Russian women fly to Argentina to give birth: “Argentinian passport will open many doors” | Abroad

Russians do not need a visa to travel to Argentina. Moreover, the extension of the standard stay of 90 days in Argentina is easy to apply for, just like obtaining a residence permit.

“I found out I was pregnant shortly after the war in Ukraine started,” Russia’s Polina Cherepovitskaya tells The Guardian. “When we saw the borders around us start to close quickly, we knew we had to find a place that we could easily travel to. An Argentinian passport will open many doors for my child.”

Cherepovitskaya and her husband now plan to stay in the capital Buenos Aires and apply for Argentine citizenship for themselves – a process that will be simplified as they are now the parents of an Argentine daughter.

Even before the war, Russians could travel without a visa to only about 80 countries. And after Putin sent his troops to Ukraine, several European countries made it virtually impossible for Russians to gain entry.

One of the main advantages of an Argentine passport is that its holders can make short trips without a visa to 171 countries, including the European Union, the United Kingdom and Japan.

However, figures on the number of Russian women who travel to Argentina specifically to give birth are difficult to obtain. Georgy Polin, head of the consular section of the Russian embassy in Argentina, estimated that between 2,000 and 2,500 Russians would move to Argentina by 2022. “In 2023 years, that number could grow to 10,000,” said Polin.

There are even specialized agencies that guide the Russians in birth tourism. These previously focused mainly on the United States, the most popular destination among pregnant Russian women. But since the war that has become a lot more difficult, which has made Argentina a relatively attractive destination, says Eva Pekurova, who guides pregnant women with her company.

“Since March I’ve been hearing more and more Russian on the street, which is quite noticeable,” explains Maxim Mironov, who has lived in Buenos Aires since 2005. Mironov says the Latin American country not only attracts pregnant women, but also Russians with an IT profile or start-ups that have left the country in response to the war and deteriorating business climate in Russia.

According to Mironov, Argentina is “very tolerant” of Russians, and he currently sees “no signs” that local authorities are planning to introduce travel restrictions.