Giving birth in Brazil in 2026: how it works

Can a foreign woman give birth in Brazil?

Brazilian law does not forbid a foreign woman from giving birth in the country. But entry into the country and the purpose of the trip are assessed separately: border control by the Polícia Federal (PF, the Federal Police) decides case by case. What is known about this today is on the page What to know in 2026.

The public health system is called SUS (Sistema Único de Saúde, the unified health system). The Ministry of Health describes it as a system with universal, comprehensive access that costs the user nothing. Under the Brazilian Constitution, health is “a right of all and a duty of the state” (art. 196). Lei 8.080/1990, the Organic Health Law, names universal access to health services at all levels of care as a principle of SUS (art. 7, I).

The Ministry of Health’s rules on registering SUS users expressly cover foreigners who do not live in the country: for them the country of residence is recorded and, if possible, the address and contacts where the person is staying (Portaria de Consolidação GM/MS nº 1/2017, art. 272, § 2).

The migration law establishes for migrants who live in the country access to public health services “without discrimination by citizenship or migration status” (Lei 13.445/2017, art. 4, VIII). For short-term visitors (tourists), the terms of routine prenatal care and birth are set by the municipality and the facility, so they need to be checked in advance.

A caveat: access to care is not the same as a place in a particular maternity hospital. The order of care, referrals and admission rules are set by the facility. SUS is funded by budgets at every level (Constitution, art. 198); the private route remains an alternative.

SUS or a private clinic: how do they differ?

The choice depends on where you will live, how far along you are when you apply and what you are ready to pay. Below is the general picture. Facts about specific maternity hospitals and the dates they were checked are in the directory of Florianópolis maternity hospitals.

Two terms you will meet below: UBS is the basic health clinic (Unidade Básica de Saúde), and CPF is the individual taxpayer number (Cadastro de Pessoas Físicas).

Among the public maternity hospitals in Florianópolis are HU-UFSC and Maternidade Carmela Dutra, Santa Catarina’s first public maternity hospital (opened in 1955, according to the state Health Secretariat). There are also private maternity hospitals; their list and facts are in the directory. We do not compile rankings: the right option depends on your situation.

How to get into SUS: the clinic, the referral, your district

Prenatal care in SUS is usually provided at a UBS: the Ministry of Health’s manual calls it the pregnant woman’s preferred “door” into the health system (Cadernos de Atenção Básica no. 32, 2012). In Florianópolis these clinics are called Centro de Saúde.

Under Lei 11.634/2007, a pregnant woman cared for by SUS has the right to know in advance which maternity hospital she is linked to: the one where she will give birth, and the one where she will be referred if complications arise before the birth. The link is made when you register for prenatal care.

So in SUS the maternity hospital is determined not only by the family’s wishes but by referral and place of residence: the Ministry of Health builds SUS by levels of complexity and by territory. The university hospital HU-UFSC’s service charter records that its obstetric emergency unit admits by referral, by assigned territory, or by both at once (referenciamento e/ou territorialização), and that the districts were defined by the state Health Secretariat. Before choosing housing, it is worth finding out which maternity hospital your district belongs to.

Partner and doula: what the law says

A partner or other companion. The right to a companion in labor was established by Lei 11.108/2005: SUS services must allow one companion of the woman’s choice during contractions, birth and immediately after.

Lei 14.737/2023 rewrote this provision of the SUS law (art. 19-J of Lei 8.080/1990) and extended the right to public and private facilities: at consultations, examinations and procedures, a woman has the right to be accompanied by an adult companion of her own choosing. In the operating room and intensive care, where there are justified safety restrictions, only a companion who is a health professional is allowed.

A doula. In Santa Catarina, public and private maternity hospitals must admit a doula at the woman’s request, at no cost to the facility and without an employment relationship with it (Lei SC 16.869/2016, art. 1). The facility sets the admission procedure itself, but the law names the documents (art. 1, § 3): a letter of introduction, a photo ID, a description of methods and the woman’s signed consent. A doula does not replace a companion.

The federal law Lei 15.381/2026 of April 8, 2026 defined who a doula is and confirmed her presence in public and private maternity hospitals at the woman’s request (art. 6). Whether to have a doula remains the woman’s own choice (art. 5).

The law also limits a doula’s role. She does not use medical equipment, does not perform medical, physiotherapy or nursing procedures, does not give medication and does not interfere in the technical actions of medical staff (art. 4, parágrafo único). A doula’s presence does not replace the work of medical staff (art. 6, § 5).

Facilities’ rules differ. HU-UFSC, for example, asks a doula to register in advance: attend an open visit to the maternity ward, bring documents (including a copy of her doula course certificate) and sign a commitment. Reviewing the documents takes up to 15 working days (HU-UFSC’s rules of March 28, 2025). Settle the doula question well before your due date.

Katerina is a doula in Florianópolis: she supports a woman and interprets at appointments and in labor (services). More on a woman’s rights in labor and the doula’s role is in the article Birth rights and doulas in Brazil.

Who makes the decisions: the doctor, the birth plan, cesarean section

Medical decisions are made by the woman and the doctor. A doula helps the woman find information (Lei 15.381/2026, art. 4, I) and prepare questions for her doctor, but she does not replace the doctor. A written birth plan (plano de parto) helps you discuss your wishes with the team in advance. How far they can be taken into account depends on the facility and, in labor, on the condition of mother and baby.

Under the resolution of the Federal Council of Medicine (CFM 2.284/2020), in planned situations a woman has the right to choose a cesarean section if the benefits and risks of vaginal birth and of surgery have been explained to her in detail. The decision is recorded in written informed consent. At normal risk, such an operation on request is performed no earlier than 39 full weeks. A doctor may cite professional autonomy and refer the woman to another specialist.

Which documents you will need after the birth

1. Declaração de Nascido Vivo (DNV), the declaration of live birth. It is issued by the health professional who managed the pregnancy or the birth or who is looking after the newborn (Lei 12.662/2012, art. 3). It is needed to register the birth but does not replace the registration itself.
2. Birth registration at a cartório (the civil registry office, cartório de registro civil). By law the registration is made within 15 days of the birth; if the cartório is more than 30 km away, the period is extended to three months. The father or mother files the application, together or separately (Lei 6.015/1973, art. 50 and 52). The first registration and the first copy of the certificate (certidão de nascimento) carry no fee (Lei 9.534/1997).
3. The CPF and the child’s passport. The passport is issued by the PF. According to the PF page, it requires a CPF, including for a child, and the appointment is in person. Details and amounts: Newborn documents.
4. The apostille, confirmation of the authenticity of a Brazilian document for use abroad.

What the child gets and what the parents can do

A child born in Brazil becomes a Brazilian under the Constitution (art. 12, I, “a”), even if the parents are foreigners. The exception: the parents are in the country in the service of their own state. The certificate confirms the fact of birth; it does not “grant” citizenship.

It is different for the parents: citizenship does not pass to them automatically. They may apply for a residence permit as parents of a Brazilian child and later, if they meet the conditions of the law, for naturalization. The residence period for it is reduced from four years to one, but the state makes the decision. The steps, fees with dates and the risks of trips abroad are covered on the page Citizenship and residency.

Can you enter Brazil while pregnant?

Border control by the PF decides, case by case. In an article by RIA Novosti dated August 12, 2026, Brazil’s Federal Police replied that there is no special directive banning foreigners from entering because of pregnancy. Pregnancy alone is neither a ground for admission nor a ground for refusal, and decisions on denying entry are made individually. The timeline of publications, the rules and what remains unconfirmed are collected on the page What to know in 2026.

How much does it cost?

In SUS, birth is at no charge to the patient; in a private clinic the terms and price are set by the contract. Flights, housing, transport, translation of documents, the apostille and government fees for documents are paid separately. We publish figures only with a date and a link to an official page. Cost guidelines are collected on the page What giving birth in Brazil costs, and the fees for a child’s passport and the parents’ residence permit, with the dates checked, are on the page about citizenship and residency.

Who this path suits and who it doesn’t

It suits you if:

• you want to understand in advance how SUS and private clinics work, and you need support in Russian;
• you already live in or near Florianópolis: start with the page For Florianópolis residents;
• you are ready to take a facility’s rules and the doctors’ decisions into account.

It does not suit you if:

• you expect promises: citizenship for the parents, a timeline for documents or a place in a particular maternity hospital;
• you need someone to help hide the purpose of the trip at entry: we do not work that way;
• you need legal opinions or representation before government bodies: we are not a law firm;
• the pregnancy has complications: your treating doctor decides about flying and the place of birth.

What we don’t guarantee

• a place in a particular maternity hospital and its admission procedure: these are set by the facilities;
• admission to the country: the decision is made by PF border control in each case;
• the timing and result of processing documents, a residence permit and naturalization: these are decisions of government bodies;
• how the birth will go and which mode of delivery will be chosen: the doctor and the woman decide this on medical grounds;
• that the rules, fees and timelines will not change: the data are given as of October 3, 2026.

When you need a lawyer or a doctor

You need a lawyer (in Brazil, an advogado) if you have a complicated migration case: a refusal of entry or of an application, a criminal record, previous overstays. It is also worth consulting a lawyer about a contract with a private clinic or an agency, and about obligations to the country of your citizenship, with a lawyer in its law or the consulate.

See a doctor for any question about health, flying and prenatal care. With worrying symptoms, do not wait for a reply in a chat: call SAMU 192 (Brazil’s ambulance service: according to the Ministry of Health, the call costs the patient nothing and the service works around the clock) or go to the nearest hospital.

Frequently asked questions

Does a foreign woman have to pay for birth in SUS?

For the patient, care in SUS carries no charge; the principle of universality is set out in the Constitution (art. 196) and in Lei 8.080/1990 (art. 7, I). The order of care, referrals and admission rules for foreign women, especially those who come as tourists, are set by the facility; a place in a particular maternity hospital is not guaranteed.

Can I give birth with my husband?

Yes. A woman has the right to choose a companion: in SUS this was established by Lei 11.108/2005, and Lei 14.737/2023 extended the right to public and private facilities. In the operating room and intensive care, justified restrictions are possible.

Do I need a doula if a doctor is there?

A doctor is responsible for medical care, a doula for physical, informational and emotional support (Lei 15.381/2026, art. 2 and 4). Her presence does not replace the work of medical staff, and the choice remains the woman’s.

Will my child get Brazilian citizenship?

Under the Constitution, yes, unless the parents are in Brazil in the service of their own state. It follows from the fact of birth, not from the certificate. Details: Citizenship and residency.

Will the parents get citizenship?

Not automatically. The law provides a path: a residence permit, then naturalization with a shortened residence period. For this you need to apply, and government bodies make the decisions.

Will I be let into the country while pregnant?

According to the Federal Police’s reply in the RIA Novosti article of August 12, 2026, there is no special directive banning entry because of pregnancy, and decisions are made individually. No one has the right to promise admission. More: What to know in 2026.

If you would like to talk through your situation, you can write to Katerina.