Brazil is a jus soli country (jus soli). Article 12 of the constitution recognises as a Brazilian by birth anyone born on the country’s soil, even if both parents are foreign nationals. There is one exception: children of foreign diplomats serving their country. The parents’ status — tourist, resident, visa-free — makes no difference. Where else this applies — in the article citizenship by birth: where birthright applies.
What the child receives
- Certidão de nascimento — birth certificate from the notarial office of civil records (cartório). It is issued within the first few days, and everything else follows from it.
- CPF — tax identification number. In Brazil it’s required for everything: banking, healthcare, school, online shopping. Newborns are typically assigned one immediately upon birth registration.
- Brazilian passport — issued by the Federal Police, usually within 2–4 weeks. With it, the child can enter approximately 170 countries without a visa, including the entire Schengen Area, the United Kingdom and Japan.
- Birthright citizenship (brasileiro nato) — for life. It cannot be revoked, and it unlocks positions closed to naturalised citizens — in Brazil this distinction is written into the constitution.
- Free public healthcare and schooling — the SUS system and state schools are open to the citizen without conditions.
The child does not lose Russian citizenship: Brazil does not require renouncing another citizenship, and at the Russian consulate the baby is registered at the same time. How to put together both sets of documents and in what order — see the article newborn’s documents abroad.
What this gives parents
This is where Brazil outperforms every other birthright citizenship country. The Migration Act (No. 13,445 of 2017) grants parents a Brazilian child the right to permanent residence through family reunification. The same right is granted to the baby’s underage siblings — the family isn’t split into ’citizen’ and ’everyone else.’
The next step is the path to a passport of your own. Standard naturalization in Brazil requires four years of residency, but for those who have a Brazilian-born child, the law reduces the period to one year. This is the shortest path to citizenship for parents, among all birth-trip destinations.
Citizenship for parents is not granted automatically — neither at the maternity hospital nor a year later. A year later, the right to apply, which requires proof of Portuguese proficiency confirmed by an exam and a clean criminal record. If you are being promised ’passports for the whole family right after delivery’ — that is not true.
What is usually left unsaid
- Language. Parental naturalization requires passing a Portuguese language exam. One year is the minimum period, not a guarantee: without language proficiency, the application is delayed.
- Military service. A Brazilian-born male is required to register for military service at age 18, even if he lives abroad. Not everyone serves, but registration is mandatory — without it, obtaining a passport becomes problematic.
- Entry and exit. A Brazilian citizen enters and exits Brazil on a Brazilian document. A child with two passports travels to Brazil on the Brazilian one.
- Russia. If the family lives in Russia, the child’s second citizenship must be reported to the Ministry of Internal Affairs — this is a legal obligation, and missing it carries a fine.
Brazil, Argentina, Mexico: what the family receives
| Question | 🇧🇷 Brazil | 🇦🇷 Argentina | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
|---|---|---|---|
| Citizenship for the child | Immediately, at birth | Immediately, at birth | Immediately, at birth |
| Status for parents | Permanent residence through family reunification, siblings included | Track via 2 years of legal residency (Decree 366/2025) | Residency through family ties |
| Citizenship for parents | After 1 year of residence as the parent of a Brazilian citizen | After 2 years of residence | Through naturalisation, usually from 2 years of permanent residence |
| Entering the country while pregnant | Visa-free for 90 days for RF and most CIS countries | Visa-free for 90 days | Residency status required |
| Child’s passport | ~170 countries | ~170 countries | ~160 countries |
Which passport ends up stronger and why the difference is smaller than it seems — covered in the article Argentine or Brazilian passport; a full comparison of the two countries — Brazil or Argentina: where to give birth.
How much it costs
The child’s documents themselves cost relatively little: the main expenses are the maternity hospital, accommodation and flights. At a public hospital under SUS birth for foreign nationals is free; a private clinic room costs around $2 400–3 150. Full trip budget for four months with housing and flights — $15 000–23 000 per family. Line-by-line breakdown, support packages and the amount in rubles at today’s exchange rate — on the page birth in Brazil: 2026 prices.
Benchmarks as of October 2026. Brazilian immigration rules are changing. Before submitting documents check the current requirements — during the consultation we verify them with our partners on the ground.