Top 10 Birth Tourism Countries For Nigerians

You will understand why a to-be mother will move to a foreign country for safe delivery at the end of this blog. No woman should be allowed to die because they want to give life. Then again, after safe delivery, their bundle of joy deserves the best heritage. This is why in this blog, we’ll be looking at the best birth tourism countries.

Visiting other countries on a Nigerian passport from a country like Canada is an entirely different ballgame from wielding same Nigerian passport at consulates, demanding to travel out of Nigeria. Same visa application but different privileges.

I’d rather more well-off parents prioritise picking the best country for childbirth, especially with our country’s bad reputation for children going places.

Be careful though, as some countries – including the U.S.A. – are ending the policy of granting citizenship based on birthplace also known as “jus soli”. Wait, isn’t that why we’re here? Get the most up-to-date information about the best birth tourism countries for Nigerians below.

1. Belize is one of the best birth tourism countries

A perfect second passport to gift a newborn, a country with a low volume of tourist ideal for post-lockdown travels. Ever dreamed of pregnancy shoots backlit by sunset over the Caribbean Sea, hitting unspoiled wellness spas or indulging in some twilight dinings… hold on, wasn’t birth tourism supposed to be puzzling? That’s how easy it gets in Belize.

Nigerians can keep renewing their 30-day visa until they’ve lived there for 50 weeks. That’s enough time to adjust to a warm culture spiced with infinite cuisines, beach bumming as much as possible. Getting a birth certificate could be tiresome, and it comes with price tags. But then, how much does a legacy in an English-speaking country at the forefront of lowering carbon footprint cost? Visiting several countries such as the U.K., Brazil, Ireland, Singapore, and the Philippines is straightforward with the Belizean passport.

2. Brazil means high-quality healthcare

Giving birth in Brazil can be beneficial for Nigerians looking to bypass a dismal level of child well-being. The child receives exceptional privileges, including visa-free entrance to first world countries and rapid naturalisation option for the parents. A diverse society with an impressive number of Yoruba-speaking residents in the Bahia (Bay of All Saints), this is consequently empowering a child to interact with a vibrant set of culture. 

A letter of invitation is required if applying for Brazil tourist, visit or business visa in Nigeria. See the other requirements here. A country of so much life and colour, great sights, waterfronts and beaches, it’s necessary to arrive with enough time to settle in (possibly after the second trimester).

3. Chile gives birthright citizenship

Chile is one of the best places to secure birthright citizenship for our children. Their tourist and business visa processing in Nigeria could be tedious but worth it. It’s, as a matter of fact, the only citizenship on this list – after Canada – that allows visa-free visits to the U.S. Chile isn’t the U.K. or U.S., yet offers a comprehensive social safety net to her citizens.

They currently do not run an embassy in Nigeria. Chile visa applications can be completed at their neighbouring countries embassies. An all-inclusive society without the dreaded citizenship-based taxations. Chile has the most reassuring tourism slogan I’ve ever heard: “All are welcome”.

4. Argentina – More than the standard heritage citizenship

Forget North America or the “almost tyrannical” Europe, Argentina is remarkably safe for Nigerians to give birth. Before I make a big fuss over its quality medical care, holders of Argentina passport enjoy visa-free travel to an exceptional (110 countries) number of countries. Talk of places in Central and South America and nearly the whole of Europe via their borderless Schengen pact.

The Latin American country has overcome conventional barriers to innovation, thriving in areas such as digital government transformation. It was such a shocking realisation learning childbirth in Argentina is much cheaper than any country in the West. It’s an immigrant nation. A tourist or business visa allows a 90-day stay, with room for a further extension with valid reasons.

5. St Kitts and Nevis will suffice “las las”

Today in the life of a businessman keen on globalisation, St Kitts and Nevis citizenship is a “coveted” purchase. Thanks to the rapid application process (within 45 to 60 days) for its economic citizenship program.

How about being a tax-free nation? Or the fact the Kittitian and Nevisian Visa is not required for visiting Nigerians? Better still, its citizenship program, which permits visiting over 170 countries without a visa. It’s one of the safest countries for birth tourism. Receiving a passport comes at a price – fair enough.

6. Panama welcomes you and your money

Panama is a friendly and affordable country with excellent healthcare (provided there is no shortage of crisp wads for their private hospitals). From amazing tropical beaches, stylish bars, a famous canal (great works of 20th-century Latin American engineering), and English-speaking natives, tourism is one of the fledgeling sectors of its economy.

You get your money’s worth. So much so a $5,000 deposit in a Panamanian bank could get you permanent residency. It offers remarkably good passport notwithstanding, which lets you visit 114 countries visa-free.

7. Universal Healthcare System in Finland

Finland is one of the easiest Schengen countries that’ll give a visa. They’ve made significant advancement in digital healthcare and biotechnology in recent years, though there are taxes for those. A high-ranking nation in the happiness index table, don’t be surprised to find Finish citizens getting paid to have babies (thanks to low childbirth rate).

With a controlled capitalism framework, Finland has extensive social programs, advanced public education institutions and a public pension system that works.

8. Canadian birth tourism is “completely legal”

While Canada may assess for pregnancy as part of migration due diligence, it has nothing to do with the verdict on temporary residency. Just meet the requirements. Fit enough? Have sufficient funds? Want to loiter the country after the permitted period of temporary residency? Those are the essential requirements for getting a Canadian visa while pregnant.

Since the U.S. now frowns at birth tourism, Canada is the last first-world that’ll provide children with full citizenship. They’re entitled to Canadian post-secondary tuition rates (lower than what non-resident students pay) and can sponsor their parents to join them. Of course, the child gets to visit the United States without a visa, yet, it’s their low cost of childbirth (relatively), and high-quality facilities I find appealing. There’s a growing spate of campaigns, calling on the government to end this policy, a contentious practise often criticised for robbing taxpayers of resources.

9. Birth tourism in Mexico

Mexico also offers a pretty good passport (visa-free or visa on arrival access to 159 countries). It continues to deliver quality healthcare, recently starting the Journey-9 (J-9) initiative, which takes care of mothers and their family through pregnancy, childbirth, up to a year after delivery.

The tourist (the Forma Migratoria Multiple card) or business visa are required for Nigerians visiting Mexico. They are both appearance visas with a validity of 180 days after arrival. It cannot be extended or renewed, but the bearer can depart and return. A flamboyant society deeply rooted in the renowned Maya civilisation.

10. Barbados for birth tourism

Do you have your passport with you? Let’s sneak out to Barbados. Well, not so simple. With plenty of inclusive healthcare facilities throughout the country, choosing a city to give birth in shouldn’t be difficult. Nigerian passport holders don’t need a visa to visit, but you need to find housing, choose a hospital, plan your itinerary, give birth and land a birth certificate.

Being a former colony of the U.K., travelling on a Barbadian passport gives you unique access to the European giants. Your child can apply for the U.K. passport if he/she is of a British bloodline. Barbados citizenship also allows your child to visit 129 other countries visa-free.

Opting for childbirth in a foreign country is not an easy decision. On the other hand, it’s one that comes with lots of benefits. Providing newborns with a second passport as an outcome of his/her birthplace is one of its primary motivations. 

Your unrecoverable dreams of second citizenship may be a spent force in a long list of ambitions. How about your unborn children? They can have it best.