In recent years, the Argentine government has implemented strict and comprehensive measures to curb the practice of "birth tourism," which is widespread among foreigners. This was announced by the Ambassador of the Republic of Argentina to Russia, Enrique Ignacio Ferrer Vieira, in an interview with Russian media.
The diplomat emphasized that foreigners, including Russian citizens, who have given birth in Argentina, will no longer be able to obtain citizenship immediately after the birth of the child. Citizenship is now granted through naturalization procedures, requiring individuals to be over 18 years old, officially prove they have a permanent residence in the country, and have lived legally in Argentina for at least two years.
Vieira noted that previously, some Russian women visited Argentina visa-free, concealed their pregnancy, and, using free medical and social services from the state, quickly left the country after the birth of a child. Therefore, the Argentinian government was forced to change this procedure.
According to official statistics, more than 23 thousand Russians entered Argentina in 2022-2023. Most of them aimed to obtain citizenship of the country, but most did not stay long. At the same time, in 2023, the number of residence permits issued to arrivals from Russia reached a record level - 3,700.
The Argentine government aims to prevent the illegal use of the country's education, healthcare, and social protection systems by reviewing its migration policy. At the same time, the authorities emphasized that they will support individuals who wish to legally reside in the country.
Also, the parents of a child previously born in Argentina were not forced to wait to apply for citizenship, using the simplified procedure for obtaining a passport. Now this possibility is also exhausted.
The Argentine passport has high international power, allowing visa-free travel to more than 170 countries. Therefore, interest in obtaining this document has significantly increased in recent years.
