Argentina restricted birth tourism for foreigners

In recent years, the Argentine government has imposed strict restrictions on the widespread practice of "birth tourism" among foreigners. This was reported by Zamin.uz.

This was announced by Enrique Ignacio Ferrer Viyera, the Ambassador of the Argentine Republic to Russia, in an interview with Russian mass media. According to the diplomat, children born in Argentina will no longer automatically grant citizenship to their parents.

Citizenship will only be granted through naturalization. In this process, the individual must be over 18 years old, provide documents confirming permanent residence in Argentina, and have legally lived in the country for at least two years.

Previously, some foreigners, including Russian citizens, entered Argentina visa-free, concealed their pregnancy, used the state's free medical and social services, and left the country after giving birth. For this reason, the government was forced to change this procedure.

According to official statistics, more than 23,000 Russians entered Argentina during 2022–2023. Although most aimed to obtain citizenship, many did not stay long.

In 2023, the number of residence permits issued to those coming from Russia reached a record high of 3,700. The Argentine government is trying to prevent illegal use of the country's education, healthcare, and social protection systems by reviewing its migration policy.

At the same time, the policy of supporting individuals who wish to live legally in the country continues. Additionally, previously, parents of children born in Argentina were exempt from the waiting requirement when applying for citizenship using a simplified passport procedure.

This option has now also been canceled. The Argentine passport is highly valued internationally and allows visa-free travel to more than 170 countries.

For this reason, interest in obtaining this document has significantly increased in recent years.