Birth tourism: in which countries a newborn is automatically granted citizenship

It turns out that there are many countries in the world — more than thirty — that automatically grant citizenship to a newborn. In this text, we will list all of these countries and estimate the cost of such births.

Today, parents have the opportunity not only to give birth abroad but also to give their child citizenship of the desired country. Such a phenomenon is called «birth tourism.» That is, the child receives citizenship by right of soil (place of birth). In some countries, the parents of such children also quite quickly get the opportunity to get a second passport.

There are countries that grant citizenship to a child immediately at birth; in some countries, it is necessary to meet certain conditions. To make it easier for you to decide, today we will tell you about both options.

In which countries is a child given citizenship immediately by birthright?

Countries in North America

• USA 
• Canada
• Antigua and Barbuda
• Barbados
• Belize
• Guatemala
• Honduras
• Grenada
• Dominica
• Mexico. Parents can obtain citizenship 2 years after giving birth.
• Costa Rica. If parents are under 25, they can get citizenship 7 years after birth.
• Cuba. Parents can get citizenship 2 years after giving birth.
• Nicaragua
• Panama. Parents can officially become citizens 5 years after the birth of a child.
• El Salvador
• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
• Saint Kitts and Nevis
• Saint Lucia
• Trinidad and Tobago
• Jamaica

Countries in South America

• Argentina. In this case, parents also have the right to obtain citizenship at the birth of a child.
• Bolivia
• Brazil. At that, parents may obtain citizenship 2 years after child’s birth.
• Venezuela
• Guyana
• Paraguay
• Uruguay. In this case, parents have the right to obtain citizenship immediately after the birth of the child.
• Chile. In this case, parents may count on citizenship in 2 years after the birth of a child.
• Ecuador. In this case, parents, siblings, and grandparents can obtain permanent residency as guardians, and citizenship after 3 years.

Countries in Oceania

• Tuvalu
• Fiji

Asian countries

• Pakistan

Countries in Africa

• Lesotho
• Tanzania
• Chad

Which country’s passport is the best in the world? The latest passport ranking is published

In which countries is a child given citizenship under certain conditions?

Countries in Europe

• Belgium. The condition: parents must reside in the country legally for 10 years.
• United Kingdom. The condition: one of the parents has a permanent residence permit.
• Germany. The condition: one parent has a permanent residence permit and has been living in the country for 8 years.
• Greece. The condition: parents must legally reside in the country for 5 years.
• Ireland. The condition: one parent has a permanent residence permit and has lived in the country for 3 years.
• The Netherlands. The condition: one parent has a permanent residence permit.
• Portugal. The condition: one parent with a permanent residence permit (the document must be at least 1 year).

Countries in South America

• Colombia. The condition: one of the parents has a residence permit.

Countries in Oceania

• Australia. The condition: one parent with permanent residency.
• New Zealand. The condition: one parent with permanent residency.

Asian countries

• Cambodia. The condition: one of the parents has a residence permit.
• Malaysia. The condition: one parent with a residence permit.
• Thailand. The condition: parents must reside in the country legally for 5 years.

Countries in Africa

• Namibia. The condition: one of the parents has a residence permit.
• South Africa. The condition: one of the parents has a permanent residence permit.

The cost of giving birth in a good clinic

For clarity, we have made a small table with examples of countries and the average cost of giving birth in their clinics.