New Immigration Decree: What It Means for Foreigners in Argentina

[Ron]

Given the concerns surrounding Thursday’s immigration decree, I thought it might be useful to share a quick summary.
In short, unless you're a dual citizen, the changes could potentially affect almost any foreigner currently in the country, or planning to visit. It's definitely worth taking a moment to look into the details.

Argentina’s Milei toughens migration legislation via Trump-like decree - Buenos Aires Herald

The new measures include foreigners’ restrictions on accessing public services and a relaxation on deportation requirements

buenosairesherald.com

 

[noname]

Wow… hadn’t heard about this yet. Thanks for the heads up! Gonna dig into the details, hope it doesn’t mess with my visa plans 😅

 

[chesterL]

They always say it’ll change everything and then it barely changes anything. Let’s see what actually happens.

 

[CraigG]

It’s really concerning. The new immigration decree opens the door to a lot of discretion and arbitrary decisions. It says it’s about "public order and safety," but those terms are vague and can be applied very broadly. In practice, this could affect tourists, residents with temporary visas, and even people who’ve been living here legally for years. It doesn’t mean people will be deported tomorrow, but it definitely creates legal uncertainty, and for many of us, that’s reason enough to stay alert.

 

[Canada Goose]

They always say it’ll change everything and then it barely changes anything. Let’s see what actually happens.

Yes I wonder if this will even happen. It seems like governments say they will do stuff and never do it.

 

[Rich One]

What is the situation on requirement on health insurance? Does anyone know? I have friends coming to town next month and there are rumors of required health insurance proof at EZE and AEP.

Anyone know what is going on with citizenship applications already being processed by the Federal court system? Is someone almost done with the process have to start over? What if you already left Argentina many times? I assume this is not retroactive?

 

[Marleny]

What is the situation on requirement on health insurance? Does anyone know? I have friends coming to town next month and there are rumors of required health insurance proof at EZE and AEP.

Anyone know what is going on with citizenship applications already being processed by the Federal court system? Is someone almost done with the process have to start over? What if you already left Argentina many times? I assume this is not retroactive?

I heard the health insurance starts July 1 but I am not sure. I asked my immigration attorney, Lorena and she told me that the Decree is not retroactive so it's only for new people applying. It shouldn't change people already in the system.

She had this to say about the DNU and her take was that we should plan as if it’s going to stay in effect. That could play out in a few different ways:

• They might publish clear regulations that explain the unclear parts and fully implement the DNU as written.
• Or, they might not issue any regulations at all—so things stay vague, and the DNU is barely enforced in practice.
• Another possibility is that they don’t clarify anything officially, but still enforce parts of it in a scattered way, depending on where you are or who happens to be in charge at the moment.

For those thinking about applying for citizenship, she is cautiously optimistic. She thinks that over time, some common sense will kick in—maybe through official regulations or just practical decisions—and that people might be allowed to leave the country during the two-year period, especially if they can get special permission for particular situations.