Having a baby abroad: the expat guides

You are expecting in a country that is not yours, maybe in your second language, far from the people who would usually help. Here is how it works where you live, with every rule checked on the official page.

Updated October 13, 2026 · sources checked October 13, 2026

In short

Having a baby abroad comes down to four things: check how your health insurance covers pregnancy, know which leave rules apply to you, register the birth locally within the deadline (as short as 3 days in the Netherlands), then get your baby a passport from your home country and a residence permit where you live. Birth on local soil rarely gives local citizenship.

Start with your country

Every country handles pregnancy, leave and a newborn's papers differently, and the differences matter most when you are a foreigner: your visa, your contract and your baby's nationality change which rules apply. Each guide below follows the same order, from the positive test to your baby's first passport.

Having a baby in Dubai and the UAE: insurance-paid care, 60 days of private-sector maternity leave, the birth certificate and the 120-day window for your baby's visa.
Having a baby in Singapore: public or private hospitals, why your baby's citizenship decides your leave, LifeSG registration and the Dependant's Pass.
Having a baby in the Netherlands: the midwife-led system, home or hospital birth, kraamzorg, 16 weeks of leave and the 3-day birth registration.
Having a baby in Germany: the Mutterpass, finding a Hebamme, Mutterschutz, Elterngeld by residence title and the Standesamt.
Having a baby in Spain: public or private care, the matrona, 19 weeks of birth and childcare leave per parent, the Civil Registry and your baby's residence.
Having a baby in Switzerland: compulsory basic insurance with no deductible on maternity, 14 weeks of maternity allowance and your baby's insurance and permit.

The six countries side by side

All figures as of October 2026, read on the official pages listed below. Rules change: check your own case with the authority named in each country guide.

	Health cover for pregnancy	Maternity leave (employees)	Register the birth	Citizenship by birth on local soil
UAE	Through your health insurance (employer or sponsor); check maternity cover and waiting period	Private sector: 60 days (45 full pay, 15 half pay)	Within 30 days; passport, visa and Emirates ID within 120 days	No: Emirati nationality is not given to children of foreign parents
Singapore	Private insurance or self-pay for most foreigners; MediShield Life covers citizens and PRs	16 weeks if your baby is a citizen, 12 weeks under the Employment Act if not	On LifeSG within 42 days	Not from birth in Singapore alone
Netherlands	Basic health insurance, compulsory if you live or work there	At least 16 weeks, paid through UWV	At the municipality within 3 days	No
Germany	Statutory or private health insurance	6 weeks before and 8 weeks after the birth (Mutterschutz)	At the Standesamt within one week	Only if a parent has 5 years of lawful residence and an unlimited right of residence
Spain	Public system for legal residents, or private insurance	19 weeks per working parent	Hospital sends it within 72 hours; otherwise 10 days	Not in general
Switzerland	Basic insurance, compulsory within 3 months of arrival; no deductible on maternity services	14 weeks of maternity allowance at 80 % of earnings	Reported by the hospital; you complete it with the civil registry	No

The four things every expat parent has to sort out

1. Your health insurance and pregnancy

In the European countries in these guides, compulsory health insurance covers pregnancy care and the birth once you are insured. In the UAE and Singapore, most foreigners rely on private insurance, and what it pays for a pregnancy depends on the policy.

Two words to look for in your policy:

Maternity cover: whether prenatal visits, scans, the birth and complications are included, and up to what limit.
Waiting period: the time between the start of the policy and the first day a maternity claim is accepted. In Dubai, the Dubai Health Authority's rules allow a waiting period of up to 9 months for some groups, while emergencies remain covered.

If you are planning a move while pregnant, or a pregnancy just after a move, ask the insurer in writing whether your pregnancy is covered and from which date. The UAE maternity insurance guide and the Swiss pregnancy insurance guide explain what to ask.

2. Your leave and pay

Your rights at work depend on the law of the country where you work, and sometimes on your baby's nationality. Singapore is the clearest example: the government-paid 16 weeks apply when the child is a Singapore citizen, and other employees fall under the Employment Act's 12 weeks. In the UAE, the private sector, federal government and each emirate's government have different rules. Read the guide for your country before you tell your employer.

3. Registering the birth, twice

You always register your baby's birth in the country where the baby is born, within its deadline, and you receive a local birth certificate. That certificate is the document everything else is built on.

Then comes your home country. Each country decides whether consular registration is required. The UK, for example, states that you must register the birth according to the rules of the country of birth, that registering with the UK authorities as well is optional, and that you can apply for a UK passport without it. Other countries make consular registration the way your child's citizenship is recorded, sometimes within a time limit. Look up your embassy's "birth abroad" page during pregnancy, not after: some ask for documents you can only collect at the hospital or the registry.

Ask the local registry whether your embassy needs a legalised or apostilled copy, or a multilingual extract, so you request it in one visit.

4. Your baby's passport and residence permit

Your baby needs a passport from your home country and, in most cases, a residence permit where you live. The deadlines are real:

UAE: all your baby's documents, including the residence visa, within 120 days of birth.
Singapore: the Dependant's Pass application within 6 weeks, after the birth registration.
Netherlands: a residence permit from the IND for babies who are not EU, EEA or Swiss nationals.
Germany: a residence title under section 33 of the Residence Act, applied for within 6 months if it is not issued automatically.
Spain: an application in person within 6 months for children of non-EU residents.
Switzerland: the permit is handled by your canton's migration office; ask it as soon as the birth is registered.

A simple timeline

As soon as you know: read the maternity section of your health insurance and note any waiting period.
First trimester: find your midwife, gynaecologist or obstetrician, and book kraamzorg if you live in the Netherlands.
Second trimester: check your leave rights in writing and give your employer the notice your country requires.
Before week 30: open your embassy's "birth abroad" page and list the documents you will need.
Hospital bag: add both passports, residence cards, insurance card, marriage or recognition papers and copies.
First days: register the birth locally within the deadline.
First weeks: insure your baby, apply for the passport, then the residence permit.
Keep copies of every certificate, receipt and approval in one folder.

Our hospital bag checklist and birth plan guide work in every country; add the expat papers above.

When to call

When to call, wherever you are. The NHS lists the pregnancy symptoms that need help straight away: a change in your baby's movements, fluid leaking from your vagina, a high temperature (38C or above), vaginal bleeding, a severe headache, sudden vision problems, sudden swelling of your face, hands, legs or feet, sudden breathlessness, severe vomiting or pain that worries you. Call your midwife, doctor or maternity unit, day or night, and get help just as fast if low mood or anxiety is taking over your days. Save the local number in your phone today. Emergency numbers: UAE 998 (ambulance) or 999 (police); Singapore 995 (ambulance) or 999 (police); Netherlands, Germany, Spain and Switzerland 112, the European emergency number, also answered in Switzerland, where 144 is the ambulance.

Call your midwife, doctor or maternity unit straight away, day or night, if you notice any of the signs above. In an emergency:

United States 911
United Kingdom 999 (NHS 111 if it is not an emergency)
Canada 911
Australia 000
India 112 (108 for an ambulance)
European Union 112

Far from family: building your support

The hardest part of having a baby abroad is often not the paperwork but the loneliness. A few things help:

Ask your midwife or hospital about antenatal classes in English: they are where many expat parents meet the people they will call at 3 a.m.
Find the official mental health and parent helplines of your country, listed in each guide, and save them before the birth.
If family is flying in, check their visa rules early and plan their stay for the weeks after the birth, when help matters most.
Read about postpartum depression before the birth, so you and your partner recognise the signs early: help is available in every one of these countries.

For the partner

Partners carry much of the admin abroad: the birth registration, the passport appointment, the residence permit. Check your own leave right now (in the UAE private sector each parent gets 5 paid working days of parental leave; in Spain each working parent has 19 weeks), and put the deadlines from your country guide in your calendar.

The country guides

Having a baby in Dubai and the UAE as an expatInsurance and waiting periods, hospitals, maternity leave, the birth certificate and the 120-day visa window, emirate by emirate.Having a baby in Singapore as an expat: the whole journey, in orderInsurance, public or private care, 12 or 16 weeks of leave, birth registration and your baby's pass, in one place.Having a baby in the Netherlands as an expatMidwife-led care, home or hospital birth, kraamzorg, UWV leave, birth registration, BSN, IND permit and embassy steps.Having a baby in Germany as an expatInsurance, the Mutterpass, finding a Hebamme, Mutterschutz, Elterngeld by residence title, Kindergeld and your baby's papers.Having a baby in Spain as an expatHealth cover, matrona-led care, 19 weeks of leave per parent, birth registration, padrón and your baby's residence.Having a baby in Switzerland as an expatInsurance and maternity cover, prenatal care, leave and allowances, birth registration, permit and citizenship.

Questions parents ask

Does my baby get citizenship if born in Dubai, Singapore or Europe?

Usually not from the birth alone. The UAE does not give Emirati nationality to the children of foreign parents, a birth in Singapore does not by itself make your baby a Singapore citizen, the Netherlands does not grant citizenship for birth on its soil, Switzerland has no birthright citizenship, and Germany grants it only if a parent has lived there lawfully for 5 years with an unlimited right of residence. Your baby normally takes your nationality through your embassy.

Do I have to register my baby's birth with my own embassy?

You always register the birth locally first. Registering with your home country depends on its rules. The UK, for example, says registering with the UK authorities is optional and you can apply for a UK passport without it. Other countries require consular registration to pass on citizenship: check your embassy's page early.

Does expat health insurance cover pregnancy?

Only if the policy includes maternity cover, and many policies apply a waiting period before maternity claims are paid. In Dubai, for example, the Dubai Health Authority allows a waiting period of up to 9 months for some groups. Read the maternity section of your policy before or as soon as you get pregnant.

Which country gives the longest paid maternity leave for expats?

It depends on your contract and status. As of October 2026, Spain gives each working parent 19 weeks, the Netherlands at least 16 weeks, Switzerland 14 weeks of maternity allowance, Germany 6 weeks before and 8 after the birth, and the UAE private sector 60 days. In Singapore it is 12 or 16 weeks depending on your baby's citizenship.

Sources

u.ae — Having a baby (birth certificate within 30 days, documents within 120 days) checked October 13, 2026
u.ae — Types of leaves in the private sector checked October 13, 2026
MOM Singapore — Maternity leave eligibility and entitlement checked October 13, 2026
MOM Singapore — Getting a Dependant's Pass for a newborn checked October 13, 2026
ICA Singapore — Register birth and download digital birth certificate checked October 13, 2026
Government.nl — Rules for registering a birth checked October 13, 2026
UWV — Maternity pay if you have an employment contract checked October 13, 2026
IND — Dutch citizen by birth, acknowledgment or adoption checked October 13, 2026
Mutterschutzgesetz, section 3 — Protection periods before and after the birth checked October 13, 2026
Personenstandsgesetz, section 18 — Reporting a birth within one week checked October 13, 2026
Staatsangehörigkeitsgesetz, section 4 — German citizenship by birth checked October 13, 2026
Seguridad Social — Nacimiento y cuidado de menor checked October 13, 2026
BOE — Ley 20/2011 del Registro Civil (articles 44 to 47) checked October 13, 2026
AHV/IV Information Centre — Maternity allowance checked October 13, 2026
Fedlex — Federal Health Insurance Act (KVG), articles 3 and 64 checked October 13, 2026
SEM — How do I become a Swiss citizen? checked October 13, 2026
GOV.UK — Register a birth abroad checked October 13, 2026
NHS — Pregnancy symptoms you need to get help for checked October 13, 2026
u.ae — Handling emergencies (998 ambulance, 999 police) checked October 13, 2026
SCDF — Contact information (995 emergency ambulance) checked October 13, 2026
OFCOM Switzerland — Emergency and other numbers (112, 144) checked October 13, 2026
European Commission — 112, the EU's emergency phone number checked October 13, 2026

Mamavela explains; it does not replace your midwife, doctor or pediatrician, who know your situation. If something worries you, call them. In an emergency, call 911 (US), 999 (UK) or 112.