If in 2023 you decided to give birth to a child and move to another country, remember that you have a unique opportunity to combine business with pleasure. You can give birth abroad and immediately give the child the citizenship of the desired country. In some countries, in this way, you can even reunite with a citizen child and obtain a residence permit or even citizenship.
This practice even has a special name - maternity tourism, and it turns out to be a whole business industry.
On what basis does a child acquire citizenship?
Citizenship for a newborn child can be obtained on one of two grounds: by the right of blood or by the right of soil .
- By right of blood ( jus sanguinis ) - when a child inherits the citizenship of his parents. If the parents are of different nationalities, then the child can have both passports.
- By the law of the soil ( jus soli ) - when a child receives the citizenship of the country in which he was born. At the same time, he can additionally receive passports of the countries of which his parents are citizens.
Interestingly, a child born in Russia, China, South Korea or Japan cannot acquire citizenship by law of the soil. He can become a citizen of these countries only by the right of blood, that is, if one of the parents is a citizen.
So, below I have compiled lists of countries in which foreign parents can give birth to a child and obtain citizenship for him. There are 3 categories of countries:
- Give citizenship by birth unconditionally
- Grant citizenship by birth, subject to conditions
- They give citizenship after some time under the fulfilled conditions
Give citizenship by birth unconditionally
The easiest countries in terms of obtaining citizenship by birth. That is, they do not require the fulfillment of any conditions - just come and give birth.
North America
- USA - at 21, a child can be reunited with parents. The U.S. grants citizenship to individuals born on its soil, with a few exceptions (such as children of foreign diplomats).
- Canada - At 18, a child can be reunited with their parents. Canada practices birthright citizenship, meaning that children born in Canada are generally automatically granted Canadian citizenship.
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Barbados
- Belize
- Guatemala
- Honduras
- Grenada
- Dominica
- Mexico - parents can obtain citizenship 2 years after the birth of a child. Mexico follows the principle of jus soli, and children born on Mexican soil are typically eligible for Mexican citizenship.
- Costa Rica - parents can obtain citizenship 7 years after the birth of a child if they are under 25 years old
- Cuba - parents can obtain citizenship 2 years after the birth of a child
- Nicaragua
- Panama - parents can obtain citizenship 5 years after the birth of a child
- Salvador
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Jamaica
South America
- Argentina - parents can acquire citizenship at the birth of a child. Argentina also practices birthright citizenship, so children born within its borders are typically considered Argentine citizens.
- Bolivia
- Brazil - parents can obtain citizenship 2 years after the birth of a child. Children born in Brazil are generally eligible for citizenship, regardless of their parents' nationality.
- Venezuela
- Guyana
- Paraguay
- Uruguay - parents can acquire citizenship at the birth of a child. Uruguay grants citizenship to children born on its territory.
- Chile - parents can obtain citizenship 2 years after the birth of a child
- Ecuador - parents, siblings, grandparents can receive permanent residence as guardians, and after 3 years citizenship
Oceania
- Tuvalu
- Fiji
Africa
- Lesotho
- Tanzania
- Chad
- South Africa: South Africa generally follows the principle of jus soli, and children born in the country are typically eligible for citizenship.
Asia
- Pakistan
- India follows the principle of jus soli, and children born in India are usually eligible for Indian citizenship.
Grant citizenship by birth, subject to conditions
Europe
Previously, the EU had a law under which a child born in the EU automatically received citizenship. Now in Europe, only in 8 countries a child from foreign parents can obtain citizenship by soil law and only if certain requirements are met ( Countries that imply that one of the parents is a citizen, I did not include in the list ):
- Belgium - parents lived in the country legally for 10 years
- United Kingdom - one of the parents has permanent residence
- Germany - one of the parents has permanent residence and lived in the country for 8 years
- Greece - parents lived in the country legally for 5 years
- Ireland - one of the parents has permanent residence and lived in the country for 3 years
- Netherlands - one of the parents has permanent residence
- Portugal - one of the parents has a residence permit and lived for 1 year in this status
Asia
- Cambodia - one of the parents has a residence permit
- Malaysia - one of the parents has a residence permit
- Thailand - parents lived in the country legally for 5 years
Africa
- Namibia - one of the parents has a residence permit
- South Africa - one of the parents has permanent residence
Oceania
- Australia - one of the parents has permanent residence
- New Zealand - one of the parents has permanent residence
South America
- Colombia - one of the parents has a residence permit
They give citizenship after some time under the fulfilled conditions
This list includes countries that do not give citizenship to a child immediately at birth. To obtain citizenship, a child needs to be born and live in the country for a certain time.
Europe
- Hungary - the child has lived in the country for 5 years
- Denmark - the child has lived in the country for 9 years
- Spain - the child lived in the country for 1 year
- Luxembourg - a child will receive a passport at the age of 18 if he lived in the country for more than 5 years, and one of the parents lived in the country for at least 1 year before the birth of the child
- Slovenia - the child will receive a passport at the age of 18 if he has lived in the country all this time
- France - a child can obtain a passport at the age of 13 if he has permanently resided in the country since the age of 8; or from the age of 16, if in the period from 11 to 18 years, he lived in the country for at least 5 years
Africa
- Chad - at 18, a child must either refuse or leave a passport
South America
- Peru - the child will receive a passport at 18 years old
Asia
- Mongolia - the child will receive a passport at the age of 16 if one of the parents had a residence permit at the time of birth
- Israel - the child will receive a passport between the ages of 18 and 21 if he has lived in the country for more than 5 years
It's important to note that the specifics of birthright citizenship can be subject to change due to legal and policy updates in different countries. Additionally, not all countries follow this practice, and some may require at least one parent to be a citizen or legal resident for the child to gain citizenship. Always consult official government sources or legal experts for the most accurate and up-to-date information on citizenship laws and policies in specific countries.