Birthright citizenship (jus soli) by country

For couples planning where to have a child, the question of whether birth in a given country produces an automatic citizenship for the child is unusually high-stakes. Most countries today base citizenship on parental ancestry (jus sanguinis) — birth on their soil to non-citizen parents grants no citizenship. A smaller group still operates unconditional birthright citizenship (jus soli). A third group has restricted previously generous jus soli rules over the past 30 years. This guide maps where each country sits today.

Unconditional jus soli — anyone born here gets citizenship

These countries grant citizenship to virtually every child born on their territory regardless of parental immigration status:

United States— under the Fourteenth Amendment. Children born to undocumented or visiting parents become US citizens automatically. Diplomats' children excluded. The rule has been politically contested but remains in force.
Canada — under the Citizenship Act. Children born in Canada are Canadian citizens regardless of parental status, with narrow diplomatic exceptions.
Mexico — children born in Mexico acquire Mexican nationality automatically.
Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Paraguay — all major South American countries operate unconditional jus soli.
Most of Central America and the Caribbean— including Costa Rica, Panama, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Cuba, Dominican Republic (with restrictions since 2010), Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados.
Pakistan, Tuvalu, Lesotho, Tanzania, Chad — retain unconditional jus soli.

Conditional jus soli — birth gets citizenship only if a parent meets a test

United Kingdom — birthright was restricted in 1983. Today a child born in the UK acquires British citizenship only if at least one parent is a British citizen, settled in the UK, or holds Indefinite Leave to Remain. Otherwise the child is born stateless or holds only the parental nationality.
Ireland — restricted in 2005 by referendum. Birth in Ireland alone no longer confers Irish citizenship; at least one parent must be an Irish or UK citizen, EU resident, or have lived in Ireland for 3 of the prior 4 years.
Australia — restricted in 1986. A child born in Australia acquires citizenship only if at least one parent is an Australian citizen or permanent resident, or if the child lives in Australia for the first 10 years of life (regardless of parental status).
New Zealand — restricted in 2006. Citizenship on birth requires a parent who is a citizen or holder of residence-class status.
South Africa — restricted in 1995. Birth alone insufficient; one parent must be South African or hold permanent residence.
Dominican Republic — restricted in 2010. Birth to undocumented parents specifically excluded from citizenship, with retroactive effect controversially extending back to 1929 for some Haitian-origin Dominicans.
India — restricted in 1987 and again in 2003. Birth in India confers citizenship only if both parents are Indian citizens, or one is Indian and the other is not an illegal migrant.
France— birth in France to non-citizen parents does not confer immediate citizenship, but the child becomes eligible by "double droit du sol" mechanisms or via Article 21-7 if they reside in France for 5 years between ages 11–18.
Germany — modernised in 2000. Children born in Germany acquire citizenship if at least one parent has legally resided in Germany for 8+ years and holds a permanent residence permit.
Spain — birth in Spain confers citizenship if at least one parent was also born in Spain (jus soli of the second generation), or if the child would otherwise be stateless. Children of foreign nationals born in Spain are generally not Spanish citizens by birth alone.

Strict jus sanguinis — birthplace is irrelevant

These countries grant citizenship purely by descent. Birth on their territory to non-citizen parents grants no citizenship at all:

Italy, Greece, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Austria;
All Nordic countries (Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Iceland);
All East Asian countries — Japan, South Korea, China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand;
All Gulf states — UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman;
Israel, Turkey, Iran;
Most Eastern European states — Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia, the Baltics.

The "birth tourism" reality

Three patterns drive most international "birth tourism" decisions in 2025:

US — gold standard for unconditional jus soli plus a top-tier passport. Long-standing maternity tourism industry to Florida, California, New York, and historically Saipan/Northern Marianas. Politically contested.
Canada — close US substitute with lower legal and political risk. Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal are the common destinations.
Mexico — fast, much cheaper, full dual-citizenship friendly. Mexican passport gives EU-area visa-free access (Schengen visa-free since 2024) and Mexican citizenship qualifies the parent for residency under family- reunification rules within ~2 years.
Argentina — uniquely generous: birth confers immediate citizenship, parents become eligible for citizenship themselves after only 2 years of legal residence (or sometimes immediately, depending on judicial interpretation).

Practical considerations

Your home country's rules also apply. The child may end up with two passports automatically — birthright (jus soli country) plus parental (jus sanguinis from origin country). For US citizens this is generally fine; for Indian, Chinese, Saudi, Singaporean, or Dutch parents, dual nationality rules of the home country may complicate the situation.
Reporting obligations. US citizens by birth have lifetime US tax-filing obligations (FBAR, foreign-account reporting, worldwide income) regardless of where they live. This is a material lifelong cost the parents may not have anticipated.
Conscription. Some birthright-citizenship countries impose mandatory military service on citizens regardless of where they live. Verify before assuming a passport is benefit-only.
Renunciation cost. If the child later wishes to renounce US citizenship, fees and tax obligations are substantial (US: $2,350 fee plus full tax compliance; in some cases an exit tax under §877A).

Closing thought

The international landscape has steadily narrowed over 30 years. The Anglo-Caribbean and Latin American jus soli regimes remain, but the European and Pacific Anglosphere countries that once operated unconditional birthright (Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, UK) have all restricted in living memory. The US is the major Anglosphere holdout — and the political durability of that position will continue to be tested.