Short answer
A foreign employee hired by an Argentine company usually applies for temporary residence as a migrant worker (art. 23(a), Ley 25.871). The employer must be registered with ARCA and with the National Migration Directorate's registry of employers of foreigners, and must sign a pre-employment contract with certified signatures and pay at least the collective-agreement salary. The residence is granted for one year and is renewable. Executives transferred by a foreign group may fit the specialised-personnel category, and nationals of MERCOSUR and associated states have a nationality-based route.
Based on the official Argentine sources listed at the end of this page.
Which category applies
Article 23 of the Migration Law lists the temporary residence categories. The most relevant for companies are:
- Migrant worker (art. 23(a)): a foreigner hired to work as an employee in a lawful, paid activity.
- Scientists and specialised personnel (art. 23(e)): includes directors, technicians and administrative staff of foreign commercial or industrial companies transferred from abroad to fill specific positions and paid in Argentina.
- Investor (art. 23(d)): a person who invests their own assets in activities of interest to the country.
- Nationality (art. 23(l)): citizens of MERCOSUR member and associated states, for two years, renewable.
Migrant worker residence: what is required
According to the National Migration Directorate, the application includes the person's documents (valid passport, Argentine criminal record certificate, criminal record certificates from countries of residence of more than one year in the last three years, proof of address and regular entry) and, from the employer:
- A pre-employment contract specifying the parties, the tasks, working hours, duration, place of work and salary (which must follow the applicable collective bargaining agreement), with signatures certified by a notary or before a Migraciones officer.
- The employer's registration with ARCA.
- The employer's registration in the Migraciones registry of employers of foreigners (RENURE).
- The early registration of the employment relationship (alta temprana) with ARCA, filed within 30 calendar days of starting the application.
The application is started online through the RaDEX system, and the applicant must be in Argentina. Foreign documents need an apostille or consular legalisation and a sworn translation.
The employer's exposure
Argentine law prohibits giving paid work, with or without an employment relationship, to foreigners who reside irregularly in the country (art. 55, Ley 25.871), and foreigners who are not authorised by the migration authority cannot work (art. 53, as replaced by Decree 366/2025). Migraciones can inspect workplaces and require the employer's records on foreign staff (art. 53 bis). The residence should therefore be in place, or the application properly filed, before the person starts working.
Frequently asked questions
How long does the migrant worker residence last?
It is granted for one year and can be renewed.
Can the application be made from abroad?
The DNM's RaDEX procedure for this residence requires the applicant to be in Argentina; entry visas from abroad follow a separate consular procedure.
Does a company director need a work residence?
If the director will live and work in Argentina, yes. Remember that in an S.A. the majority of directors must have their real domicile in Argentina.
Official sources
- Ley de Migraciones 25.871 (consolidated text)argentina.gob.ar
- National Migration Directorate – Temporary residence as a migrant workerargentina.gob.ar
- Ley General de Sociedades 19.550 (consolidated text)argentina.gob.ar
Related guides
This guide is general information about Argentine law as of the review date. It is not legal advice for a specific case, and rules—particularly foreign-exchange regulations—change frequently.