Buying a house in Argentina: free in town, not in the countryside or near the border
A foreigner may buy a house or flat in an Argentine town just like an Argentine. For land outside the built-up area, the limits of Ley 26.737 apply, which according to the register are back in force after a court suspended their abolition. In the border zone a national commission decides on every purchase.
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As a foreigner you may buy a house or flat in an Argentine town just like an Argentine. The law that restricts foreigners, Ley 26.737, only concerns tierras rurales: every plot outside the built-up area, the ejido urbano, whatever you do with it. Anyone looking for land in the countryside, or a house close to the national border, deals with two extra offices.
Does the land law for foreigners still apply?
Yes, for now. Decreto 70/2023 abolished Ley 26.737 in article 154. But the Registro Nacional de Tierras Rurales writes that the restrictions for foreigners are in force: a court suspended the abolition, and that suspension is still running. So the register still issues a certificado de habilitación for every purchase of rural land by a foreigner.
| Rule from Ley 26.737 | What it means |
|---|---|
| Article 8 | foreigners together at most 15% of rural land, also per province and municipality |
| Article 9 | one nationality at most 30% of that 15% |
| Article 10 | one foreign owner at most 1,000 hectares in the core zone, or an equivalent area elsewhere |
| Article 10 | no land that contains or borders large, permanent bodies of water |
| Article 10 | no land in the border zone, except with the exceptions of Decreto-Ley 15.385/44 |
| Article 4 | exempt: anyone who has lived in Argentina continuously for 10 years |
| Article 4 | exempt: anyone with Argentine children who has lived in Argentina for 5 years |
| Article 4 | exempt: anyone married to an Argentine for 5 years who has lived in Argentina as long |
| Article 7 | a purchase in breach of the law is entirely void, without compensation |
The 1,000 hectares apply in the zona núcleo. Elsewhere an inter-ministerial council sets an equivalent area. For a home with a garden outside a village the hectare limit does not come into play. The ban near water and near the border can, and even then you need the certificate.
A lake, a river or a coastline makes a plot unbuyable for a foreigner if it concerns "cuerpos de agua de envergadura y permanentes". The law does not say how large that is. Before you make an offer, apply for the certificate at the register, and sign nothing final without it.
What is the border zone?
Decreto-Ley 15.385 of 1944 sets up a zona de seguridad along the borders, on land at most 150 kilometres wide and along the coast up to 50. The exact line is on the maps attached to Decreto 253/2018, province by province from Misiones to Tierra del Fuego. In that zone the Comisión Nacional de Zonas de Seguridad decides on every transfer, and also on renting. The Ministry of Security can exempt towns in the zone. If your dream house is in Mendoza, Bariloche or Misiones, first ask whether it falls within the zone.
How does a purchase work?
A purchase of real estate must be made by notarial deed, the escritura pública (article 1017 of the Civil Code). Ownership passes with the deed and delivery, and only becomes certain against others with registration in the register. For rural land the certificate of the Registro de Tierras Rurales comes first.
If you agree the price in dollars, since Decreto 70/2023 the buyer is only released from his debt when he pays in dollars. How you bring money to Argentina is in bank and payments.
Which taxes come into play?
The Impuesto a la Transferencia de Inmuebles (ITI), a tax on sale, was abolished by Ley 27.743 of July 2024. And since Ley 27.802, the gain on the sale of real estate sold from 1 January 2026 is exempt from income tax, under detailed rules still to follow. The same law exempts rent from a home from 2026. Ask the notary which provincial levies apply to your purchase.
What about your house in the Netherlands?
If you sell your Dutch house, or keep it, that affects your Dutch tax; see AOW, pension and tax in Argentina. If you first want to look around at ease, rent first; see renting in Argentina. You arrange your CUIT and DNI as in registration and numbers. The order is in the route to Argentina.
In Vertrekklaar this is phase 5 of 5 of the journey, step 5.6: the same steps, but for your situation — in your order, tickable, and with the deadlines watched. See the whole journey to Argentina or go straight to step 5.6 in the open plan.
What this rests on
The facts in this article come from these official pages. Rules change. When in doubt, go by the source, not this article.
- Registro Nacional de Tierras Rurales — the restrictions of Ley 26.737 are in force — argentina.gob.ar
- Ley 26.737 (Tierras Rurales), consolidated text with articles 1, 3, 4, 8, 9 and 10 — argentina.gob.ar
- Decreto DNU 70/2023, articles 154 and 250 — the abolition of Ley 26.737 and paying in the agreed currency — argentina.gob.ar
- Decreto-Ley 15.385/44 — the border zone and the consent of the Comisión Nacional de Zonas de Seguridad — argentina.gob.ar
- Decreto 253/2018 — the map of the border zone and the exception for towns — argentina.gob.ar
- Código Civil y Comercial, articles 1017 and 1892 — the notarial deed and registration — argentina.gob.ar
- Argentina.gob.ar — the abolition of the transfer tax ITI by Ley 27.743 — argentina.gob.ar
- Ley de Impuesto a las Ganancias, article 26 n — exemption for the sale of real estate from 2026 — argentina.gob.ar
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