Yes. Foreigners can buy land in Argentina, and urban lots have no special limits. For rural land, the Rural Land Law (Ley 26.737) caps foreign ownership and requires a certificate. A 2023 decree repealed it, but on October 9, 2026 the Supreme Court suspended that repeal for now, so the limits and the certificate apply again until a federal court in Bariloche rules. The status may change again, so your escribano confirms it on the day you sign. Near the borders and the coast, prior approval from the Ministry of the Interior is still needed.
Last updated October 14, 2026 · Part of the Foreign buyer guide
Urban land versus rural land
The first question is not your nationality but the land's classification. A lot inside a town or city, or a house on a normal urban parcel, is urban property: foreigners buy it on the same terms as Argentines, with the usual escribano process. Farms, estancias, vineyards, large lake or river parcels, and most land outside town limits are rural. That is where the Rural Land Law applies.
The classification comes from the provincial cadastre, not from how the land looks. A parcel a few minutes from Bariloche can be rural; an estate lot in a gated community is usually urban. Ask the escribano to confirm it from the cadastral records before you negotiate.
What the Rural Land Law says
Ley 26.737 was passed in December 2011 to limit foreign ownership of rural land. Its rules apply again since the Supreme Court's interim order of October 9, 2026 (see below). The main rules are:
| Rule | What it means for a foreign buyer |
|---|---|
| 15% national and local cap | Foreigners together may own no more than 15% of rural land in the country, a province, or a department. Where the cap is reached, no new foreign purchases are allowed. |
| 30% per nationality | Buyers of the same nationality may hold no more than 30% of that 15%. |
| 1,000 hectares per foreign owner | Each foreign person or company may own at most 1,000 hectares in the core farming zone, or the equivalent area in other regions. |
| Water bodies | Foreigners may not own rural land that contains or borders large, permanent bodies of water. |
| Certificate | Before buying, a certificate from the National Rural Land Registry is required; the escribano handles it as part of the transfer. |
Did Milei repeal the land law?
In December 2023, Decree DNU 70/2023 (article 154) ordered the repeal of Ley 26.737. In March 2024 the federal appeals court of La Plata declared article 154 unconstitutional and the law stayed in force while the case went to the Supreme Court.
Update, October 2026: the Supreme Court overturned that ruling at the end of September 2026. It did not decide whether the repeal was constitutional; it held that the veterans' association that brought the case had no standing. For ten days the repeal applied and there were no national limits (Chequeado, September 30, 2026).
On October 9, 2026 the Supreme Court, in a separate collective case brought by the environmental group Árbol de Pie and two Indigenous communities, suspended article 154 as an interim measure. The suspension lasts until the federal court in San Carlos de Bariloche decides whether those plaintiffs have standing and rules on their injunction request. The Court did not decide whether the repeal is constitutional, and one justice dissented (Palabras del Derecho, October 9, 2026; Parlamentario, October 9, 2026). The practical effect: the Ley 26.737 limits and the rural land certificate apply again.
This is still not the final word. The Bariloche court can lift or confirm the suspension. The Senate rejected the whole decree in March 2024; if the Chamber of Deputies also rejects it, the decree stops applying from then on. The government, for its part, is pushing a property bill that could rewrite the land rules. Congress could also pass a new land law, and provinces may set their own limits. Some official registry pages may still describe the old rules. Ask your escribano to confirm the status on the day you sign, and make sure the deed reflects the rules in force at that moment.
The border security zone: a separate approval
Independently of the land law, Argentina has security zones along its land borders and coast. When a foreigner buys, leases, or takes possession of real estate inside the zone, prior approval (previa conformidad) from the Ministry of the Interior is required. This applies to urban property too, not only rural land.
The zone covers much of Andean Patagonia, including areas around Bariloche, Villa La Angostura, and San Martín de los Andes, parts of Andean Mendoza, and coastal strips. Buenos Aires city is outside it. Boundaries are parcel-specific, so the escribano must check the official maps for the exact property. Since November 2025 requests are filed online through the government's remote procedures platform (TAD). Budget several months for approval and make the purchase conditional on it.
Which properties are affected?
A quick way to see where extra approvals come in:
| Property | Rural land law | Border-zone approval |
|---|---|---|
| Apartment in Buenos Aires city | No | No |
| House in a gated community near Buenos Aires | No (usually urban) | No |
| Apartment or house in Bariloche town | No | Often yes: check the parcel |
| Lake lot or chacra outside Bariloche or Villa La Angostura | Often yes | Often yes |
| Vineyard in the Uco Valley | Usually yes | Depends on location; check near the Andes |
| Estancia in the Pampas | Yes | Usually no |
| Coastal land in Patagonia | Often yes | Often yes (coastal strip) |
Step by step: buying rural land as a foreigner
A typical sequence looks like this.
- Confirm the parcel's classification (urban or rural) and whether it lies in the border security zone.
- Ask the escribano which rural land rules apply on the signing date (since October 9, 2026 the national limits apply again, pending a lower court).
- Get your Argentine tax ID (CUIT) and, if you are abroad, sign an apostilled power of attorney.
- Sign a reservation or preliminary contract that makes closing conditional on any border-zone approval and on the rural land rules in force at closing.
- The escribano obtains any required approvals, then signs the deed and registers it.
Beyond the law: what makes land usable
Even when a foreigner can legally buy, many land deals fail on practical points. Check legal access (a registered road or easement, not just a track), water rights, power, internet, building permits, environmental restrictions, and winter access. For wine country, water rights decide the value; see Mendoza water rights explained and buying a vineyard in Mendoza. For Patagonia, see buying land in Patagonia.
Questions buyers ask
Can Americans buy land in Argentina?
Yes. Americans can buy urban lots freely. For rural land, the Ley 26.737 limits and certificate apply again after a Supreme Court interim order of October 9, 2026; border-zone approval also applies where relevant. See buying property in Argentina as an American.
Is Ley 26.737 still in force?
Yes, for now. On September 29, 2026 the Supreme Court briefly let the 2023 repeal take effect, but on October 9 it suspended the repeal in a separate case until a federal court in Bariloche rules. Confirm the status on the day you sign.
Can I buy lakefront land in Patagonia?
Generally not. Ley 26.737 bars foreigners from owning land that contains or borders large permanent bodies of water, and it applies again since October 9, 2026. Lakefront areas in the Andes are usually inside the border security zone, so prior approval from the Ministry of the Interior is still required.
Does using an Argentine company avoid the limits?
When Ley 26.737 applied, companies controlled by foreigners counted as foreign. With the law repealed for now, a structure is not needed to avoid the limits, but get legal advice before using one, because the rules may change again.