Giving Birth in Argentina and Citizenship: The 2026 Rules

Giving birth in Argentina: the short version

In brief: the child receives Argentine citizenship and an Argentine passport. The parents become eligible for residence as parents of a citizen. Their naturalisation depends on how the Supreme Court rules on Decree 366/2025.

• The child. An Argentine citizen from birth, with a passport issued within a few weeks.
• The parents. Residence as parents of a citizen, naturalisation subject to the court ruling.
• The hospital. Non-residents pay for planned care, while emergency deliveries are always admitted.
• Entry. Citizens of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus enter visa-free for 90 days.
• A second citizenship. A child of Russian citizens also receives Russian citizenship.

Families from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan choose Argentina for childbirth for three reasons: unconditional citizenship for the child, visa-free entry and the strong medicine of Buenos Aires. But the 2022-2023 articles about "citizenship for the whole family in two years" are out of date: since May 2025 the rules for parents have been contested, and since August 2026 state hospitals have been billing non-residents.

The child's citizenship by right of soil

In brief: Article 1 of Citizenship Law No. 346 states that anyone born on Argentine territory is a citizen of the country. The exception is children of foreign diplomats.

Argentina is one of the countries with unconditional right of soil. The child's citizenship does not depend on whether the parents hold residence, how long they have lived in the country or why they came. The fact of birth on Argentine territory, confirmed by the clinic's certificate and an entry in the civil registry, is enough. Decree 366/2025 did not change this rule, and the government has not proposed abolishing it.

Argentine citizenship by birth is stronger than naturalised citizenship. A citizen by birth cannot be stripped of citizenship, may hold any public office and, in Spain, obtains citizenship after 2 years of residence rather than the 10 years required of naturalised foreigners. More in the article an Argentine passport and living in Europe.

The child also acquires the citizenship of the parents' country if its law grants citizenship by descent. For example, under Article 12 of Russia's citizenship law, a child whose parents are both Russian citizens is a Russian citizen regardless of the place of birth. So the child holds two citizenships from birth.

The child's documents, step by step

In brief: the clinic issues a birth certificate, the parents register the birth at the civil registry within 40 days, and then apply for the child's DNI identity card and passport.

In Buenos Aires the birth is often registered right at the clinic: many private maternity hospitals have an office of the city civil registry on site. The parents present their passports and, if married, a marriage certificate with an apostille and a sworn translation. Without a marriage certificate, paternity is established by the father acknowledging the child at registration, which requires him to be present in person.

After registration the parents receive the birth certificate and apply to RENAPER for the child's DNI identity card and passport. The first identity card is free. The passport takes a few weeks, and there is an expedited procedure for an extra fee. With an Argentine passport the child can leave the country with the parents.

The birth certificate is then apostilled and registered at the consulate of the parents' country. Russian citizens obtain a Russian birth certificate at the consulate and register the child's citizenship. Without this, the child enters Russia on an Argentine passport as a foreigner.

The child's name and how parents are recorded

In brief: the child's name is registered under the rules of Argentina's Civil and Commercial Code. Foreign names are allowed, and the child takes the surname of one or both parents.

Article 63 of the Civil and Commercial Code allows up to three given names and prohibits names that demean the child or mislead about the child's sex. Russian, Ukrainian or Kazakh names are recorded in the Latin alphabet, so it is worth checking the spelling against the parents' international passports in advance: this determines whether the child's documents match in the two countries. If the parents are married, the child takes the surname of one of them or both surnames in the order they choose.

Argentine documents have no patronymic. When the child is registered at the Russian consulate, the patronymic is entered on the Russian birth certificate, so the details differ between the child's two sets of documents, and that is normal. What matters is that the given name and surname in Latin letters match in the Argentine passport and in the documents of the parents' country.

What the parents get

In brief: the birth of an Argentine child is grounds for the parents' residence. Decree 366/2025 changed the parents' route to citizenship, but in 2026 the courts are applying the previous law.

Before May 2025, the parents of an Argentine child applied for naturalisation to a federal judge with no residence period: Decree 3213/84 placed parents of a citizen by birth in a separate category. In practice the process took 1-2 years, and families assumed that the whole family obtained citizenship.

Decree 366/2025 removed this route: parents now naturalise on general terms - 2 years of lawful residence without leaving the country and permanent residence - and the decision is taken by the migration service. Parents still receive a residence permit, but it is now temporary residence for up to three years on family reunification grounds rather than immediate permanent residence, and to move to permanent residence the decree requires proof of means of support.

In 2026 the courts called these changes into question. On 18 June an appeals chamber found the decree unconstitutional as regards citizenship, and on 30 June the National Electoral Chamber declared it void and returned decisions to federal judges. The government appealed, and on 24 September 2026 the dispute reached the Supreme Court. More in the article Decree 366/2025 and the courts.

How the rules have changed

In brief: from 2024 Argentina tightened checks on pregnant foreign women at the border, in 2025 it changed the rules for parents and hospitals, and in 2026 the courts began overturning some of these changes.

The timeline shows that the rules for families are now set not by a single document but by a combination of the decree, court rulings and ministerial resolutions. It is therefore sensible to plan the parents' timelines and conditions on a conservative scenario: the child gets citizenship immediately, the parents get residence and citizenship after years of living in the country. If the Supreme Court upholds the chamber's ruling, the parents' route will become shorter. More on all the changes in the article changes to the childbirth rules in Argentina.

Entering Argentina while pregnant

In brief: citizens of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus enter visa-free for 90 days, citizens of Kazakhstan for 30 days. The border officer may ask about the purpose of the trip, so it is best to carry documents on accommodation, a return ticket, insurance and funds.

Visa-free entry does not guarantee admission at the border. Since 2024 the migration service has been checking foreign women in late pregnancy more closely, and there have been cases of entry being refused when answers about the purpose of the trip were inconsistent. Decree 366/2025 introduced a declaration of the purpose of entry and of medical insurance. As of October 2026 the declaration procedure has not been approved, but what you say at the border should match what is in your documents.

If the birth falls at the end of the visa-free period, the stay is extended at the migration service before it expires. Overstaying leads to a fine and complicates a later residence application. Airlines usually require a doctor's certificate after 28 weeks of pregnancy and refuse boarding in late pregnancy, so it is better to fly early. More on entry by nationality in the articles for Russian citizens, Ukrainian citizens, Belarusian citizens and citizens of Kazakhstan.

Where to give birth: state hospital or private clinic

In brief: since 11 August 2026 national hospitals have been billing foreigners without permanent residence. Emergency deliveries are always admitted, but further treatment is charged.

Ministry of Health Resolution No. 1066/2026 set out the procedure: a foreigner without permanent residence presents medical insurance or pays for planned care in advance, according to the hospital's estimate. Emergencies, including labour that has started, bleeding and emergency care for a newborn, are admitted unconditionally, but once the patient is stable the hospital bills the patient or the insurer. Several provinces, including Salta, Jujuy, Mendoza and Santa Cruz, began charging non-residents even earlier.

That is why foreign families plan childbirth in private clinics in Buenos Aires. The clinic provides a written estimate: room, obstetrician, anaesthetist, neonatologist, tests and newborn monitoring. Ask separately about the price of a caesarean section and neonatal intensive care: these change the total most. Travel insurance almost always excludes childbirth, so check your cover before the trip. The budget calculation is in the article how much childbirth costs in Argentina.

After the birth: life and the parents' residence

In brief: once the child's documents are ready, the parents apply for residence as parents of an Argentine citizen. This gives the right to live and work in the country, open a bank account and obtain a tax number.

The residence application is filed online with the migration service, followed by an appointment with documents: the child's birth certificate, passports and criminal record certificates with an apostille and translation. Under Decree 366/2025, permanent residence requires proof of means of support. With residence the parents receive a foreigner's DNI card, can open a bank account and obtain a CUIT tax number.

Even if the family does not plan to live in Argentina, residence is useful: it keeps the parents' naturalisation option open once the Supreme Court rules. But residence requires presence: permanent residence is lost after two years abroad. More in the articles Argentine residence permit and Argentine permanent residence.

When to arrive and how long to stay

In brief: families usually arrive 6-10 weeks before the birth and leave 4-8 weeks after it. The whole trip lasts 3-4 months, which fits within the visa-free 90 days with an extension.

Arriving early serves three purposes: choosing a clinic and doctor, completing tests and registering for prenatal care, and settling into the city. Many clinics take over a pregnancy from week 32-34, and airlines restrict flying in late pregnancy. After the birth, time goes on registering the birth, the child's DNI and passport, and then documents for the consulate of the parents' country.

If the parents plan to apply for residence, the trip gets longer: the application is filed after the birth certificate is issued, and the migration service schedules appointments according to its calendar. Families who intend to live in Argentina are better off renting a home for six months or more from the start: long-term rent is cheaper than short-term. On life in the country, see the article living in Argentina.

The child's citizenship in the parents' country

In brief: children of Russian and Ukrainian citizens hold two citizenships from birth. Kazakhstan prohibits dual citizenship, and Belarusian citizens must file a notification.

Ukraine grants citizenship to a child if at least one parent is a Ukrainian citizen. The child is registered at the Ukrainian consulate, and under its citizenship law Ukraine recognises only Ukrainian citizenship for its citizens on its territory. Belarus requires notification of another citizenship within three months, failing which a fine applies.

For citizens of Kazakhstan the situation is stricter: Kazakhstan does not recognise dual citizenship, and concealing it carries fines and deportation with an entry ban. A child of Kazakh citizens born in Argentina acquires Argentine citizenship automatically, so the family needs to decide in advance which citizenship the child will keep on reaching adulthood. More in the articles for Ukrainian citizens, Belarusian citizens and citizens of Kazakhstan.

Childbirth or the investment programme

In brief: childbirth gives citizenship to the child, the investment programme to the whole family with no residence requirement. For a family where the parents need the passport, the programme is more predictable.

The programme was announced on 2 October 2026: a contribution of $350,000 for the main applicant, $100,000 for a spouse and $25,000 for each child under 18. A family of two parents and two children contributes $500,000 and is not required to live in Argentina. Applications are expected to open in the fourth quarter of 2026, and the programme's legal basis is being challenged together with Decree 366/2025.

If the family is already expecting a child, the two routes can be combined: the child gets citizenship by birth, and the parents through the programme or through naturalisation after the court ruling. More in the articles how much Argentine citizenship costs and how to obtain Argentine citizenship. For the investment route, the total for your family is shown in the Argentine citizenship estimate.

Who the family needs in Argentina

In brief: an obstetrician and a clinic, a sworn translator, a migration lawyer and, if the family speaks little Spanish, an assistant for visits to the civil registry, RENAPER and the migration service.

The doctor and the clinic handle the medical side, while the family deals with the documents at state agencies itself or with an assistant. A sworn translator is needed for the marriage certificate, criminal record certificates and consular documents: Argentina accepts only translations certified by the Association of Sworn Translators. A migration lawyer prepares the parents' residence application and follows the court rulings on Decree 366/2025.

Be wary of intermediaries selling a "package with guaranteed citizenship for the parents". Citizenship decisions are taken by the courts and the migration service, and no company can guarantee them. The contract with an assistant should list specific services, timelines and the price of each, and payment should go to a bank account, not in cash without documents.

Where families go wrong

In brief: they believe promises of "citizenship for the whole family in two years", arrive without insurance, overstay the visa-free period and do not register the child at their own country's consulate.

1. They buy a guarantee of citizenship for the parents. The parents' route depends on the Supreme Court, and nobody can guarantee it.
2. They count on a free hospital. Since August 2026 non-residents pay.
3. They take ordinary travel insurance. It almost always excludes childbirth.
4. They overstay the visa-free period. A fine and problems with residence.
5. They get involved in forged-document schemes. In 2024 prosecutors investigated such schemes, and forged documents lead to refusal of residence and citizenship.
6. They do not register their own country's citizenship. The child visits the grandparents as a foreigner.

What to check before the trip

In brief: the stage of pregnancy and the airline's rules, the visa-free period, the clinic's estimate, insurance, an apostilled marriage certificate and a plan for the parents' residence. What we do and what remains for you is shown on the Argentine passport by investment page.

• The airline's rules for your stage of pregnancy.
• The visa-free period and extension dates.
• A written estimate from the clinic, including caesarean section and neonatal care.
• Insurance that covers childbirth, or a cash reserve.
• A marriage certificate with an apostille and translation.
• Documents for your own country's consulate.