# Argentine nationality law

Argentine nationality law regulates the manner in which one acquires, or is eligible to acquire, Argentine nationality. Nationality, as used in international law, describes the legal methods by which a person obtains a national identity and formal membership in a nation. Citizenship refers to the relationship between a nation and a national, after membership has been attained. Argentina recognizes a dual system accepting Jus soli and Jus sanguinis for the acquisition of nationality by birth and allows foreign persons to naturalize.

## Terminology

The distinction between the meaning of the terms citizenship and nationality is not always clear in the English language and differs by country. Generally, nationality refers to a person's legal belonging to a country and is the common term used in international treaties when referring to members of a state; citizenship refers to the set of rights and duties a person has in that nation. It can be possible for a non-national to obtain a degree of civil and political rights commonly associated with citizenship (e.g., residence or working rights) while it is also possible for a national to be prohibited from exercising certain rights (e.g., children barred from voting). In Argentine, the term "nationality" (nacionalidad) refers to state membership while "citizenship" (ciudadanía) describes a person's participation in national society.

## Birth in Argentina

Any person born in Argentine territory acquires Argentine nationality at birth. A notable exception to this rule is for children of persons in the service of a foreign government, such as foreign diplomats. This rule can be also applied to people born in the Falkland Islands, a disputed territory between Argentina and the United Kingdom.

## Nationality by descent

Argentine nationality law follows jus sanguinis; any person over 18 with at least one Argentine parent can opt for Argentine citizenship, and needs only to establish their parentage in front of a federal judge. For a minor child born outside the country, the Argentine parent must present the child's birth certificate before the local Argentine embassy.

## Naturalization

Foreigners may naturalize as Argentine citizens after residing in the country for a specified period (generally 2 years), as determined by Argentine law. Applicants must declare loyalty to Argentina's democratic system, prove their self-sufficiency without state assistance, hold no criminal record, and fulfill other criteria set by Argentine immigration authorities. Unlike some countries, Argentina does not typically require applicants to renounce their previous nationalities. However, persons convicted of certain criminal acts or offenses against the state may be permanently barred from naturalization. The requisite period of residence may be subject to certain conditions or exceptions, such as completion of integration courses or marital status to Argentine citizens. Additionally, citizens of specific countries or regions may be exempt from certain requirements or granted special considerations during the naturalization process. The number of individuals naturalized as Argentine citizens varies from year to year, reflecting changes in immigration policies and demographic trends.
Naturalization can be denied if applicants:
* have been in jail for more than 3 years in the last 5 years;
* are under criminal prosecution;
* have an illegitimate source of income. To work without a legal permit is considered an illegitimate source of income for most of the chamber of appeals.
As the naturalization law has existed essentially unchanged since 1869, subject to later modifications, there are many precedents based on which the Supreme Court is able to resolve almost any immigration-related problem. Nationality has been granted to immigrants who were not legally resident, worked without a legal permit, or entered the country illegally and, in exceptional cases, even to immigrants with criminal records.
The continuous two-year residency requirement means that applicants need to make Argentina their home. However, since applicants enjoy the same civil rights as Argentines, including the right to travel, they may leave the country.
For historical reasons, federal courts are still reluctant to recognize the rights of "irregular" immigrants. They usually request the following requirements related to the abolished law 21.795:
* Proof of Legal residency
* Proof of undertaking Legal work
* Spanish-language ability
* Birth certificate apostilled and translated by a public notary
* Certificate of a clean criminal record from home country
* Certificate of a clean criminal record in Argentina
* CUIT or CUIL number

## Option for Argentine nationality by descent

Individuals born abroad to an Argentine native parent have the option to acquire Argentine nationality. The procedure can be carried out either at the nearest Argentine consulate (if the person is abroad) or at the RENAPER (National Registry of Persons) or civil registry offices (if the person is in the country).
* Being the child of an Argentine native parent.
* If the person is over 18 years old, the option is solely of the person to make.
* If person is under 18 years old, only the holders of parental authority are authorized to make the option on your behalf.
If the person is a child was born abroad, you can grant them Argentine nationality. The person can visit the nearest consulate to his/her residence to process the Option for Argentine nationality for children of Argentine parents born abroad.

## Dual nationality

Dual nationality is accepted in Argentina. Some countries have entered into a reciprocity agreement (Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Spain, United States until 20 October 1981, Honduras, Italy, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, and Sweden); Argentine citizens who have been naturalised as citizens of one of these countries enter Argentina with documents of and as citizens of their other nationality and are considered to be such, unless they intend to remain permanently in the country.
Argentine citizens who are also citizens of non-reciprocity countries (e.g., by naturalisation to another citizenship) are recognised only as Argentine citizens within Argentine territory, and would normally enter and leave with their Argentine passport. They can enter, and leave within 180 days, using the travel documents of their other nationality, but if they invoke Argentine nationality they must present their Argentine identity document. After staying more than 180 days they can only leave using their Argentine passport. It is also possible not to mention Argentine citizenship, and enter and leave as a foreign national so long as travel documents do not state place of birth or residence being Argentina.
Despite the rules, it is reported by travellers that there are often difficulties as immigration officials may not be familiar with the rules, and hostility. Two knowledgeable immigration officials have explained the rules as they apply them in a useful discussion. In case of difficulty when travelling without an Argentine passport there is an express passport supply service (with long opening hours) available at airports at additional cost on presenting the Argentine identity document; the process is stated to take 15 minutes, and the passport to be ready in 2 to 6 hours.

## Relinquishment and deprivation

Argentine nationality cannot be relinquished, unlike in some other countries where renunciation is possible under certain conditions. Argentine citizenship cannot be renounced and remains with individuals throughout their lifetime. However, it may be revoked if obtained through criminal means, such as fraudulent documentation. Additionally, citizenship may be stripped from individuals engaged in activities deemed harmful to the state, as determined by Argentine law.

## History

The first successful attempt to adopt an Argentine Constitution occurred in 1853. It established in Article 15 that slavery was abolished, in Article 16 that all inhabitants were equal under the law, and in Article 20 that foreigners living in the country should have the same civil rights as citizens and were eligible for naturalization after residing in Argentina for two years. The constitution established that nationality could be gained or lost, as was described in civil law. As early as 1867, the Supreme Court confirmed that a married woman shared her husband's nationality. In a case involving Elena Eyras, an Argentine, and her husband Manuel Pedro de la Peña, a Paraguayan, the husband argued their separate nationalities warranted a decision in federal court. The court refused to hear their marital dispute, denying federal jurisdiction on the grounds that married women were required to have a unified identity and share the same domicile as their husbands.
Law 346 of 8 October 1869, the first Argentine nationality law, established in Article 1 that birth in Argentina was the basis for nationality of a child regardless of its parents' nationality, unless the parents were foreign ministers or diplomats residing in the country. The law also established that a child born abroad to a national of the country of either sex could derive nationality from its parent by following procedures for the declaration of Argentine nationality. It contained no specific provisions relating to the loss of citizenship, but the Supreme Court ruled in eleven separate cases between 1867 and 1902 that an Argentine woman who married a foreigner lost her nationality. Likewise, a foreign woman married to an Argentine man gained his nationality. The Argentine Civil Code, adopted in 1869, followed Catholic canon law, establishing a husband's authority over his family and incapacitating married women. A ruling in 1902 from the Supreme Court found that the act of marriage was not responsible for either acquisition or loss of nationality for a woman, but that it could expatriate her for jurisdictional purposes in legal matters, reinforcing that a wife was required to follow her husband's authority.
From 1914, a married woman, foreign or Argentine, did not derive nationality from her husband's. In that year, the Minister of Foreign Affairs instructed consuls abroad to register Argentine women living abroad and married to foreigners as Argentine nationals and to enter foreign wives of Argentine men into the consulate registries without stating they had Argentine nationality. From 1918, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs instructed that foreign wives could receive Argentine passports, though they were not technically nationals, but had the same civil status as the husband. In 1926, Argentina revised its Civil Code through Law 11.357 removing the marital authority provision for husbands and expanding women's civil rights. According to the Federal Chamber in Buenos Aires, until the code revision a married woman had technically lost her nationality, but after the change her nationality was independent of her husband's. In 1933, the Argentine delegation to the Pan-American Union's Montevideo conference signed the Inter-American Convention on the Nationality of Women, which became effective in 1934, without legal reservations. In 1947, the Minister of Foreign Affairs issued another circular reiterating that marriage neither bestowed nor relinquished nationalization for a spouse, but that foreign wives could be issued Argentine passports.

### Mercosur integration

Argentine involvement in Mercosur integration began in the late 20th century. Initial cooperation was focused on the economy through the establishment of Mercosur as a regional trade bloc. Argentina became a founding member of Mercosur in 1991, alongside Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay. This agreement aimed to promote economic integration and cooperation among its member states. Argentine citizens have participated in Mercosur initiatives and have benefited from agreements such as the free movement of goods, services, and people within the bloc. Additionally, Mercosur has facilitated political dialogue and cooperation among its member states on various regional and international issues. Argentina's involvement in Mercosur has contributed to the economic development and integration of the region.