Soft Landing Argentina — Legal Setup for Foreign Companies
We help foreign companies establish their legal presence in Argentina: from choosing the right structure to registering with tax authorities, hiring locally and entering commercial agreements. Compliant from day one.
What the soft landing includes
- Corporate structure selection: SAS, SA, branch or EOR analysis
- Entity formation and IGJ registration in CABA or provinces
- AFIP/ARCA tax registration (CUIT, VAT, income tax)
- Social security and employer registration
- Employment contracts compliant with Argentine labor law
- Commercial contracts with local customers and partners
- Bank account coordination and UIF compliance
- Ongoing compliance monitoring and legal operations
Who comes to us for soft landing
Companies expanding into LATAM and establishing their first Argentina team — hiring developers, sales or support staff.
Regional companies from Brazil, Mexico or Colombia setting up local operations, distributing products or signing local commercial agreements.
Companies that hired Argentine contractors informally and need to formalize employment, register with AFIP and get compliant before a fundraising event or M&A process.
Why it matters to get it right from day one
Argentina has strong employee protections. Misclassifying contractors as employees or missing termination procedures creates significant liability. Compliance from the start avoids expensive corrections.
Unregistered operations don't mean no tax obligation — AFIP/ARCA can assess liability for the full period of activity. Registration early limits exposure and enables proper deductions.
Investors and acquirers look at local legal structure in due diligence. Informal operations, unregistered workers or missing registrations are red flags that delay or kill transactions.
Frequently asked questions
What legal structure does a foreign company need to operate in Argentina?
Foreign companies have three main options: (1) a local subsidiary (Sociedad Anónima Simplificada — SAS, or SA), which is the most common for operational companies; (2) registering a branch (sucursal) of the foreign entity, which keeps the company as a single legal entity but requires local registration; (3) using an Employer of Record (EOR) for initial hiring without full entity setup. The right choice depends on the activity type, tax position, hiring plans and long-term market commitment.
Can a foreign company operate in Argentina without a local entity?
For initial market testing, limited activities or small teams, a company can operate through contracts with local service providers, commercial agents or EOR providers without forming a local entity. However, for sustained commercial activity, hiring employees, issuing local invoices or holding local assets, a registered entity is required by Argentine law. Operating without proper registration carries tax, labor and regulatory risks.
How long does it take to form a company in Argentina?
A Sociedad Anónima Simplificada (SAS) can be formed digitally through the IGJ (Inspección General de Justicia) in approximately 1–3 business days in CABA. A traditional SA takes 4–6 weeks. Once formed, additional steps (AFIP/ARCA tax registration, commercial bank account opening, social security registration) add 2–4 weeks. Total timeline from decision to operational entity: typically 3–8 weeks depending on structure and jurisdiction.
What are the main regulatory requirements for foreign tech companies in Argentina?
Key requirements include: AFIP/ARCA tax registration (CUIT), social security employer registration (AFIP), UIF registration for certain regulated activities, CNV registration for financial services, and compliance with local data protection law (Law 25,326 and its recent updates). Tech companies with Argentine employees also face Argentine labor law obligations — including strong employee protections around termination, severance and benefits.
What is a 'soft landing' legal service?
A soft landing is the process of establishing your company's legal, tax and operational presence in a new market — with minimal friction and risk. For Argentina, this means setting up the right local entity, registering with tax authorities, drafting employment contracts that comply with Argentine law, setting up banking, and having compliant commercial contracts with local customers and partners. Kaplan provides end-to-end legal coverage for this process.
Evaluate your Argentina market entry structure
Tell us your company origin, planned activities in Argentina and team size — we'll recommend the right legal structure and timeline.
Evaluate your Argentina market entry
Tell us your origin country, planned activities and team size in Argentina. We'll recommend the right structure and next steps.