Birth tourism: pregnant Russian women fly to Argentina 

More than 5,000 pregnant Russian women have entered Argentina in recent months.

According to the National Migration Service, the new arrivals were all in the final weeks of pregnancy.

Women are believed to want to ensure that their babies are born in Argentina to obtain Argentine citizenship.

According to local media, the number of new arrivals has increased sharply due to the war in Ukraine.

Of the 33 women who arrived in the Argentine capital on a flight Thursday (9), three were detained because of “problems with their papers,” while three others arrived the day before, the head of the migration department, Florencia Carignano, told “La Nacion.”

According to the report, the “birth tourism” of Russian citizens to Argentina seems lucrative and well-established.

A Russian-language website offers various packages for expectant mothers who wish to give birth in Argentina.

The site advertises services such as customized birth plans, airport pickup, Spanish lessons, and discounts for stays at “the best hospitals in the Argentine capital.”

The packages range from “economy class,” which starts at $5,000 (€4,144 ), to “first class,” which starts at $15,000 (€12,433).

She explained that Russian women want their children to have Argentine citizenship because it gives them more freedom than a Russian passport.

“The problem is that they come to Argentina, register their children as Argentine citizens, and leave. Our passport is very safe all over the world. It allows [passport holders] to enter 171 countries visa-free,” Carignano said.

Having an Argentine child also speeds up the citizenship process for parents.

Currently, Russians can only travel to 87 countries visa-free.

Traveling to many Western countries has become more difficult for Russians since their country invaded Ukraine last February.

Last September, the EU-Russia visa facilitation agreement was suspended, resulting in the need to provide additional documentation, longer processing times, and more restrictive visa issuance rules.

Several countries also suspended issuing tourist visas to Russians, including all EU member states that border Russia.

“La Nacion” attributed the dramatic increase in entries of Russian citizens to the war in Ukraine, stating that “[Russian women] are not only fleeing the war and their country’s healthcare system but are also attracted by the visa-free entry to Argentina, the high-quality medicine and the diversity of hospitals.”