How does a foreigner get a DNI in Argentina?

Q: What does the DNI unlock?

A CUIT online at ARCA ( RG 5803/2025 art. 1 ); without it you get a provisional CUIT to replace within 10 business days of receiving the DNI (arts. 4, 5). After one year of residence, banks accept only the DNI ( BCRA t-docvig , point 2.1.3). Landlord and Mercado Pago requirements are private practice, not law we could source (unconfirmed).

Last verified: 27 Oct 2026 · Status: Changing

Short answer. Only temporary or permanent residents get a DNI. File for residence online through the DNM's RaDEx system, pay the residence fee (ARS 100,000, or 50,000 for Mercosur nationals), the criminal record certificate and the ARS 20,000 DNI fee, attend one appointment, and RENAPER mails the card once residence is granted.

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

Key rules

Who qualifies. Foreigners with permanent or temporary residence can obtain the DNI (Law 25.871 art. 30). Transitory residents, including tourists, cannot (DNM residences page). Asylum seekers on a precaria get one only once recognised as refugees (art. 31).
Who issues it. RENAPER issues DNIs exclusively, based on fingerprint identification (Law 17.671 art. 2 c)). Once residence is fixed, the foreigner goes to the RENAPER office nearest their home (art. 53). The DNI is mandatory proof of identity and no other document replaces it (art. 13).
How long it lasts. A temporary resident's DNI runs for the same term as the residence and is renewed with each extension (Law 25.871 art. 32).
Meanwhile: the precaria. After filing, the DNM can grant a "residencia precaria" valid up to 90 calendar days, renewable. It lets you stay, leave, re enter, work and study. Since DNU 366/2025 it no longer counts toward permanent residence or citizenship (Law 25.871 art. 20, as replaced by DNU 366/2025 art. 4).
Filing. Residence is requested only through RaDEx, from inside Argentina after a legal entry. Step 1 shows the cost of residence, DNI and criminal record certificate together; credentials for step 2 arrive once all three are paid. The appointment email comes within 24 hours of the step 2 upload (DNM residences FAQ, q. 7, 12, 19; RaDEx).
Fees. DNM: temporary or permanent residence, extension or change to permanent, 100 UMSM, or 50 UMSM for Mercosur nationals. A preferential appointment costs 50 UMSM more (DNM fee table). 1 UMSM = ARS 1,000 (Decree 584/2024 art. 2). RENAPER: first DNI for a foreigner ARS 20,000, and ARS 20,000 for each new copy after an extension or change of category (Ministry of the Interior Resolution 19/2026, annex items 9 and 12, in force 6 Mar 2026, art. 3).

What changes the answer

Mercosur nationality. Residence fee halves to 50 UMSM; the DNI fee stays ARS 20,000.
Corporate sponsor. Employers registered in RENURE use the corporate track: appointment within 5 business days, decision within 5 business days of biometric capture (RaDEx corporate).
Children. Minors filing with a parent pay no residence fee (FAQ q. 9) but do pay the DNI.

Worked examples

A US national files for temporary residence as a rentista (one year, renewable, per the DNM rentista page) and pays by card. Pesos at dólar MEP ARS 1,563.90 per US$ on 23 Oct 2026 (dólar MEP selling rate (dolarapi.com)) (unconfirmed) (live rate).

Step or item	Time	Cost ARS	Cost USD
RaDEx step 1: residence fee, 100 UMSM	Day 1	100,000	63.94
Criminal record certificate, generated in RaDEx	Day 1	1,000 to 8,500	0.64 to 5.44
First DNI, RENAPER	Day 1	20,000	12.79
Step 2 upload, appointment email	Card payments credit at once (cash: 5 business days); email within 24 hours	0	0
DNM appointment, precaria issued	Date not published (unconfirmed)	0	0
Residence granted, DNI mailed	Not published (unconfirmed)	0	0
Year one total		121,000 to 128,500	77.37 to 82.17
Renewal at month 12: 100 UMSM plus new DNI	File in the 60 days before expiry	120,000	76.73

Step by step: 100,000 + 1,000 + 20,000 = ARS 121,000 (121,000 / 1,563.90 = US$77.37). With the 1 hour certificate (ARS 8,500): ARS 128,500 (US$82.17). Which certificate speed RaDEx charges is not stated (RNR fees) (unconfirmed). Adding the optional preferential appointment (ARS 50,000) gives ARS 171,000 (US$109.34). Two years: 121,000 + 120,000 = ARS 241,000 (US$154.10).

Cost to do it: ARS 121,000 to 128,500 (about US$80) in official fees for the first DNI; no capital; months not published by DNM or RENAPER (unconfirmed). Apostilles and sworn translations of home documents are extra and not priced here.

Practical traps

Two official versions of the DNI step. RENAPER's page says to book a Registro Civil or RENAPER centre appointment after residence is granted (RENAPER). The DNM collects the DNI fee inside RaDEx and sends undelivered cards back to the delegation where you filed (DNM DNI FAQ, q. 3). Ask at your appointment which applies (unconfirmed).
Conflicting payment points. RaDEx says the DNI is paid in cash at Banco Provincia or Provincia NET; the FAQ says Correo Argentino (q. 18). Paying by card avoids the issue.
Late renewal. Within 30 days after expiry you pay a 50% surcharge; after that the right lapses (FAQ q. 5). The old DNI expires with the residence (art. 32).

FAQ

What does the DNI unlock? A CUIT online at ARCA (RG 5803/2025 art. 1); without it you get a provisional CUIT to replace within 10 business days of receiving the DNI (arts. 4, 5). After one year of residence, banks accept only the DNI (BCRA t-docvig, point 2.1.3). Landlord and Mercado Pago requirements are private practice, not law we could source (unconfirmed).

Can I work before the DNI arrives? Yes, on a valid precaria (art. 20). ANSES gives a free CUIL with the DNM file (ANSES).

How do I renew the precaria? Online, from 15 days before expiry; download it within 10 business days (FAQ q. 16). If the delay is yours, it costs 10 UMSM, or 5 for Mercosur nationals (fee table).

How do I track my DNI? RENAPER, 0800-999-9364 (DNM DNI FAQ, q. 6).

Published 27 Oct 2026 from our research draft. Points marked (unconfirmed) have not yet been checked against the official text; rely on the primary sources linked below.