Residence on an employment contract in Argentina
Temporary residence for foreign nationals who come to Argentina to work as employees of a local employer under an employment contract. The application is a joint effort: some documents are filed by the worker, others by the employer.
Source: Argentina.gob.ar — Obtener una residencia temporaria como trabajador migrante
Who files what: worker and employer
The application is assembled from two sets of documents — from the worker and from their future employer.
Requirements for the worker
- Lawful entry into Argentina and a valid passport or Mercosur travel document
- A certificate of no criminal record in Argentina (for people over 16) and in any country where the applicant has lived for more than a year over the past 3 years
- A pre-signed employment contract stating the duties, hours, term and pay
Requirements for the employer
- Registration of the company with the AFIP tax authority
- Registration of the employer in the register of the National Directorate of Migration
- An «alta temprana» with AFIP within 30 days of the procedure starting
When the programme will not suit
You work remotely for a foreign company or foreign clients rather than as an employee of an Argentine employer
residence for digital nomads (Residencia transitoria como nómada digital)
Your purpose is study at an Argentine educational institution rather than employment
student residence (Residencia temporaria como estudiante)
Your source of funds is a pension from abroad rather than a salary from employment
pensioner residence (Residencia temporaria como pensionado)
What it costs
| Residence application — nationals of the Mercosur countries | 50 000 ARS |
|---|---|
| Residence application — nationals of all other countries | 100 000 ARS |
| Total government feesThe sum of the mandatory rows in the table. | 150 000 ARS |
Documents to gather
The applicant's own documents are required, together with the documents supplied by the employer.
- A valid passport or Mercosur travel document
- A certificate of no criminal record in Argentina (Registro Nacional de Reincidencia) for people over 16
- Certificates of no criminal record from any country where the applicant has lived for more than a year over the past 3 years
- Proof of an address of residence
- Proof of lawful entry into the country
- An employment contract with the signatures certified by a notary (escribano público): duties, hours, term, place of work, pay under the collective agreement and the employer's CUIT
- The employer's registration with AFIP and in the register of the National Directorate of Migration
- An AFIP «alta temprana» certificate, filed within 30 days of the procedure starting
How the process runs
The application is filed online through the RaDEX system of the National Directorate of Migration.
- 1
Registration in the RaDEX system and filing the form
The applicant registers as a RaDEX user, fills in the application form and pays the migration fees.
- 2
Uploading the documents
Personal documents and employment documents — the contract and the employer's confirmations — are attached to the application.
- 3
In-person appointment at the migration service
Once the documents have been checked, the applicant is given a date for an in-person appointment, notified by email.
- 4
Issue of the temporary residence
1 yearThe residence is issued for one year and can be renewed.
Who you can bring with you
Migrant worker residence does not extend to family members automatically — a separate application is filed for them.
The spouse, a parent or an unmarried minor child of the migrant worker
Trips, renewal and the grace period
The residence is cancelled after an absence from the country of 6 consecutive months or longer. To move to permanent residence you must spend more than half of the authorised period of stay in Argentina.
The residence is renewed on the same conditions as the initial application and on the same fee scale: 50 UMSM for nationals of the Mercosur countries and 100 UMSM for nationals of all other countries.
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.
| Residence on an employment contract | 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 |
| Work | The residence expressly permits lawful paid work under an employment contract | 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 Residence on an employment contract
Who can get migrant worker residence in Argentina?
Does the employment contract have to be in place at the time of filing?
What must the employer do to sponsor an employee?
How long is the residence issued for, and can it be renewed?
What is needed to move from temporary to permanent residence?
Does the residence extend to family members?
How does this residence differ from the digital nomad visa?
Other ways to move to Argentina
- Residencia PensionadoResidence permit for financially independent people
- Nómada DigitalDigital nomad
- Asilo / RefugioAsylum / refugee status
- Nacionalidad por NaturalizaciónCitizenship (naturalisation)
- Permanent residencePermanent residence
- Temporary residence as a studentStudy
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.