.

But here’s where it starts to grate. Apparently, I’ll be forced to deposit my pension into an Argentine bank account for the entire duration of the temp visa. So even when I’m back in Brazil where I actually live and spend my time and money, I’m supposed to feed my hard-earned pension into the Argentine treasury, get stuck with a shaky currency, and then exchange the money back just to pay for my regular expenses. It’s absurd. And on top of that, if I spend more than five months outside Argentina, the whole three-year countdown toward permanent status resets. How is that “temporary residency”? Sounds more like a trap.

I’m not trying to argue with the logic (or lack thereof) of this setup — I just want to hear from anyone currently dealing with these rules. How strictly are they enforced in practice? My other option would be to just extend my tourist visa by another three months, but then I lose a year toward permanent residency. I’m not even thinking about citizenship yet.

Any advice from people who’ve been through this would be greatly appreciated.

I'm not sure unless you are sure that you want to stay in Argentina it is worth it to jump through all these hoops. What would your decision be based on whether you want to be here or not? Probably makes sense to make sure it's a place you want to be at. The paperwork was the most time consuming part dealing with Apostilles, waiting for FBI arrest record, etc.

I knew from 2002 that I was going to be living and working in Argentina so it was a no brainer. I lived in Buenos Aires for 9 years. 2 of my kids were born there and have passports from Argentina. I probably should have just got my passport while I was living there. Now it will be impossible as you have to stay in the country without leaving for 2 years to get Citizenship and no way I could do that.

There is a ton of red tape here. It still seems fairly easy to qualify in Argentina and not much money. This can and probably will change. I waited too long in Mexico and now I don't quality for permanent because the income requirement went up drastically over the past few years. I think in Argentina it will get much more difficult so even though you might not think it's worth it, if you plan to stay long term it probably will be worth it.

Very good point. I think the income requirements are VERY low for Argentina but that will probably change in the future. I did my permanent residency for Mexico 7 years ago. I got a retirement visa and it was based on income/assets. Now the income requirements jumped up tremendously so those that waited might not qualify compared to a few years ago. My wife just got her permanent residency in Mexico a few months ago. She still easily qualified but the required income to document jumped up.

Now I will apply for my Mexican passport now that I qualify.

 

[Betsy Ross]

I'm not sure unless you are sure that you want to stay in Argentina it is worth it to jump through all these hoops. What would your decision be based on whether you want to be here or not? Probably makes sense to make sure it's a place you want to be at. The paperwork was the most time consuming part dealing with Apostilles, waiting for FBI arrest record, etc.

I knew from 2002 that I was going to be living and working in Argentina so it was a no brainer. I lived in Buenos Aires for 9 years. 2 of my kids were born there and have passports from Argentina. I probably should have just got my passport while I was living there. Now it will be impossible as you have to stay in the country without leaving for 2 years to get Citizenship and no way I could do that.


Very good point. I think the income requirements are VERY low for Argentina but that will probably change in the future. I did my permanent residency for Mexico 7 years ago. I got a retirement visa and it was based on income/assets. Now the income requirements jumped up tremendously so those that waited might not qualify compared to a few years ago. My wife just got her permanent residency in Mexico a few months ago. She still easily qualified but the required income to document jumped up.

Now I will apply for my Mexican passport now that I qualify.

It sounds like a lot of people have the Plan B option for residencies and citizenship. I don't really understand all the fuss about permanent residency and passports but I am lucky that I have a USA passport which is very strong.