How to Register a Company in Argentina as a Foreign Business

Argentina's reputation among foreign investors has long been shaped by currency controls and high inflation. That picture is changing. Over 2024 and 2025 the exchange restrictions known as the cepo were largely dismantled, the multiple exchange rates converged, and inflation fell sharply from its recent peaks. Argentina still demands more planning than a market like Chile, but it is more accessible than its reputation suggests — and its talent pool, particularly in technology, is among the best in the region. This guide covers how to register a company in Argentina as a foreign business, what's changed, and what you'll be responsible for.

Why foreign companies choose Argentina

Argentina is a large economy with an exceptionally skilled workforce, strong in technology, engineering, agribusiness, and energy — the last of these anchored by the Vaca Muerta shale formation and a growing lithium sector. Foreign investors can own 100% of an Argentine company in most sectors.

The reform program underway since late 2023 has reshaped the operating environment: the cepo largely lifted, inflation falling, and a new large-investment incentive regime (RIGI) offering tax and regulatory stability for qualifying projects. A local entity lets you invoice in pesos, hire under Argentine labor law, bank locally, and contract directly with clients.

Choosing the right entity type

Three structures are common, all allowing full foreign ownership under Argentina's Companies Law (Law 19,550):

The Sociedad por Acciones Simplificada (simplified stock company), or S.A.S., is a modern, digital-first vehicle that can be registered quickly, allows a single shareholder, and is popular with technology companies and foreign founders.
The Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada (S.R.L.) is a limited liability company held by quotaholders, widely used for subsidiaries.
The Sociedad Anónima (S.A.) is a full corporation suited to larger operations.

For most foreign companies, the S.A.S. offers the fastest, most flexible route.

The registration process, step by step

At NavviPal, we manage Argentine incorporation in six stages:

Document gathering. We collect identification, proof of address, and corporate documents from each shareholder and director.
Consultation call. We confirm the entity type, ownership split, and corporate purpose.
Drafting the bylaws and powers of attorney. Local counsel prepares the estatuto (company bylaws) and a power of attorney so shareholders need not travel. A foreign corporate shareholder must itself be registered locally to hold shares.
Notarization. Incorporation documents are formalized where required.
Company registration. The company is registered with the Inspección General de Justicia (IGJ) in Buenos Aires, or the relevant provincial commercial registry.
Tax ID issuance. The company obtains its CUIT (tax identification number) from ARCA (Agencia de Recaudación y Control Aduanero) — the federal tax authority that replaced AFIP in late 2024 — registers for VAT, and completes social security registration with ANSES.

An S.A.S. can often be registered within a few weeks; an S.R.L. or S.A. typically takes longer.

Documents you'll need

For the shareholders and directors, expect to provide:

Passport or national ID for all shareholders and directors
Proof of address for all shareholders and directors
A beneficial ownership (UBO) declaration
A bank reference letter
A corporate structure chart, where a shareholder is a company
A certificate of incumbency for any corporate parent

Documents issued abroad generally need to be apostilled and translated into Spanish by a sworn translator.

Timeline and cost

Timing depends heavily on the entity type — an S.A.S. is the quickest path, while an S.A. or S.R.L. involves more steps — and on how fast shareholder documents are gathered and apostilled. Registering a foreign corporate shareholder adds time. We provide a fixed, country-specific quote rather than billing by the hour.

Your obligations after incorporation

An Argentine entity carries recurring duties from the start:

Corporate income tax is progressive: 25% on the first tranche of taxable income, 30% on the middle tranche, and 35% above the upper threshold, with the brackets adjusted periodically for inflation.
IVA (value-added tax) is charged at the standard 21% rate, filed monthly.
Electronic invoicing is mandatory: every invoice must obtain a CAE (electronic authorization code) from ARCA before it's issued, and the invoice type must match both parties' tax status.
Provincial and municipal taxes apply on top of federal taxes — notably Ingresos Brutos (gross-receipts tax), which varies by province — so a company operating across provinces manages several tax jurisdictions at once.
Annual financial statements and standard corporate filings.

Common pitfalls for foreign founders

Assuming the old currency-control regime still applies unchanged. The cepo has been largely dismantled, but foreign-exchange and capital rules still require current, specific advice before moving money.
Overlooking provincial and municipal taxes. Ingresos Brutos and municipal levies sit on top of federal tax and multiply across provinces.
The CAE requirement. An invoice without a CAE authorization has no fiscal validity in Argentina.
Foreign corporate shareholder registration. A parent company must be registered locally before it can hold shares.

Setting up in Argentina with NavviPal

NavviPal forms and maintains legal entities across Latin America, including Argentina. We handle the incorporation through the IGJ, register your CUIT with ARCA, complete social security registration, and keep your monthly IVA filings, electronic invoicing, and provincial obligations on track — from a single dashboard.

If you're planning to set up in Argentina, contact our team for a fixed-scope quote and timeline, or compare Argentina with other markets in our Latin America incorporation comparison.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or tax advice.