The Consulate can process Argentine nationality "by option" for foreign nationals of any age who reside in the jurisdiction of the Consulate (regardless of where they were born) and are children of an Argentine citizen by birth (i.e., children of someone born in Argentina). The Consulate cannot process Argentine nationality by marriage.

In the explanation below, we will refer to the foreign person acquiring Argentine nationality by option as the "optant."

Required documents to initiate the process of opting for Argentine nationality:

• Original foreign birth certificate of the optant, with Hague Apostille from the state where the birth occurred and translated by a professional translator. This original will be archived in the Consulate (so if you need another copy, you must request it from the issuing authority of that birth certificate).
• Original birth certificate of the Argentine mother or father who will transmit citizenship to the optant. Note that birth certificates are not accepted, only birth records. This original, which will be returned, must be in legible condition, and certificates or testimonials are not accepted in place of the original record. Digital birth records, downloaded as PDFs from digitized Civil Registries, function as originals.
• If the optant is over 18 years old, they must also provide: a photocopy of the optant's U.S. or foreign passport (the original must be brought on the day of the appointment).
• If the optant is over 15 years old and has a "photo ID" (passport, driver's license, or State ID), they must also present the original.
• If the optant is a married woman, and her passport bears her husband's surname, a copy of the marriage certificate legalized with Hague Apostille and translated by a professional translator.
• Photocopy of the DNI of the Argentine parent who will transmit the nationality, and a photocopy of the other parent's identity document. (The original DNI must be brought on the day of the appointment).
• If the optant is under 18 years old, a photocopy of the updated DNI of the Argentine parent(s) or guardians (card format). If both parents are Argentine, a copy of both parents' updated DNI. If one of the parents is not Argentine, a copy of their passport or identity document of their nationality (the originals must be brought on the day of the appointment).
• Contact details of the optant: name, full address, phone numbers, and email address.
• On the day of the appointment, the optant and the parents/guardians must bring their respective original identity documents/passports.

How to initiate the process

1. Gather the appropriate documentation according to the optant's age and send it by postal mail (we recommend sending it with a "tracking number") or present it at the Consulate on a business day from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm.
2. If you choose to send the documentation by postal mail, send an email to catla@cancilleria.gob.ar to confirm that the documentation has been received, is complete and accepted, and to request an appointment for the signing of the nationality option. In general, the waiting time for appointments can vary between 2 weeks to 2 months.
3. On the day of the appointment, the optant will attend the Consulate (accompanied by their parents if they are under 18 years old). Bring the original DNI or passports of the parents if the optant is a minor.
4. The cost of the nationality option process is 135 USD, which includes a fee of 40 USD for the registration of the birth certificate plus the notarial fee for the nationality option of 80 USD, and the cost of the DNI (15 USD).
   • Additionally, if you wish to process the passport on the same day, you should consider the cost of that process, which amounts to 165 USD.

Procedure for Payment of the Service:

On the day of your appointment at the Consulate, you will have two payment options:

1. Electronic (a 3.25% service provider surcharge applies): by credit or debit card or via payment link
2. Bank deposit: in person at Ameris Bank (location here), after first stopping by the Consulate to receive the payment slip.

Please note that the bank is a 5-minute drive away. Payments by check are not accepted.

Note about names on the documentation:

If you are expecting the birth of a child, pay attention when filling out the birth data fields for the issuance of the birth certificate issued by U.S. authorities so that the parents' names match exactly with their names on their Argentine DNIs.

If there are discrepancies between the data recorded on the optant's birth certificate and the parents' identity documents and/or the Argentine parent's birth certificate, you will need to rectify the optant's foreign birth certificate to match exactly with the names and surnames on the parents' identity documents (DNI, passports).

Other clarifications about the process

• The optant's DNI may take around 6 weeks to arrive at this Consulate. With that document, they can then apply for a passport. If the optant is under 14 years old, they can start the passport process simultaneously.
• On the day of your appointment, the entire process takes between 3 and 4 hours.
• The Hague Apostille is a simplified method of international document legalization. It physically consists of a page that is added to the documents, which the competent authority stamps on a copy of the public document. In the U.S., it is requested from the Secretary of State corresponding to the state where the document originated. You can consult the relevant authority for each state in the U.S. HERE.
• Birth certificates or testimonials of Argentine parents are not accepted, only birth records. You can request a new record from the civil registry corresponding to the birth. You can consult the relevant authority HERE.
• Only having a native Argentine parent entitles you to apply for nationality through the Consulate. Marriage to an Argentine citizen, however, does not grant this right.
• Absent or unable to attend parent: To process Argentine nationality by option for a minor, both parents must be present and give their consent. If one of them has passed away, their death certificate must be presented by the other parent.
• Divorced parents: If the parents are divorced and only one of them has parental responsibility (custody) or full custody of the minor, granted by a U.S. court ruling, the Consulate is unable to process Argentine nationality by option. In these cases, the interested party may opt for one of the following solutions:
  • The other parent appears on the day of the option signing and gives their consent.
  • Hire an attorney in Argentina to arrange for an Argentine judge to "approve" the U.S. court ruling. This process is known as exequatur and ends with a ruling signed by an Argentine judge.

For any inquiries, send an email to the Nationality Options Department of the Consulate (catla@mrecic.gob.ar) with the subject "Nationality Option."