ArgentinaStudy

Student residence in Argentina

Temporary residence for foreign nationals who come to Argentina to study at an officially recognised educational institution — as full-time students, as interns under an international agreement, or as scholarship holders of research organisations. The residence gives legal status for the duration of the studies or the internship and is arranged entirely remotely through the migration service.

Visa term

One year, renewable.

Work

A temporary resident may work and study for the duration of the residence.

Source: Argentina.gob.ar — Obtener una residencia temporaria como estudiante

Who can get student residence

The residence is designed for three categories of applicant — full-time students, interns and scholarship holders; each category evidences its status with its own set of documents.

Full-time student

Enrolled as a regular pupil or student at a public or private institution within the official education system
Studying at secondary, vocational, university or postgraduate level
Evidences the status with an electronic enrolment certificate (Constancia de Inscripción Electrónica)

Intern

Doing an internship under an agreement between an educational institution and a company, a public body or another educational institution in Argentina
If the internship lasts longer than 180 days, the application is additionally reviewed by Argentina's Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Evidences the status with an international agreement or a letter of acceptance

Scholarship holder

Has received a scholarship from a public or private scientific or research organisation
Carries out activity connected with professional training under the grant
Evidences the status with an international agreement or a letter of acceptance

When this residence will not suit

You are going to Argentina to work as an employee rather than to study

Temporary residence as a migrant worker (Residencia temporaria como trabajador migrante)

What it costs

Residence application — nationals of MERCOSUR countries and associated states	50 UMSM
Residence application — nationals of all other countries	100 UMSM

UMSM stands for Unidad de Medida de Servicios Migratorios. At the time of checking, 1 UMSM equalled 1,000 Argentine pesos (the rate may be revised).

Documents to gather

The list is the same for all three categories; only the document evidencing the applicant's status differs.

A valid passport (for nationals of MERCOSUR countries — alternatively a document under Annex I of Agreement DC-46-2015-CMC)
Certificado de Antecedentes Penales Argentinos — for people over 16, produced through RaDEX
A certificate of no criminal record from any country where the applicant has lived for more than a year over the past 3 years — for people over 16
Proof of an address of residence in Argentina
Proof of regular entry into the country
An electronic enrolment certificate from the educational institution (Constancia de Inscripción Electrónica) — for full-time students
An international agreement or a letter of acceptance — for interns and scholarship holders
For minors — a legalised birth certificate and the consent of one parent, granted before the competent authority
If the parents do not live in Argentina — a document appointing a guardian, with evidence of their lawful residence in the country
Foreign documents — with consular legalisation or a Hague Convention apostille; translations into Spanish — certified by a sworn translator and by the translators' association

How the process runs

The application is made personally and entirely remotely: no outside intermediary (gestor) is needed, and all payments go through the RaDEX platform itself. The applicant must be on Argentine territory.

1
Logging into the RaDEX system
The applicant starts the process remotely by logging into the RaDEX system of the National Directorate of Migration.
2
Registration and payment of the fee
They must register as a user, fill in the residence application form and pay the prescribed fee on the platform itself.
3
Uploading the documents
The documents and data required for the chosen residence category — full-time student, intern or scholarship holder — are attached to the application.
4
Setting the date of the in-person appointment
If the application meets the requirements, the applicant receives by email the date of the in-person appointment at which the residence is finalised. A priority booking is available for an additional charge — in that case the Certificado de Antecedentes Penales Argentinos is obtained separately from RaDEX and presented on the day of the appointment.

Trips, renewal and the grace period

The residence is cancelled after an absence from the country of 6 consecutive months or longer.

The residence is issued for 1 year and can be renewed (prorrogable).

How it differs from the routes next to it

The comparison is built from the official terms of the routes themselves — the source links sit on their own pages.

	Student residence	Residence for pensioners	Digital nomad residence
Visa term	One year, renewable	Temporary residence for 1 year, renewed while the pension continues	Usually up to 180 days, sometimes +180
Grounds	Ley 25.871 and Decreto 616/2010	Pension	Remote income
Money	The fee is 50 UMSM for nationals of the Mercosur countries and 100 UMSM for everyone else	Income of at least ~5 SMVM per month; fees from ~USD 100	Income is usually above the subsistence minimum (~USD 1–2k per month); there is no clear-cut threshold
Work	A temporary resident may work and study for the duration of the residence	Employment and self-employment permitted	You may not work for a local employer
Residence	The residence is cancelled after an absence from the country of 6 consecutive months or longer	You may live legally, rent housing and use medical services	You may live legally for up to a year

What comes next: permanent residence and citizenship

Route to permanent residence

You apply for permanent residence after 3 years of valid temporary residence; for nationals of the Mercosur countries 2 years is enough.

Frequently asked questions about Student residence

Who can get temporary student residence in Argentina?

The residence is granted to three categories of applicant: full-time students at public or private institutions within the official education system (at secondary, vocational, university or postgraduate level), interns under international agreements between educational institutions and organisations, and scholarship holders of scientific or research organisations.

How much does student residence cost?

Under decree 584/2024 a temporary residence application costs 50 UMSM for nationals of MERCOSUR countries and associated states and 100 UMSM for everyone else. At the time of checking, 1 UMSM equalled 1,000 Argentine pesos.

How much does it cost to renew the residence or to become a permanent resident?

Renewing temporary residence and changing category to permanent resident cost the same: 50 UMSM for nationals of MERCOSUR countries and associated states, 100 UMSM for everyone else.

After how many years of temporary residence can you obtain permanent residence?

To change category to permanent resident on «arraigo» grounds (holding temporary residence for long enough), nationals of MERCOSUR countries and associated states need 2 years as a temporary resident and nationals of all other countries need 3 years.

How do you apply for student residence?

The application is made entirely online through the RaDEX system of the National Directorate of Migration: registration, filling in the form, paying the fee and uploading the documents. If the application meets the requirements, the applicant receives by email the date of the in-person appointment to finalise the process.

How does an intern differ from a full-time student when applying for the residence?

An intern evidences their status with an international agreement between an educational institution, a company or a public body and the applicant, or with a letter of acceptance, rather than with an enrolment certificate for a study programme. If the internship lasts longer than 180 days, the application is additionally reviewed by Argentina's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

What documents do applicants under 18 need?

People under 18 file a legalised birth certificate and the consent of one parent, granted before the competent authority; the parent must attend the procedure with a valid document. If the parents do not live in Argentina, an appointed guardian with evidenced lawful residence in the country is required.

Other ways to move to Argentina

Every route in one list — migration programmes: Argentina.

The terms and the amounts are checked against official sources — the link sits under each section.Last checked on: 7 August 2026.