How long does it take to open an SAS in Argentina?

Last verified: 26 Oct 2026 · Status: Changing

Short answer. By law, an SAS using model bylaws must be registered within 24 hours from the business day after filing, and its bank account must work the next banking day. In Buenos Aires City the IGJ advertises 72 hours, CUIT included. Realistically, plan one to three weeks for local founders and two to four months with a foreign corporate shareholder (our planning estimate, not an official term).

As of 26 Oct 2026. Rules in force at that date.

Key rules

Registration: 24 hours, model bylaws only. The registry must register the SAS within 24 hours counted from the business day after filing, if the founders use its model bylaws (Law 27.349 art. 38, as replaced by Law 27.444). Bespoke bylaws get no statutory term.
CUIT and CDI: 24 hours. A registered SAS is entitled to its CUIT (tax ID) within 24 hours; non resident shareholders, to a CDI within 24 hours (Law 27.349 art. 60(2)). In CABA, ARCA (the tax agency) issues the CUIT together with the registration (Joint Resolution AFIP 4098-E and IGJ arts. 3 and 4).
Bank account: next banking day. Banks may ask an SAS only for its registered bylaws and CUIT, and the account must work the banking day after delivery (BCRA current account rules, point 1.3.2; Law 27.349 art. 60(1)).
CABA in practice. Automatic registration of model SAS is suspended (IGJ RG 12/2024 art. 3), so an inspector reviews every file. The IGJ promises "72 hours" but warns that TAD platform problems may cause delays (IGJ SAS page).
Observations. You have 20 days to answer IGJ observations or the file is archived (IGJ Rules art. 13(4), as replaced by IGJ RG 10/2026). IGJ Rules art. 48(2)(a) caps IGJ review at 10 business days for filings with one professional opinion; whether that covers SAS incorporations is not stated (not confirmed in an official source).
Mendoza (province). With the official model, the Directorate of Legal Persons (DPJ) orders "immediate registration" (Mendoza Law 9577 art. 27). SAS incorporations are filed on the province's MxM platform (Mendoza Law 9680, Annex, art. 8(I)(15)).

What changes the answer

Foreign corporate shareholder. It must register under LGS art. 123 with a home registry certificate under six months old; the filing can run jointly, with the SAS conditional on it (IGJ Rules art. 164, as replaced by IGJ RG 4/2026). Apostilles and translations drive the timeline: two to four months (our estimate).
CDI or CUIT for foreigners. Since 2 March 2026 non resident individuals get a CUIT through a local representative; the CDI survives for entities such as a foreign parent (ARCA RG 5803/2025 arts. 6, 19 and 20). The SAS law still says CDI; IGJ practice is not confirmed (not confirmed in an official source).
Bespoke bylaws. No 24 hour term. RG 6/2017 art. 33 still asks for a legal opinion; IGJ Rules art. 47, as replaced on 22 September 2026, says incorporations need none. The texts conflict (the IGJ has not published a criterion).
Bank onboarding. The BCRA rule covers documents; banks still run anti money laundering checks on owners and managers, and their real duration is not in the official texts we read (not confirmed in an official source).

Worked examples

Two Argentine residents form a CABA SAS with IGJ model bylaws and minimum capital, signing Monday 2 November 2026. Pesos are converted at the dólar MEP rate of ARS 1,563.90 per US$ on 23 October 2026 (dólar MEP selling rate, dolarapi.com) (live rate).

Step	Time	Cost ARS	Cost USD
Name check; Clave Fiscal level 3 for the filer	before day 1	Not published in an official source	n/a
Sign bylaws; certify signatures (notary, digital signature or IGJ)	day 1	Not published in an official source	n/a
Capital: 2 × SMVM of ARS 398,800	day 1	797,600	510
Paid in at signing: 25%	day 1	199,400	128
File on TAD and pay IGJ fee; notice in Boletín Oficial	day 2	not in sources (fees vary and are not set in an official source)	n/a
Registration and CUIT	24 hours from day 3 (law); 72 hours (IGJ page)	included	included
ARCA tax registrations	same day online	Not published in an official source	n/a
Bank account working	banking day after delivery	bank tariff	n/a
Balance of capital: 75%	within 2 years	598,200	383

Step by step.

Minimum capital: 2 × ARS 398,800 (SMVM from 1 November 2026, CNEPSMVM Res. 4/2026 art. 1(c)) = ARS 797,600 (US$510) (Law 27.349 art. 40).
Paid at signing: 25% × 797,600 = ARS 199,400 (US$128). Balance: ARS 598,200 (US$383) within two years (art. 41). As this is not above 2 × SMVM, a sworn statement proves payment (IGJ Rules art. 62(4), as replaced by IGJ RG 11/2026 art. 8).
Statutory clock: sign Monday 2 November, file Tuesday 3 November; the 24 hour term starts Wednesday 4 November, so registration and CUIT are due Thursday 5 November and the account must work Friday 6 November. Five business days, with no observations (national holidays in that week would extend it).
Realistic clock: 72 hours plus one round of observations, one to three weeks (our estimate).

Mendoza comparison. SAS on MxM ARS 140,000 (US$89.52) plus online name reservation ARS 27,000 (US$17.26), total ARS 167,000 (US$106.78) (Mendoza Law 9680, Annex, art. 8, items 6 and I(15)) (the MxM fee may already include the name check). Mendoza is not in ARCA's joint CUIT list (RG 5803/2025, Annex I), so the company requests its CUIT itself (art. 10). Gazette fee (not confirmed in an official source).

Cost to do it: CABA, ARS 199,400 (US$128) of capital at signing plus IGJ fee, gazette notice and certification (fees vary and are not set in an official source); Mendoza, ARS 366,400 (US$234.29) for capital at signing plus DPJ fees, before the gazette notice. Time: one to three weeks with local founders (not confirmed in an official source).

Practical traps

Clave Fiscal level. The IGJ guidance page says level 2; the new IGJ online system requires level 3 (IGJ Rules art. 5, as replaced by IGJ RG 7/2026).
Missing the 20 day window. Observations count as notified the business day after they appear (IGJ Rules art. 13(4)). Check daily.
No resident manager. At least one manager must have real domicile in Argentina (Law 27.349 art. 51).

FAQ

Can I open an SAS fully online? Yes, if every founder has a digital signature (RG 6/2017 art. 7(a), as replaced by IGJ RG 11/2026 art. 12). Otherwise a notary or IGJ officer certifies signatures.

Is the 24 hour term enforceable? Only for model bylaws (Law 27.349 art. 38), and no sanction for a late registry appears in the sources. In CABA, a request to expedite is tacitly rejected after 5 days (IGJ Rules art. 31(3)).

When must the remaining 75% of capital be paid? Within two years: from signing under the law (art. 36(6)), from registration under the IGJ model. Use the earlier date.