Russian birth tourism to Brazil on the rise

Brazil automatically grants citizenship to anyone born on its soil, and a growing number of Russian families are taking advantage of this. One couple, given the pseudonyms Yulia and Dmitri, traveled to Brazil this summer while Yulia was 32 weeks pregnant. Their daughter was born at a private clinic in Santos, and the family is now completing paperwork so she can receive a Brazilian passport, which would allow her to travel visa-free to most countries. The family spent roughly €10,000 during their first six weeks in Brazil, including several days of intensive care treatment for the newborn.

Argentina tightens its rules

Argentina was previously a more common destination for this purpose, but it has since tightened its regulations: children can now only gain citizenship if their parents have lived in the country for at least two years, and since 2025 free healthcare access has also been restricted for those without permanent residency. According to Russian outlet RBC, more than 7,000 Russians applied for Argentine residence permits in 2023, but that number had fallen to about 1,800 by mid-2025. Meanwhile, Brazil issued almost 500 passports to Russians in 2024 and more than 600 in 2025, over half of them to women.

Growing Russian community in Florianopolis

One of Brazil's largest Russian communities lives in Florianopolis, and it continues to expand — local health authorities report that 119 Russian women received prenatal care there in the first half of this year, compared to 136 for all of 2025. An entire support industry has emerged around birth tourism, with recent immigrants helping newcomers find housing, medical care and navigate paperwork. Lawyers and service providers report stricter document checks by Brazilian authorities, though DW found no evidence that Brazil is systematically denying entry to Russians — Brazilian police denied reports that several pregnant women had been deported.