Even local residents are surprised to ask this question to foreigners in Chile: “Why Chile? It’s so far from anywhere!” But the respected residents of their country are not fully aware of what they have simply because they were born on the territory of the Chilean Republic. We will try to convince you that those who choose to give birth in Chile are not crazy people, but rational and logical people.
ADVANTAGES OF GIVING BIRTH IN CHILE
1. For sure, the main reason is the Chilean passport. Chilean citizenship gives the right to visa-free entry into the most developed countries of the world such as: Great Britain, the USA, Canada, New Zealand, Japan. There are 160 countries in total. There is an accelerated procedure for obtaining citizenship in Spain, many benefits and quotas for admission to higher educational institutions in Spain for children born in Chile. At the same time, a person born in Chile is not burdened with the need to pay taxes to this country for the rest of his days (as is the case with the USA).
2. Long-term visa-free visit to the country for foreigners. You can live in Chile without a visa for 90 days and then extend your stay for another 90 days. This is such a common reason why people choose Chile instead of the USA! Just imagine the state of a pregnant mother (as a rule, future parents try to fly out at a decent time), who will have to worry about a possible refusal, collect documents and income certificates, undergo interviews with embassy employees who are not always friendly… Visa-free entry is clearly a solid argument for Chile.
3. European level medicine in private clinics is also a high pros for Chilean citizenship. Doctors in large clinics are highly educated expats or Chileans who have undergone training and internship in Europe or the USA. At the same time, prices for services are lower than in North America. If you add to this the lower cost of renting housing, you get a significant difference. It is noteworthy that in Chile childbirth among foreign women has not yet been introduced and each woman in labor is treated with respect to her individuality, requests and personal needs.
4. Comfortable climate and excellent food are also valuable. Chile is a country with no extreme temperatures. The climate is mild and Mediterranean. Moreover, here you will find the healing ocean air on the coast that encourages walking and helps maintain the health of mother and baby. Chile is an ideal country in terms of freshness and quality of products. Avocados, olives, fresh seafood, organic fruits and vegetables, Andean quinoa and chia – everything you need to feed a pregnant woman.
5. Actually, the friendliness of Chileans towards foreigners is essential.The residents of Eastern Europe for any country in Latin America are “white people”. It seems a little strange (and sometimes even causes an awkward feeling), but people with light skin are considered more beautiful and respectable here by definition.
6. The last but not the least is the price! The cost of a package of services to support childbirth, renting an apartment, and food is approximately two times lower than what you will be offered in Miami, with a much more sensitive and individual approach.
The most importantly, the baby by right of birth in Chile receives a passport with which he will be able to visit 160 countries of the world without visas, including the USA, EU countries, Japan and the UK. In international rankings, the Chilean passport ranks 11th in the world, ahead of Hong Kong, Israel, Mexico, Argentina and many European countries. As for the prices for “birth tourism”, they are approximately two times lower than the cost of similar services in the USA.
CONS OF GIVING BIRTH IN CHILE
There are some downsides also. The official language in Chile is Spanish. If you do not know it, you will have to use an interpreter service. However, every year it becomes less and less difficult, since many foreigners live in Chile and there is a company that provides birth support.
To sum it up, we can conclude that, although Chile is not such a “promoted” destination for birth tourism as Bali or the USA, it makes sense for future parents to pay attention to this country!
