Birth Tourism is giving birth in a country that grants citizenship based on "jus soli" and provides benefits to all children born there. This will not only give your child a better quality of life but also entitle them to a second passport immediately from birth. In many cases, parents of such children enjoy a faster naturalization timeline as well.
When it comes to determining a child’s citizenship at birth, countries usually apply one of two rights: "jus soli" (right of soil) or "jus sanguinis" (right of blood). "Jus soli" grants citizenship merely on the basis of being born “on the soil” of the country in question. "Jus sanguinis" determines the child’s citizenship based on the parents’ nationality.
The process of “jus soli” is generally available to anyone who has a child within the territory of a country with birthright citizenship, even if they are a temporary resident or an illegal alien. The only people whose children do not qualify for instant citizenship are diplomats.
These countries offer what is called “absolute jus soli,” meaning that the biggest hurdle you’ll face in some countries is having to register your bundle of joy with the local authorities to secure their passport.
Birth tourism is a common practice in both North and South America for countries to grant citizenship to anyone born on their soil.
Almost all of the countries in North and South America recognize the right of a child born on their soil to have citizenship in their country. Canada, being a first-world nation that practices birthright citizenship, is a popular destination for birth tourism. As global tourism, international travel, and digital nomads continue their exponential rise, birth tourism can be expected to become even more commonplace.
The primary advantage of birth tourism is that you get a second passport for your child. In some cases, it can also expedite permanent residency and citizenship for the parents as well.
In Mexico, if your child is a Mexican citizen, then you can apply immediately for permanent residency, whereas most people need to live there for at least 5 years on a temporary residence permit. Furthermore, you could apply for Mexican citizenship within only two years.
Likewise, if your child is born in Brazil, you can also fast-track Brazilian residency and citizenship because of your family ties. The Mexican and Brazilian passports are highly desirable since they allow passport holders visa-free travel throughout most of the world. The Mexican passport facilitates entry into 160 countries, and the Brazilian passport facilitates entry into 170 countries.
Another advantage of birth tourism is the ability to access first-world social services as a citizen. For example, a child born in Canada and possessing Canadian citizenship could return and access highly subsidized post-secondary education without shelling out the CAD $30,000 ($22,474 USD) a year that most international students pay.
Giving birth in countries like Portugal can provide your child and you with dual citizenship.
Having a second passport substantially increases the opportunities available to anyone. While a child born in Canada may eventually be able to confer permanent residency to their parents through sponsorship, they must be of adult age and have the means to financially support their parents to do so. America, too, has a similar process.
While having a child in Canada or the USA may confer citizenship to the child, it does not necessarily mean the parents can stay with them or immediately become citizens as well.
Another reason for birth tourism, aside from birthright citizenship, is affordability. While taking advantage of getting a secondary passport for your child, you can also save money by having your child overseas.
In Brazil, for example, health care is a right even for foreigners, and if you wanted, you could have your child for free in the public system. Or you could opt for the higher-quality private hospitals and still save money vs having your child in the states.
Mexico is another low-cost destination for childbirth, with costs starting from $3,000 to $6,000 USD.
You can apply for Panama Citizenship if you are a parent of a Panamanian citizen
Most of the countries in the Americas allow for birthright citizenship (Colombia being one notable exception). Canada and the USA are two of the most desirable locations, since being the richest nations, they offer their citizens the most economic opportunities.
Mexico and Brazil have their advantages, as they offer parents of so-called “passport babies” a fast track to citizenship, and they are popular expat destinations anyway.
Chile is also a fairly desirable location for birth tourism, as its economy is robust and growing, and its passport is fairly powerful. However, as of 2019, they require at least one parent to be a legal resident.
Panama is another excellent country for birth tourism, as they have high-quality hospitals, a great economy, and allows parents of Panamanian citizens a fast track to citizenship. They also practice a territorial tax system, so if you become a tax resident there, you do not have to pay any tax on foreign-sourced income.
Here is a list of the best countries in which to give birth:
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Bolivia |
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Chile |
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Fiji |
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Jamaica |
Pakistan |
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St. Vincent and the Grenadines |
Trinidad and Tobago |
Tuvalu |
The United States |
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Before I go into details about engaging in birth tourism, I would like to mention a very desirable passport; however, it is far from easy to acquire. European passports are very sought after, mostly because of their high passport strength ranking and visa-free travel to an incredible number of countries. Only a few European Union countries offer "jus soli," but all of them have requirements such as having one or both parents being residents or citizens at the time of birth. Portugal is your best choice for European birth tourism since it requires only one of the parents to have been a resident for at least one year.
If you are thinking about having your baby in a foreign country in the Americas to take advantage of birthright citizenship, then what is the best way to go about it? First, you must pick the country you want to give birth in. The easiest approach is to go somewhere where you have visa-on-arrival or visa waiver privileges, so you can just go ahead and show up. Alternatively, if you have to apply for a tourist visa to go to that country (we’ll look at Mexico here in our hypothetical, but there are plenty of other options to consider as well), then you must do that planning ahead, as it can be time-consuming due to requirements and visa processing time. Alternatively, you could also consider applying for temporary residency in this country if you have family or business ties there or want to invest in that country.
Giving your child dual citizenship due to "jus soli" and "jus sanguinis" is a step towards securing your child's freedom and future.
Once you have figured that out, you want to travel to the country when you are pregnant. You will need to find a good hospital. Make sure you check out the reputation and reviews online and talk to any friends you might have with first-hand knowledge. Of course, you will want to have ample savings to cover both the cost of your hospital stay and your extended stay in Mexico leading up to the birth. You might be pleasantly surprised at some of the differences in medical care and the attention you receive from your physician. Hotels are very affordable in Mexico, so you might opt to stay in a hotel near the hospital in the time leading up to your birth to minimize travel time when the big day comes.
After you have your baby, you will need to register them to get a birth certificate, and then once you have that, you can apply for their passport, and you are good to go. If you are interested in Mexican citizenship yourself, then, as we mentioned earlier, you can use your child’s status as a Mexican citizen as a means of fast-tracking your own permanent residency and citizenship. And even though your baby is now a Mexican citizen, they will still have the citizenship of their birth parents as well. So if you are a Canadian citizen, then your child will also qualify to be a Canadian citizen; you just have to fill out some paperwork.
Not every government offers this ease for birth tourism. Each government has its own set of laws, requirements, and policies, which is why it is important to seek to work with an experienced company. This will save you money and time, and provide reliable and accurate information.
You can get permanent residency in Mexico if you are a parent of a Mexican citizen
Those of you who have been with me over the past several years know that my wife and I have given birth four times outside our home countries. My daughter was born in the UAE in 2016; unfortunately, they do not recognize residency or citizenship through birth. However, our second child was born in Brazil in 2021.
We followed what was set out above. We picked our country of choice, applied for our visas (as a Canadian, I did not need a visa; my wife is Chinese, and she did require one, which we were able to apply for and get) and found a company to work with to expedite everything, especially because we don't speak Portuguese.
Before entering Brazil, we checked out hospitals and cities to live in, so there were no surprises. When we travelled to Brazil, we were 6 months into the pregnancy and worked with a company that helped us with the hospital, paperwork and the many forms required.
In May of 2021, our son was born in a hospital in Florianopolis, Brazil and the staff and facilities were outstanding. The cost was about $2,500 USD, similar to many Latin American countries, and we were back in our Airbnb within 3 days.
We stayed in Floripa for 6 months to apply for permanent residency; unfortunately, due to Covid, our appointment was set for 6 months in the future. That's another story and another article.
We now have a Brazilian baby! There really is no better way to give your kids this amazing gift that they will have for the rest of their lives. If you have the opportunity, go for it; you will not be disappointed!
After we had this great experience, we didn’t hesitate to give birth to our third child in Chile in 2024, another significant Latin American country. There are a few strong reasons why we chose Chile for our third child. First, it is a politically and economically stable country with robust institutions. Second, due to its international reputation, Chile has the 13th strongest passport with access to 174 visa-free destinations, including the U.S., Canada, and the Schengen Area. Giving your child such mobility from day one is a no-brainer for us, as internationally minded parents.
We had our baby in Santiago, where you can find top-tier private hospitals that tailor their services to your preferences and needs. My wife arrived in Santiago about a week before the baby was due. I joined her shortly after, flying in with our daughter following a company retreat in Panama. We had a doctor's appointment that same day. True to form, our son decided to arrive that very night, well ahead of the midwife's five-day estimate. We made it to the hospital just in time, and within minutes, he was here.
After the birth, the documentation process was quite smooth. Within a week of the birth, we had his Chilean passport and national ID card in hand. Digital birth certificates and apostilles made the paperwork fast and accurate, and the service provider we worked with guided us through every step.
Finally, our youngest child was born in Mexico in 2025. It has quickly become one of my top recommendations for families considering this path. Mexico is an easy choice if you are coming from North America, and the Mexican passport punches well above its weight, with visa-free access to 158 countries, including all the Schengen nations, the UK, Japan, and most of Latin America.
Beyond the passport, Mexico offers something special. Parents of a Mexican-born child can apply immediately for permanent residency. After two years, you can even apply for citizenship; this is half the time of the standard five-year naturalization process.
The birth experience itself was exceptional. Mexico's private hospitals in major cities are truly top-notch, staffed by internationally trained doctors and equipped with modern maternity facilities. The cost typically runs between $3,000 USD and $6,000 USD.
All of our children were born in different countries, in a way that aligns with our lifestyle and worldview. After having our first child, we planned to give birth in different countries that can give our children an advantage at birth.
With a Brazilian child, it's easy to request permanent residency in Brazil
As mentioned above, with the travel increase globally, and the increase in remote job opportunities leading more people to a digital nomad lifestyle, we are bound to see an increase in birth tourism. For now, we can see a higher trend for birth tourism in the Americas, as most of the countries in the Americas practice "absolute jus soli." We can only hope others will see benefits in having "absolute jus soli" and will allow for more places like Mexico, where it is easy to acquire dual citizenship for your children. If you plan to give your children this amazing gift of a life of increased freedom, access our website and consult with our specialists.