If you’ve spent any time reading our Nomad Capitalist blogs, you probably already know that there are a number of ways to get a second passport.
You can access a second passport via investment, naturalisation or marriage and those are only a few of the routes available to you as an adult.
But for many entrepreneurs and nomads, obtaining second citizenship for their children and future generations is just as important – if not more so.
For years, surveys such as the Human Development Report and other quality of life indices have chronicled locations where children are likely to have the best quality of life.
Likewise, here at Nomad Capitalist, we’ve often discussed how parents could apply our principles of international diversification and practise something called ‘birth tourism’.
If you live in the United States, you’ve probably heard the term ‘anchor baby’ which refers to a non-citizen giving birth to a child in a country, with birthright citizenship, in order to gain residence and citizenship advantages.
Well, nothing is stopping you from using the same principle to give your kids a head start in other countries. Parents have a unique opportunity to choose the best country to give birth in. It’s an option even Western citizens should consider.
So, how can you take advantage of the quality of life in other countries to give your child a better future by securing them a second passport just by being born?
That’s where we come in. Nomad Capitalist has helped over 1,500 clients move to multiple tax-friendly jurisdictions from Central America to Western Europe and further afield. Apply to become a client today, and our team will assess your personal and corporate vision and portfolio to determine the best solutions to help you retain and grow wealth, pay fewer taxes legally and acquire greater individual freedom for both you and your entire family.
How Does Birth Tourism Work?
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.
Birth tourism is simple: give birth in a country that grants citizenship based on jus soli and provides benefits to all children born there. This could potentially 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 also enjoy a faster naturalisation timeline.
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.
The biggest hurdle you’ll face in some of these countries is registering your bundle of joy with the local authorities to secure a passport.
The United States and Canada are among the few developed countries that offer unconditional citizenship to children born in the territory. There are also plenty of other excellent places where you may actually prefer to live that also offer this right.
Mainland Chinese parents often seek to give birth in Hong Kong to obtain the ‘right of abode’ for their children, as Hong Kongers are Chinese citizens but with special privileges to reside in the region.
Of course, we know that the United States offers birthright citizenship for the same reasons that ancient Rome did: to increase the number of US taxpayers needed to pay off the country’s catastrophic debts.
Giving birth to a child in the United States is setting them up for a lifetime of taxes, which they can’t get out of without renouncing their citizenship. That means even opening a bank account for their college savings will require you to file paperwork with the US government.
Which Countries Offer Birthright Citizenship?
For those who want to bestow their child with second citizenship outside of a highly taxed country, there are a number of places that offer ‘jus soli’, or birthright of the soil.
Any child born within that country’s territory becomes a citizen at birth, and there are dozens of countries whose laws allow the practice. So, which countries automatically give a passport and citizenship to children born there, regardless of the nationality of the child’s parents?
More than two decades ago, Ireland, the last European country offering unconditional citizenship rights to children born to two foreign parents, amended its constitution to end this practice. Other countries, such as Malta and Australia, have similarly tightened their laws.
However, when you follow the birth tourism blueprint, you can give your child multiple citizenship options.
Here is the complete list of the best countries in which to give birth when seeking birth tourism options, excluding countries where a ban on the practice is currently underway.
- Argentina
- Belize
- Bolivia
- Brazil
- Canada
- Chile
- Costa Rica
- Dominica
- Ecuador
- El Salvador
- Fiji
- Grenada
- Guatemala
- Guyana
- Honduras
- Jamaica
- Mexico
- Nicaragua
- Pakistan
- Panama
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Portugal
- St. Kitts and Nevis
- St. Lucia
- St. Vincent and the Grenadines
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Tuvalu
- United States
- Uruguay
- Venezuela
The Best Birth Tourism Countries
Out of the above list, there are a few gems, including Panama, Brazil, Mexico and Argentina. These are particularly noted for their quality medical care, including world-class facilities that make giving birth there straightforward and much cheaper than in many Western countries.
Two of the countries, Dominica and St Kitts and Nevis, offer citizenship-by-investment programs that are well suited to families. Other countries, such as Belize, also have attractive birth tourism options.
Several countries on this list offer parents the ability to fast-track naturalisation.
In Brazil, the wait is only one year. Even foreigners on tourist visas can give birth on Brazilian soil, earning their child immediate Brazilian citizenship and a one-year timeline for their own naturalisation. You can learn more about Brazil’s birthright citizenship laws here.
Most other countries will fast-track the parents’ naturalisation so that you can get citizenship in two to seven years.
And surprisingly, some of these countries offer remarkably good passports. Holders of passports from Argentina, Costa Rica, Mexico, Panama, St. Kitts and Nevis, Uruguay and Venezuela enjoy visa-free travel to all of Central and South America as well as Europe’s borderless Schengen Area.
Some even offer travel privileges to countries that Westerners do not have visa-free access, such as China and Russia.
Even some lower-ranking passports here allow visa-free travel to the UK, Ireland, Malaysia and Singapore.
For someone interested in raising their family in the world’s emerging markets, the Peruvian passport allows for better visa-free travel to Southeast Asia and South American countries.
Raising your child in a growing and free culture is the best way to make the most of their birth tourism citizenship.
Outside of Canada and Chile, none of these citizenships will allow your child to visit the United States visa-free.
Give Your Children a World of Opportunities
Children are the future, and many naturally want to give their kids the very best opportunities they can. Giving birth in one of the nations that recognise ‘jus soil’ is an excellent way to open doors to the global community for your children.
However, this means doing the research to ensure you follow all the rules and meet any requirements the governments may have.
This means you must ensure that you have the most up-to-date information before giving birth overseas. A number of countries have ended their policy of giving citizenship based on birthplace, including Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, France, Malta, the Dominican Republic and India.
But there’s no reason you should have to do this research or carry this load by yourself. Let Nomad Capitalist assist you in choosing the safest, freest and best location for your child to gain citizenship.
We help seven- and eight-figure entrepreneurs and investors create a bespoke strategy using our uniquely successful methods. Our strategies will allow you to keep more of your own money, create new wealth faster and be protected from whatever happens in just three steps. Discover how we do things here.
