Yulia and Dmitri (whose names have been changed for reasons of safety) flew from Russia to Brazil this summer so that their child could be born there.
uncertain
child → change → Brazil
"Of course, we didn't say that I was pregnant at border control," Yulia told DW.
asserted
Yulia → say → DW
Her daughter was born at a private clinic in Santos, a city in southern Brazil.
asserted
daughter → bear → Brazil
Anybody born in the country has an automatic right to Brazilian nationality.
asserted
Anybody → bear → nationality
The family is currently preparing all the paperwork.
asserted
family → prepare → paperwork
"We've achieved our minimum goal," said Dmitri.
asserted
Dmitri → achieve → goal
"With a Brazilian passport, our daughter will be able to travel without a visa to almost any country in the world.
asserted
daughter → travel → world
She won't have to apply for an expensive and time-consuming Schengen visa.
asserted
She → have → visa
We want her to be able to decide for herself where she studies, works or lives."
asserted
she → want → herself
He said that a colleague of his had traveled to Brazil in early August with his pregnant wife for the same reasons.
asserted
colleague → say → reasons
Yulia and Dmitri said that they had spent the equivalent of about €10,000 (about $11,500) during the first six weeks of their stay in Brazil, which included the costs for several days of treatment for their daughter in intensive care.
asserted
which → say → care
Dmitri quit his job at a bank for the trip and hopes to find work again after the family returns to their home in the Russian capital Moscow.
asserted
family → quit → capital
However, they are only planning to return once all the documents for their daughter are ready and that could take months.
uncertain
that → plan → months
Other Russian families have decided to stay in Brazil permanently.
asserted
families → decide → Brazil
According to organizations and lawyers that provide support to Russians in Brazil, there has been an increase in immigration from Russia, particularly since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, after which visa requirements for Russian nationals entering certain countries were tightened.
uncertain
requirements → accord → countries
Argentina tightens visa regulations
asserted
Argentina → tighten → regulations
Birth tourism to Brazil has also increased since Argentina, which used to be one of the main destinations for people wanting their children to be born in a country that automatically grants citizenship to newborns, tightened its regulations.
asserted
that → increase → regulations
People who want their children to obtain Argentinian citizenship now have to have resided in Argentina for at least two years.
asserted
children → want → years
Since 2025, the access of people who do not have a permanent residence permit to free healthcare has also been restricted.
asserted
who → have → healthcare
According to the Russian news outlet RBC, more than 7,000 Russians applied for a residence permit in Argentina in 2023.
uncertain
Russians → accord → 2023
By mid-2025, the number had decreased to about 1,800.
asserted
number → decrease → 1,800
Meanwhile, almost 500 Brazilian passports were issued to Russians in 2024 and more than 600 the following year.
asserted
passports → issue → 2024
The parents of a child born in Brazil can apply for a residence permit, which they can obtain within a year, under certain circumstances.
asserted
they → bear → circumstances
Yana (name changed) and her husband chose to do this in 2023.
asserted
name → change → 2023
"The events of 2022 certainly played a role, but we had already toyed with the idea of giving birth abroad," Yana told DW.
asserted
Yana → play → DW
"A lot can happen in Russia.
asserted
lot → happen → Russia
I always wanted a second passport and to give birth to my child in another country.
asserted
I → want → country
When I became pregnant unexpectedly, all we had to do was decide which country made sense.
asserted
country → become → sense
Yana gave birth to a boy at a public hospital in Florianopolis, the capital of the southern state of Santa Catarina, and the family stayed in Brazil for about three years.
asserted
family → give → years
"It was important to get passports for us and our child.
asserted
It → get → us
I really enjoyed living there, and I learned Portuguese," Yana said, adding that she and her husband have lived as "digital nomads" in various countries over the years.
asserted
she → enjoy → years
Even though they no longer live in Brazil, they want their son to have a connection to his birth country: "We read Portuguese books and talk a lot about Brazil.
asserted
We → live → Brazil
I want him to be able to travel without a visa and remain open to the world."
asserted
him → want → world
One of the largest Russian communities in Brazil lives in Florianopolis, and it's growing.
asserted
it → live → Florianopolis
According to the local health authorities, 119 Russian women took advantage of prenatal consultations in the first six months of this year.
uncertain
women → accord → year
A lawyer who preferred to remain anonymous told DW that Brazil neither expressly prohibited nor permitted foreign nationals to enter the country for the purpose of giving birth.
asserted
Brazil → prefer → birth
Often pregnant women do not disclose their reason for traveling to Brazil at border control.
asserted
women → disclose → control
And once they are in the country they have access to free public hospitals and medical facilities regardless of their immigration status.
asserted
they → have → status
As Russian birth tourism to Brazil increases, a whole industry has emerged.
asserted
industry → increase → Brazil
Often, recent Russian immigrants to Brazil act as intermediaries and help others find housing or medical care.
asserted
others → act → housing
…and 15 more, not listed.
The Aporia
