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How to buy a house in Argentina as an expat
If you want to buy a house in Argentina, we recommend that you first read this guide, which will help you understand the entire process
Argentina can be an attractive place for foreigners interested in buying property. One of the main draws is the ease of carrying out transactions in U.S. dollars, along with generally limited restrictions on foreign ownership.
On the other hand, you may deal with a bureaucratic system that changes often, which can create a sense of financial uncertainty and requires you to be very careful at every step of the buying process.
In this guide, we’ve gathered everything you need to know before buying a home in this South American country. We cover the requirements for foreign buyers, payment methods, and the average price per square meter in the main cities.
1. Requirements for foreigners to buy a house in Argentina
Although foreigners can buy property in Argentina without being residents, there are still some required steps you must follow. These include providing personal documents and completing legal and administrative procedures with local authorities. Here’s everything you need to know:
Required identification documents for foreign buyers
The type of ID you need to provide mainly depends on your nationality and whether you’re in the country throughout the entire home-buying process.
- Valid passport: If you’re not a citizen of a Mercosur country, you’ll need it. The document must be in good condition and have valid entry stamps for the country.
- National ID: If you’re from a neighboring country or a Mercosur member state, you can complete the process using your official national ID from your home country.
- Grant power of attorney to a third party: If you’re not traveling to Argentina, you’ll need to appoint a legal representative through a notarized power of attorney. The document must have an Apostille of The Hague and be officially translated in Argentina by a certified translator.
Key tax identification document – CDI
To buy a property and have the deed registered in your name, you must obtain a CDI from ARCA (the Tax Collection and Customs Control Agency). This is the document that validates your signature when the property is officially transferred to you.
To get a CDI, you’ll need to gather a few documents: Form F.663, which you can download online from the ARCA website or pick up in person at their offices, your valid passport in good condition (or national ID), and proof of address in Argentina for receiving official notifications.
Documents verifying the source of funds
Argentina has strict anti–money laundering rules when it comes to verifying the source of the funds used to buy property. This oversight is handled by the UIF (Financial Intelligence Unit).
The UIF will check that your funds are legally obtained before they can be transferred into the country. This verification is done by reviewing certain documents, depending on your specific situation:
- Tax returns.
- Deeds for previous property sales.
- Pay stubs.
- Audit report.
Documents for rural properties
If you’re looking to buy a farm, vineyard, or rural land outside urban areas, there are special requirements you need to be aware of under Rural Land Law 26,737, which you must meet in order to purchase the property.
The law sets two limits: a Provincial Limit, which states that foreign-owned land cannot exceed 15% of a province’s rural territory, and an Individual Limit, which restricts any single foreign person or legal entity from owning more than 1,000 hectares in a productive agricultural area.
To purchase the property, you must apply for a Land Law Clearance Certificate from the National Rural Land Registry, as well as a National Security Zone Authorization if the property is located in a strategic or border area.
2. How much does a house cost in Argentina?
The property market in Argentina is largely priced in U.S. dollars, so transactions are generally not done in the local currency. The table below outlines the price ranges per square meter in some of Argentina’s main cities.
| City | Price per square meter |
| Buenos Aires | Premium neighborhoods: Between $2,500 and $4,500. “Middle-class” neighborhoods: Between $1,700 and $2,200. Greater Buenos Aires: Between $1,500 and $2,500. |
| Córdoba or Rosario | Between $1,100 and $1,600. |
| Rural tourist areas | Bariloche or the vineyards in Mendoza cost between $1,800 and $3,000 |
What factors could affect housing prices in Argentina?
In addition to the price per square meter, several direct and indirect factors also influence a property’s final value:
- Location and security: In general, well-located neighborhoods within cities tend to justify higher prices in U.S. dollars, as they usually offer better access to public transport and stronger security infrastructure.
- Services for new condominium buildings: New residential towers usually offer better amenities than older buildings, which can increase prices by around 10% to 15%.
Ratio of housing costs vs. average wages in Argentina
For someone in Argentina earning an average salary of about $800, buying a home can be difficult because they earn in pesos, but property prices are set in dollars.
In contrast, a foreign buyer earning in U.S. dollars has an advantage when buying property in Argentina. They can also afford nicer neighborhoods, gated communities, and larger rural properties more easily.
3. Property taxes in Argentina
Argentina’s tax system, as of 2026, doesn’t charge sellers capital gains tax, but there are other fees you should consider when buying or owning property, whether you’re a foreigner or a resident.
Taxes when buying
As a buyer, you are required to pay two types of taxes to the Tax and Customs Collection and Control Agency:
- Stamp duty: Each province applies taxes to transactions and contracts involving large money transfers. For example, in the City of Buenos Aires and Buenos Aires Province, the tax is 3.6% of the property’s official sale price, and it’s usually split equally between the buyer and the seller.
- Administrative fees: The cost of registering the property with the Real Estate Registry ranges from 0.2% to 0.5%.
Taxes for homeowners
For foreign property owners who are not residents, taxes apply only to the assets they own in Argentina. However, if the assessed value of the property exceeds the tax-free threshold set by law, progressive annual tax rates ranging from 0.5% to 1.25% will apply to the amount above that limit.
As for municipal fees related to public lighting, sanitation, and street cleaning, to give you a realistic idea, a small apartment in Buenos Aires may pay between 30,000 and 70,000 ARS every two months ($21.50 to $50.19).
4. Steps for buying a house in Argentina
Following the right steps when buying a home in Argentina will help you stay organized throughout the process. Here’s a simple step-by-step guide to help you save time and make the process smoother.
1. Searching for real estate listings
Finding property listings across Argentina usually involves a mix of online research through real estate websites and working with licensed real estate agencies. No matter which method you use, it’s important to get proper guidance when requesting the property title and lien reports.
2. Submission of a formal offer
In this step, you should formally initiate the transaction by submitting an initial written offer and providing a deposit of between 1% and 5% of the proposed value.
If the seller accepts your offer, they must take the property off the market and move forward with the sale process. If the seller later decides not to continue, they must return double the amount of the deposit.
3. Sales contract
This contract sets the sale price, the closing date, and includes an upfront payment that is usually around 30% of the agreed price. Although it is an important document, it does not immediately transfer ownership of the property.
4. Closing
The sale is officially completed before a public notary. The buyer pays the remaining balance, both parties sign the final documents, and the notary registers the property title. This process can take between 30 and 90 days, but you receive the keys on the same day.
How to pay for a house in Argentina?
When buying a home in Argentina, there are two key things you should understand about how payments work, since currency controls can make the process a bit confusing. Here’s a simple breakdown.
- Cash payment: Most property purchases, new or used, are usually paid in cash, often in U.S. dollars. The payment is made in front of a notary or at a bank on the day of closing.
- Local bank accounts or international transfers: You can open a bank account in Argentina as a non-resident using a CDI to make money transfers easier. You can also send funds from abroad, as long as you follow Central Bank of Argentina rules, including proving the origin of the money.
Tips before buying a house in Argentina
Buying a home in Argentina requires careful attention to legal and administrative steps. Here are some practical tips to help you avoid missing important details.
- Always have a local advisor: It’s important to have a notary who represents you and guides you through each stage of the home-buying process. Ideally, they should work exclusively for you.
- Stay connected at all times: With Holafly’s monthly plans, you can get 25 GB or unlimited data with coverage in over 160 international destinations, including Argentina. They also include features like data sharing across devices and Always On, which gives you 1 GB of free emergency data each month in more than 70 countries if your plan is canceled or you run out of data.
- Be wary of projects that might be scams: Before buying an off-plan property, it’s best to check the developer’s reliability and reputation by looking at some of their previous projects first.
- Protect your money from theft: This matters for your safety and to protect your money. It’s a good idea to use a private room at a bank in Argentina to safely complete the payment for your new home.
Frequently asked questions about buying a house in Argentina
There are no mortgages available for non-resident foreigners. However, there are alternatives, such as negotiating a loan with the real estate agency or the property owners.
One common mistake is failing to document the source of the funds and not verifying that the house has no outstanding utility bills or tax debts.
Buying a property in Argentina does not qualify you for legal residency in the country.
In most cases, the buyer pays the notary fees involved in the property purchase process, which are usually between 1% and 2% of the total property price.
Yes. However, while the parents are alive, they remain the legal representatives of the property until the children reach legal age and can take ownership of the house.
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