Buying Property in Argentina as a British Buyer: Escribano, Boleto and Costs

A British citizen can buy a home in Argentina without residence. The Constitution gives foreigners the right to own, buy and sell property, so the purchase runs through an escribano público (a notary who prepares and authorises the deed), a tax number and documented source of funds rather than through a visa. The scope here is flats and houses in towns and cities, and the sections follow the order in which things happen. To see what your budget buys before you commit to any of it, browse homes for sale in Argentina on PlataPlace, where every listing shows its source and when it was last seen.

Before you search: a tax number and your funds

The CUIT. A buyer appears in the deed with a tax number. Since 2 March 2026, ARCA General Resolution 5803/2025 has replaced the old CDI for individuals with the CUIT. If you live abroad, you request it through a representative or authorised third party with an Argentine address, who uploads form 460 F/PD and a copy of your passport or national ID and proves they act for you. If you are in the country for a short time, you can apply in person at an ARCA office after booking an online appointment. A representative usually needs a power of attorney signed before a UK notary and apostilled; the apostille guide shows the route.

Proof of where the money comes from. The Colegio de Escribanos of the city of Buenos Aires lists the buyer's documents: an identity document and CUIL or CUIT, a personal-data form, a declaration on politically exposed person and reporting-entity status, and evidence of the origin of the funds, with more paperwork for higher values. Gather bank statements and, if the money comes from a sale, the completion statement, before you make an offer. The money transfer guide covers moving the funds.

Currency. The price is paid in the currency the parties agree, and that currency is written into the deed. Under article 765 of the Civil and Commercial Code, as rewritten in 2023, a debtor is released only by delivering the agreed currency, so a price in dollars is paid in dollars. When the price is in foreign currency, the escribano records its peso equivalent at the Banco de la Nación seller rate on the previous business day, and taxes are calculated on that figure. The price can be paid by cash, cheque, bank transfer or deposit; if it is a transfer, the escribano checks that the funds have reached the seller's account before issuing the receipt.

The route from reserva to registration

The boleto matters more than newcomers expect. Under article 1059 of the Civil and Commercial Code a seña is confirmatory unless the parties agree that either may withdraw; if they do, the buyer who withdraws loses the seña and a seller who withdraws returns it doubled. Article 1170 gives a good-faith buyer priority over creditors who have attached the home if the buyer contracted with the registered owner, paid at least 25% of the price before the attachment, holds a boleto with a fecha cierta and has sufficient publicity through the registry or possession. Ask the escribano to explain how your boleto meets each condition.

The deed itself is not optional: article 1017 requires a deed before an escribano for contracts that acquire rights over real estate. A purchase with a mortgage adds a second deed for the loan, and the bank chooses the escribano for that one. Listings marked apto crédito meet a bank's conditions for a mortgage loan, which matters mainly if you or a later buyer will finance the purchase; you can filter mortgage-eligible apartments on PlataPlace.

Who pays what

The Colegio de Escribanos explains the split. The seller pays for verifying their title and the state of debts: registry certificates, administrative certificates and the title study, plus the release of taxes. The buyer pays the costs of obtaining their own title, including the notarial pages, the registration fee and the escribano's professional fees. The parties may agree that one of them bears everything.

Stamp duty (impuesto de sellos) is a local tax charged on the deed. In the city of Buenos Aires it is split half and half between buyer and seller, and the city exempts a buyer's only home, up to a value ceiling. Rates and ceilings are set by each jurisdiction's tariff law and change, so ask the escribano for the exact figure on your price. Ask the agent before you make an offer whether a commission applies, who pays it and what it is calculated on.

Two older costs have gone. The ITI, a 1.5% withholding on sales of property by individuals, was repealed by Law 27,743 with effect from 8 July 2024. The COTI, the code sellers once needed to offer a property, was abolished by ARCA General Resolution 5697/2025, published on 23 May 2025. If an older guide tells you the seller needs either, it is out of date.

What the escribano does, and what to ask before an offer

Once the boleto is signed, the escribano collects the stamp duty and the taxes due on the sale and hands them to the tax authorities, and collects and pays any municipal and property taxes the seller still owes. Building charges are different: the escribano is not a withholding agent for expensas or utilities, although they usually help the parties so that you receive the home free of debts. That gap is yours to close, so ask the building administrator for a statement of what is owed on the flat before the deed. For a home in Buenos Aires Province the seller also supplies a parcel-status certificate (estado parcelario).

Before you make an offer, ask the agent or owner for these, by message or email:

• who holds the title, and whether every owner, and a spouse where relevant, will sign;
• the latest municipal, provincial and water bills, all paid up;
• the last expensas statement, any extraordinary works the owners have already voted, and the building's rules;
• whether the home is occupied and when possession will be handed over;
• whether the home is apto crédito, if a bank may lend against it later.

What a British buyer should check

• The building. In a flat, ask for the last expensas statement, the building's rules (reglamento) and the administrator's details, which are also on the Colegio's list of seller documents.
• Possession. Ask whether the home will be empty on deed day; possession is normally handed over on the day of the deed.
• Signing from the UK. If you cannot attend, a power of attorney lets someone sign for you. Send the escribano the draft early so the wording matches what the deed needs.
• After you own it. A UK-resident owner still reports overseas rental income and any gain on sale to HMRC; the HMRC guide covers the two tax years.

Mistakes worth avoiding

• Treating the reserva as the contract. It holds the home for a short time; the boleto and the deed create the obligations.
• Paying a large deposit without a written receipt. The receipt should state the price, the currency, the deadline and what happens to the deposit.
• Assuming a seña can be recovered. Under article 1059 it is confirmatory unless the boleto gives a right to withdraw, so read that clause before you sign.
• Leaving the payment vague. Say in the boleto how and when a payment counts as received; for a transfer the escribano checks that the funds have reached the seller's account.
• Following a guide that predates 2024. Anything that tells you the seller needs an ITI certificate or a COTI is out of date.

Choosing where to buy is a separate decision. The neighbourhood guide compares the barrios, and PlataPlace's own Palermo neighbourhood page is a useful second view of one of them.