Birth Tourism in Argentina: How Having a Child in Argentina Can Get You a New Citizenship

Argentina has proved to be an interesting destination for more than one essential aspect of Flag Theory. We say this not only because of the rise to the presidency of the anarcho-capitalist Javier Milei, but also because of the birth tourism option that the country has been offering for years.

Birth tourism refers to the practice of travelling to another country to give birth so that the newborn automatically receives citizenship of that country. We believe that children are a fantastic and truly life-changing thing, and we would love to hear that you plan to have a large family. If you have already decided to become a parent and want to make the most of your circumstances, there are many great advantages available to you: birth tourism not only gives your offspring a nationality, but it also makes it easier for you to get one yourself.

This is the case in some countries that apply the principle of Jus soli.

To put it in a nutshell

The Jus soli, a principle deeply rooted in Western legal traditions, plays a crucial role in determining the nationality and citizenship of individuals. It is a Latin term meaning ‘right of soil’, and grants citizenship to persons born on the territory of a country, irrespective of the nationality of their parents.

This concept contrasts with Jus sanguinis, or ‘right of blood’, according to which citizenship is inherited from one’s parents and is not determined by place of birth.

In our Citizenship Encyclopedia, we explain this legal concept in more detail.

Here are the basic and common ways of acquiring citizenship:

• Jus soli (place of birth principle): as mentioned above, persons born in a country that applies this principle automatically receive their citizenship. In many cases, parents can obtain a residence permit on the basis of birth tourism or benefit from an accelerated procedure to obtain it, which also opens the door to additional citizenship for parents in certain circumstances.
• Jus sanguinis (principle of descent): this principle grants citizenship on the basis of the nationality of one or both parents, regardless of the place of birth. It also applies to adopted children. Many Jus soli countries also apply the principle of descent.
• Naturalisation: If you meet certain criteria (such as length of residence, language proficiency, knowledge of the country’s history and culture, or good conduct) you can be naturalised on application.
• Marriage: in some countries, foreigners can acquire citizenship more quickly or on easier terms if they marry a citizen. In Spain, Portugal, or Ireland, for example, the period of residence is reduced from 5 years to just 1 year.
• Investment/donation: Some countries offer citizenship programmes for significant investments in the country, such as property purchases, bank deposits, donations or (business) investments. Our Citizenship Encyclopedia explains it all in detail.

Source: Birth tourism – Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia.

Dark blue: unconditional birthright for persons born in the country.

Light blue: birthright with restrictions. Normally a minimum period of residence in the country or the nationality of one of the parents is required.

That said, in today’s article we will focus on obtaining Argentine nationality by birth. Argentina allows you to acquire the best passport in all Latin America and at the best price —with a minimum residency requirement. Today we will show you how to obtain Argentine residency not only for your children, but also for yourself. As always, Denationalize.me can help you through the whole process.

Some general conditions and information on Argentine nationality

The requirements for naturalisation in Argentina are usually quite straightforward. You are expected to have lived in Argentina for at least two years, although this requirement is not really necessary if you are married to an Argentine citizen or have Argentine children.

The residence period of only two years makes Argentina one of the easiest and fastest naturalisation processes in the world. Despite this, Argentine citizenship is inalienable under current legislation. Once you obtain Argentine citizenship, you will be Argentine permanently, regardless of whether you acquire an additional nationality from another country or live abroad for a longer period of time. However, multiple nationality is perfectly feasible. In fact, most Argentines have a second passport from Italy, Spain, or another European country —due to the country’s heavily immigrant past.

As a foreigner in Argentina, your tax liability depends on whether you have been in the country for more than 12 months. This condition is also one of the most unique in the world, and makes Argentina one of the most ‘conducive’ destinations for Perpetual Travellers to stay longer without being taxed —due to regulations such as the 183-day rule or the centre of vital interests. This also makes our birth tourism proposal particularly interesting: not only can mother and baby rest longer after the birth, but also everything is arranged so as not to trigger Argentinean taxation for as long as the 12 months in the country are not exceeded. Buying property in Argentina does not usually pose any problems in this respect either.

Nobody is prepared for the unexpected

We know that sometimes it seems exaggerated, but we always recommend having a plan B, C, D… and so on through the whole alphabet. You never know what can happen, and when it comes to laws, policies and regulations, a single signature by a foolish politician can radically change the lives of you and your loved ones.

More and more Russians  (including a surprising number of pregnant women) are travelling to Argentina because of the war in Ukraine. This unusual circumstance has become even more pronounced following international travel sanctions against Russia.

Just add up a few factors:

War + insecurity + desperation + search for ‘quick’ and effective escape routes + international prejudice against Russians + total marginalisation from society in all sorts of areas….

… as well as other relevant factors specific to the country:

Argentina allows birth tourism + Russians are welcome and do not need visas + babies born become Argentinian instantly and Russian parents can also become Argentinian without too many complications….

… It was very clear that this would happen.

The value of the Argentinian passport over the Russian one is especially evident when you consider the freedom to travel. With an Argentine passport you can enter 171 countries without a visa or with a visa on arrival, while a Russian passport only allows access to 118 countries. A key aspect is that Argentines have access to the Schengen area and many other particularly popular tourist destinations. Unlike EU citizens, Argentinean citizens can also enter Russia without any problems. In addition, there are advantages within the South American organisation Mercosur that are obtained with an Argentine passport, although the freedom of establishment in most South American countries only applies either by birth or after 5 years from naturalisation —and this is something that very few people know.

Another advantage is reputation: Argentines are predominantly white Caucasian and hardly distinguishable from most Europeans. You will not feel like a foreigner in the country and can easily and quickly identify yourself worldwide as Argentinian. In this way, you avoid the stigma of the usual Caribbean passports, where your acquisition by donation or investment cannot be hidden in any way. Here you will not have to constantly justify yourself when entering the country or in any other context.

No one can save their country of birth from its current situation, and no one can do anything against irresponsible politicians in their country who gradually devalue their own citizenship. That is why it seems to us entirely legitimate to acquire new citizenships, whether for Russians, British, or any other nationality in the world. Even the comparatively prestigious European citizenships may be threatened by the devaluation and worsening of the situation in the old world. Access to the US ESTA for Germans, for example, is already faltering….

And this teaches us very important lessons:

• Nobody really knows what is going to happen tomorrow.
• Many people have opened their eyes and realised what a government is capable of (most people because of the handling of the coronavirus pandemic).
• Countries claim to be your protectors, but in reality, they are not.
• Always look for options (countries) that WELCOME AND TREAT YOU, your business, your wealth, your savings, your assets, your capital gains, your wages, your family, your inheritance etc. BEST.
• Nationalism is only ‘right’ and ‘satisfactory’ when you are on the winning side. If you think everything is fine, wait until the situation turns around and the world turns against you without you being able to do anything about it.
• Never judge something or someone based on their place of birth or the writing on their passport.

People will always try to improve their lives, be it by moving house or car to have more comfort, or by moving country to optimise their taxes and benefit from other regulations (legally enacted in that country), as well as to benefit from birth tourism, among many other things.

The problem is that the former is ‘understood by everyone’, but tax optimisation is often morally considered a crime against society, as is ‘using’ a country to get a more interesting passport than the one you were given for being born in a particular place.

The question is, why is it OK to move house or car and not to emigrate? It really depends on what you decide to do with your life, and at Denationalize.me we always encourage you to live the life that really belongs to you.

Foreign descendants and birth in Argentina

Let us suppose you benefit from birth tourism and plan to give birth in Argentina. If you are the parent of an Argentinian child, you can apply for nationality immediately after obtaining the residence certificate.

From Denationalize.me, we will help you in this process, naturally. Our package includes three stages:

1. A counselling session with our lawyers to fully understand the whole process.
2. The application for ‘Residencia Precaria’ (temporary residence).
3. The process of obtaining the nationality.

The whole process costs USD 5,000 for one parent, and USD 8,000 in case you want nationality for both parents. For more information, please contact us.

Of course, you also have to take into account the costs of childbirth. In public hospitals you pay USD 2,500 for giving birth, while in private clinics the figure starts at USD 4,000 for a normal, uncomplicated birth. If you have had international health insurance for at least 10 months, these costs can of course be fully covered. Our international health insurance solutions offer adequate coverage if you choose the right rate.

One key point: naturalisation in Argentina is regulated by the courts, so it depends on when you get an appointment with the judge —with our help you will be able to arrange it much faster. A judge examines citizenship applications and there is always some leeway —among other things, the judge looks at how often you have entered and left the country. If they concludes that you only came to Argentina to give birth to your child, filed the application and then were absent all the way to the hearing… well, we cannot guarantee that they will rule in your favour. We strongly recommend that you have some preparation time both before and after the birth.

Book a consultation with us and we will continue to plan how to acquire your new citizenship, as well as create an optimised tax structure and prepare for your tax exit from your home country.

An important aside: if you do not want to vaccinate your children, Argentina is probably not a good option for you. As in Brazil or Costa Rica, it is compulsory for newborns to be vaccinated against almost all typical diseases. Adults may also be refused an Argentine passport if they do not have a vaccination card. In any case, vaccination against COVID-19 remains optional (for both children and adults).

However, there are significant differences with Brazil, another extremely popular country for birth tourism. For example, unlike in Brazil, there is no compulsory military service in Argentina. This is a not insignificant issue for future mothers and fathers, especially in a country like Argentina, where the Falklands conflict is still so present. Moreover, you can benefit from citizenship by birth tourism in Argentina without triggering tax obligations. In Brazil, on the other hand, it does often result in taxes —which is not at all pleasant given the high income taxes applied in that country. The general waiting time in Argentina is also much shorter than in Brazil: with the right lawyers, naturalisation is usually obtained before the child and mother are able or willing to travel again.

How countries benefit from ‘acquiring’ new citizens

Countries are like businesses, and their citizens are both consumers and customers.

Since we are talking about birth tourism, we can include this ‘service’ in the category of health tourism. We also understand countries as businesses offering services when we look at the aspect of geo-arbitrage  (travelling to places, countries or cities to enjoy better conditions) whether in terms of quality, specificity or price.

According to this report in the Buenos Aires Times, the health tourism sector in Argentina is experiencing strong growth, with an annual increase of 25%. The country is not only particularly popular with pregnant women from Russia who want to give birth in Argentina, but also with those seeking cosmetic surgery or other clinical treatments.

The global health tourism market already generates revenues of between USD 74 billion and USD 92 billion. Each of these patients spends an average of around USD 25,000 —a figure far higher than that of normal tourists. Argentina has positioned itself as the preferred destination, along with Brazil, for first-class medical care; and it benefits enormously economically from this sector.

So why should not Argentina do more? Just as a company wants to attract more and more customers through the value it offers, countries also want to attract more ‘citizens and taxpayers’, and better position themselves internationally.

Countries also compete, whether in terms of quality of life, tax burden, laws or infrastructure. We have already compiled for you a list of the 50 ‘best’ countries in terms of tax burden, which you can find in our Detanionalize.me Emigration Encyclopedia.

Argentina, which attracts pregnant women from all over the world eager to give birth there, benefits from an influx of people willing to ‘invest’ in local services and products. The law of naturalisation after two years of residence and the long period of time it takes to become a tax resident (more than 12 months at a time) are also very attractive features that enhance the country’s image. High inflation guarantees a beneficial exchange rate for foreigners, making Argentina one of the best value-for-money countries in the world.

Why would you want to give up your nationality?

As a European citizen, you have probably heard that European citizenships are some of the best and strongest you can have.

For example, Germans have access to 135 countries without a visa and 43 with a visa on arrival (7 more countries than the Argentinean passport). They also have the right to freely enter and leave the Schengen area, to which Germany belongs. Now, imagine that the situation changes, that the European Union dissolves and that its members start charging taxes based on nationality instead of on residency (like the United States). The ‘attractiveness’ of nationalities such as German would dissolve to the point of disappearing completely.

Amid the current situation, where European governments are struggling with huge debt and rushing to increase the tax burden, the state is trying to make all citizens dependent on it, to protect itself from any attempt at change. Governments are rushing to take from those who still have what they have worked so hard to earn, to the applause of those who are already dependent on them.

Changing nationality can offer the opportunity to leave certain tax restrictions behind, especially for those who operate internationally or who have moved their centre of life abroad. With an Argentinean passport you will hardly lose any freedom to travel —or even gain certain destinations, such as Russia. Permanent unrestricted access to the Schengen area is also possible if you invest in a Golden Visa. However, the two 3-month Schengen visas for Argentinians should be sufficient for most people.

Of course, there may also be other reasons for wanting to adopt another nationality, such as the lifestyle and culture of the destination country, but this is up to the individual.

In conclusion

Whatever you need, you can count on us because, unlike your government, WE want to help you to be freer. Contact us to start on the road to a strong and secure citizenship for you and your family.