Rentista, Citizenship via naturalization and Tax Compliance

[smir0711]

Hi
I'm not yet in Argentina but working on gathering enough information to see if it is worth it to spend 2 years uninterrupted in Argentina to get citizenship via naturalization.

Step 1: Tourist visa
Step 2: Rentista residency application Year 1
https://www.argentina.gob.ar/servicio/obtener-una-residencia-temporaria-como-rentista-no-mercosur

• Criminal record from original country: I have been mostly living in Turkey for the last 5 years rather than in my home country (Vietnam), I can get it from Turkey apostilled or from Vietnam legalized (I have no criminal record) but it takes time to do both work, so I just want to fulfill the requirement by getting one from my original country. Would they know or ask about Turkey?
• Do I need to provide a contract/bank statement? It doesn't say on the list of requirements in the official link. They are both in English and can be translated but not apostilled for sure, would that be okay?
• What's the minimum income to have it approved?
• My payment is hourly basis meaning it's not the same every month, would this affect my application?
• Asking for a friend, can Russian citizens apply?

Step 3: Renew Rentista residency (Year 2), just to confirm I can renew with Immigration without leaving Argentina right?

Step 4: Renew Rentista residency (Year 3) before applying for citizenship as it takes time to have it processed.
Questions:

• How long does it take to have a citizenship application processed?
• Do I need a lawyer for this?
• What is the approved vs rejected rate?
• After approval, can I get a passport right away?
• Can I leave Argentina while waiting for Federal Court's decision?

TAX REGISTRATION:

• I am a contractor for a company outside of Argentina. Currently, I'm not paying tax for Turkey (country of residence) as it's too high but I would register as a self-employed or monotributista in Argentina to prove my genuine interest in citizenship. Would they check proof of tax contributions in the past before registering tax in Argentina?

• Can I still receive payments to an offshore bank account and just file my tax to AFIP and pay my tax online or do I need to move my payments to an Argentina bank?
• Can I receive bank wires to the Argentina USD account? (USD to USD, I have heard of the Central converting USD to ARS automatically in the early 2000s but not sure that is still the case?)

Thanks a bunch, I know that's a lot of questions

 

[julia_en_ruta]

I think you can find other peoples' experiences on some of these issues by searching in the forum.

 

[Alby]

In theory, the path to citizenship (which seems to be your ultimate goal) is logical and correct.

The minimum income is the minimum monthly salary in Argentina (which rises constantly for inflation--105,500 pesos for July 2023) multiplied by 5 (i.e 527,500 for July 2023) converted at the official rate into the currency of the income source you are declaring.

You need to fully document and justify your passive income, apostille the documents, and have them officially translated here. If your passive income is variable and difficult to calculate as a fixed monthly rate in its own currency, they won't know what to do with you and your case will bog down (see below).

The criminal record is that for the country (or countries) where you have spent 12 months in the three years prior to your application. In theory. In practice, they might at some point notice you are Vietnamese and ask for that too. But technically, you need to looking at where you have been living lately and produce the record from those countries.

You don't qualify as a tax resident until you've completed the first year of temporary residency (which may be a long time into the future--see next paragraph).

It may take a year or two to get your temporary residency approved even if the case is relatively simple. It is a complicated category that few people attempt. The documentation requirements Argentina set prove to be more than its staff at Migraciones know what to do with if somebody is actually organised enough to pull it all together. They can't handle it and it can become very complicated and drawn out. You will certainly end up reaching the two-year mark (the threshold you are looking at to be able to apply for citizenship), long before reaching the end of your second year as a Rentista resident (possibly even before reaching the end of your first year, and, in the worst/best case scenario, before even being granted temporary residency as a Rentista).

If you obtain the Rentista residency you must be in Argentina to renew it. You can come and go throughout the year as long as you spend at least 183 days here, but you need to be careful around the time your apply for the second year.

Your Russian friend can apply too if he or she meets any of the temporary residency category criteria.

 

[steveinbsas]

Hi
I'm not yet in Argentina but working on gathering enough information to see if it is worth it to spend 2 years uninterrupted in Argentina to get citizenship via naturalization.

The two year"residency" requirement" is regarding two years of physical prsence in Argentina but it does not have to be uninterrupted (or continuous). Seven months each of the first two years may suffice (If you are applying for citizenship without "temporary residency granted by migraciones).

Step 1: Tourist visa
Step 2: Rentista residency application Year 1

You get a 90 day tourist visa when you enter for the first time and it can be extended for 90 days. IMO, you should apply for temporary residency ASAP..

You can also apply for citizenship as a tourist as soon as you arrive, but only with the help of a lawyer. who will present your case.

If you do that you will ned to stay in the country at least seven months each of the first two years and it could take more than a year or more after the first two to get the citizenship.

• Criminal record from original country: I have been mostly living in Turkey for the last 5 years rather than in my home country (Vietnam), I can get it from Turkey apostilled or from Vietnam legalized (I have no criminal record) but it takes time to do both work, so I just want to fulfill the requirement by getting one from my original country. Would they know or ask about Turkey?

I think the "rule" is more specific than "mostly" so I suggest that you comply with the rule. They will have access to the information that you do not provide.

• My payment is hourly basis meaning it's not the same every month, would this affect my application?

.The income for the visa rentista mush be "passive" (from investments or rents).

If yor income is derived from an hourly wage, you don't need to even bother to apply for a visa rentista in Argentina...

...UNLESS YOU CAN QUALIFY FOR THE VISA RENTISTA BY DEPOSITING THE REQUIRED AMOUNT IN A FOREIGN BANK TRUST ACCOUNT WHICH WILL PAY OUT THE REQUIRED INCOME TO BE WIRED TO ARGENTNA EACH MONTH.

• Asking for a friend, can Russian citizens apply?

Yes.

Step 3: Renew Rentista residency (Year 2), just to confirm I can renew with Immigration without leaving Argentina right?

Yoou won't be able to renew something you can't get in the first place

Step 4: Renew Rentista residency (Year 3) before applying for citizenship as it takes time to have it processed.

Since you will not qualify for the visa rentista, there is no reason to wait until year three to apply for citizenship. Do it as soon after you arrive as you wish.

Questions:

• How long does it take to have a citizenship application processed?

With the help of a lawyer, probably well over one year, if not two, and there is no guarantee you will ge it.

• Do I need a lawyer for this?

Without residecy granted by migraciones, the answer is yes.

• What is the approved vs rejected rate?

I have no idea.

• Can I get a passport right away?

I have no idea.

• Can I leave Argentina while waiting for Federal Court's decision?

Your lawyer will advise you.

TAX REGISTRATION:

• I am a contractor for a company outside of Argentina. Currently, I'm not paying tax for Turkey (country of residence) as it's too high but I would register as a self-employed or monotributista in Argentina to prove my genuine interest in citizenship. Would they check proof of tax contributions in the past before registering tax in Argentina?

Based on may posts that I have read here, without temporary residency or citizenship, you will not actually be able register as a momotribusta in Argentina to pay "income" tax" in Argentina.

Good news. Based on what a "citizenship lawer" has posted here, paying taxes while waiting for citizenship is not a requirement to get it.

• Can I still receive payments to an offshore bank account and just file my tax to AFIP and pay my tax online or do I need to move my payments to an Argentina bank?

If understand correctly, you won't be paying taxes on your active foreign income until after you have been a tempoorary resident for a full year or, without temporary residency, until after you become a citizen and you live in Argentina for more than 183 days of the year,

• Can I receive bank wires to the Argentina USD account? (USD to USD

Recent posts have indicated that the answer is yes

• I have heard of the Central converting USD to ARS automatically in the early 2000s but not sure that is still the case?)

As far as I know, this is presently an unaswered question. regarding future transfers of the monthy income by those who have the visa rentista. who must make bank to bank transfes

All I know is that I am able to make WU transfers of dllars rom my US bank account to pesos in my Argentine account.


PS: As always, I welcome corrections to anything I have posted here.

 

[FrankPintor]

I believe I got to upload a photocopy of every page of my passport, and Migraciones asked about every country I'd lived in over the last 10 years. They have discretion to ask for whatever they feel like. I got to supply them with apostilled criminal records for all of those countries, including Colombia which doesn't provide paper copies of the criminal record, plus my home country, My guess is that the OP isn't going to be able to dodge this.

 

[steveinbsas]

Just wanted to clarify a few of my answers

Renew Rentista residency (Year 2), just to confirm I can renew with Immigration without leaving Argentina right?

I believe you must actually be in Argentina to renew the temporary residency,

Step 4: Renew Rentista residency (Year 3) before applying for citizenship as it takes time to have it processed.
Questions:

• How long does it take to have a citizenship application processed?

Even if you apply for citizenship immediately after arrival as a tourist, it will obviously take two years to fulfill the two year physical presence requirement plus whatever additional time the court requires to "decide" your case, perhaps as long as a year or two...if not more.

The smay or may not be able to "proceed" with the case before the end of the first year, but at least they can get the ball rolling.

Meanwhile, you will be in Argentina without a DNI (and perhaps without a bank account) for at least seven months of the year.).

That's not impossible, but not as "easy" as life would be if you have them.

 

[smir0711]

Thanks for all your input guys, pretty helpful.

.The income for the visa rentista mush be "passive" (from investments or rents).
If yor income is derived from an hourly wage, you don't need to even bother to apply for a visa rentista in Argentina...

Originally I have heard people telling me so, however, I have already consulted with one Immigration Agency in BA and she advised it does not need to be passive income as long as it comes from outside of Argentina. This is also backed up by information provided on their official source:
https://www.argentina.gob.ar/servicio/obtener-una-residencia-temporaria-como-rentista-no-mercosur

It may take a year or two to get your temporary residency approved even if the case is relatively simple. It is a complicated category that few people attempt. The documentation requirements Argentina set prove to be more than its staff at Migraciones know what to do with if somebody is actually organised enough to pull it all together. They can't handle it and it can become very complicated and drawn out. You will certainly end up reaching the two-year mark (the threshold you are looking at to be able to apply for citizenship), long before reaching the end of your second year as a Rentista resident (possibly even before reaching the end of your first year, and, in the worst/best case scenario, before even being granted temporary residency as a Rentista).

It takes 1-2 years to get a rentista residency for the validity of 1 year? That sounds insane. From whom you have got such estimate if you don't mind me asking?

Thanks

 

[smir0711]

In theory, the path to citizenship (which seems to be your ultimate goal) is logical and correct.

The minimum income is the minimum monthly salary in Argentina (which rises constantly for inflation--105,500 pesos for July 2023) multiplied by 5 (i.e 527,500 for July 2023) converted at the official rate into the currency of the income source you are declaring.

You need to fully document and justify your passive income, apostille the documents, and have them officially translated here. If your passive income is variable and difficult to calculate as a fixed monthly rate in its own currency, they won't know what to do with you and your case will bog down (see below).

The criminal record is that for the country (or countries) where you have spent 12 months in the three years prior to your application. In theory. In practice, they might at some point notice you are Vietnamese and ask for that too. But technically, you need to looking at where you have been living lately and produce the record from those countries.

You don't qualify as a tax resident until you've completed the first year of temporary residency (which may be a long time into the future--see next paragraph).

It may take a year or two to get your temporary residency approved even if the case is relatively simple. It is a complicated category that few people attempt. The documentation requirements Argentina set prove to be more than its staff at Migraciones know what to do with if somebody is actually organised enough to pull it all together. They can't handle it and it can become very complicated and drawn out. You will certainly end up reaching the two-year mark (the threshold you are looking at to be able to apply for citizenship), long before reaching the end of your second year as a Rentista resident (possibly even before reaching the end of your first year, and, in the worst/best case scenario, before even being granted temporary residency as a Rentista).

If you obtain the Rentista residency you must be in Argentina to renew it. You can come and go throughout the year as long as you spend at least 183 days here, but you need to be careful around the time your apply for the second year.

Your Russian friend can apply too if he or she meets any of the temporary residency category criteria.

Do you have the source of this information on the minimum income? 527,500 ARS for July 2023

 

[arvest]

Thanks for all your input guys, pretty helpful.


Originally I have heard people telling me so, however, I have already consulted with one Immigration Agency in BA and she advised it does not need to be passive income as long as it comes from outside of Argentina. This is also backed up by information provided on their official source:
https://www.argentina.gob.ar/servicio/obtener-una-residencia-temporaria-como-rentista-no-mercosur
View attachment 8886


It takes 1-2 years to get a rentista residency for the validity of 1 year? That sounds insane. From whom you have got such estimate if you don't mind me asking?

Thanks

This is interesting, I always heard it's passive income. But if you can work remotely and it qualifies that would be awesome

 

[Alby]

It takes 1-2 years to get a rentista residency for the validity of 1 year? That sounds insane. From whom you have got such estimate if you don't mind me asking?

Thanks

My own direct experience of obtaining this residency (with an extremely straightforward and properly documented case of passive income), reported various times on these pages. It took nearly three years to obtain a one-year temporary residency: 11 precaria renewals. Eventually unstuck by a lawyer, but even he had trouble resolving it. Staff at Migraciones are not properly trained and not properly paid. The Rentista residency demands complex documentation and analysis that they are not equipped for or interested in handling. Admittedly, mine was pandemic-affected and probably an extreme case. But it is quite common for temporary residency applications to take months and months. Do not assume you just submit the documents and a matter of weeks later you are a temporary resident.

If your real goal is just being able to stay here legally for two years in order to meet the requirements to apply for citizenship, the rentista residency can be quite a good option, precisely because it can become very drawn out. It gives a legal means of staying here (the precaria) and killing time towards your two-year goal without locking you into (or at least delaying) the legal obligations (such as tax) that go with residency.