Under the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness, for the purposes of determining the obligations under the convention, a birth on a ship or aircraft in international waters or airspace shall be treated as a birth in the country of the ship or aircraft's registration.
If a baby is born on a flight, the nationality is awarded, keeping in mind the airspace of the nation in which the flight was at the time of birth or the parents' nationality. If both these factors do not provide the solution, then citizenship is awarded after checking the nation where the plane is registered.
Today, people born in transit are generally considered citizens of the nation in which the vessel is registered.
Popular rumor claims that people born on airplanes get free flights for life. Any truth in that? Sadly, it seems to be something of a myth. Very few airlines are known to have granted a newborn free flights for life.
United States. U.S. law holds that natural persons born on foreign ships docked at U.S. ports or born within the limit of U.S. territorial waters are U.S. citizens.
In cases where the child is born in the territorial waters of a country, the child will have the nationality of that country. In both cases, the child also will inherit the nationality of their parents, especially in the case of countries that recognize the right of blood (jus sanguinis).
Even if a baby takes in only a few gulps of seawater, it could damage the child given its small size, Aftab said. And because the temperature of ocean water cannot be controlled, a baby could become hypothermic, leading to poor outcomes, Aftab said. And like other water births, an ocean birth could result in infection.
While it's certainly possible to give birth at Walt Disney World in extenuating circumstances, doing so won't get you or your child any special perks—except for maybe some extra attention from the Cast Members!
Lap infant fares on international flights
Most international flights allow children under 2 to fly as lap children, but with one big difference — it's usually not 100% free. Typically, if you're flying on a revenue ticket, you must pay the taxes and fees for your lap infant plus, in some cases, 10% of the fare.
Children under the age of 5 must always be accompanied by someone at least 12 years of age flying in the same cabin (18 years of age on some airlines); airlines do not allow kids under 5 to fly alone.
MIAMI -- An infant who weighed two pounds after being born prematurely three months ago on a cruise ship finally left the hospital Wednesday, officials said. The little boy, named Altaïr, was discharged from Nicklaus Children's Hospital to the delight of his parents.
Those born on that day don't always get to celebrate their actual birthday — since that date occurs only every four years. Someone born on Leap Day typically celebrates birthdays on Feb. 28 or March 1 but identification and important documents show a birthdate of Feb. 29.
You will still be a citizen of the same country as your parents. Not many people are born in Antarctica. But if a person is born in Antarctica, this does not mean that this person is stateless. Every baby has two parents.
A Word From Verywell
While it's OK for babies to fly on planes as soon as a few days after birth, experts recommend not bringing them on board until they're a couple of months old if possible. This way you can reduce the chance of them catching or developing a serious illness during travel.
In general, doctors recommend you wait to fly until your baby's immune system is better developed. This could be as soon as one month for full-term infants, though most doctors recommend anywhere between three months and six months.
For healthy pregnant women, occasional air travel is almost always safe. Most airlines allow pregnant women to fly domestically until about 36 weeks of pregnancy. Your ob-gyn or other health care professional can provide proof of your due date if you need it.
International travel
For international services, infants must have their own ticket. All infants booked online are booked without a seat and must travel either in the lap of the adult travelling with them or be placed in the bassinet if available when permitted during flight.
Babies and toddlers under 2 years old aren't legally required to occupy an airplane seat and can instead travel as a "lap infant" on their parent's ticket. Lap infants are generally free of charge, although you may pay a percentage of the full fare if you're traveling internationally.
Consider buying your baby a ticket
Children younger than 2 generally fly for free domestically because they can sit on caregivers' laps (although you may need documentation, such as a birth certificate, to prove the child's age).
Turns out this myth is totally busted. While Disney Parks may pay for an ambulance ride to the hospital, they certainly will not award your child with any special privileges.
July 4, 1979: The park welcomes its first-ever birth in Disneyland when Teresa Salcedo is born near Main Street U.S.A. to Rosa and Elias Salcedo of Los Angeles. Mickey Mouse later presents Teresa with “Disneyland Birth Certificate No.
Disneyland nurses had an unexpected event happen on July 4, 1979, when the first baby was born in the park—Teresa Salcedo weighed in at 6 lbs. 10 1/2 oz. The happy but surprised parents were Rosa and Elias Salcedo of Los Angeles.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends against water birth until there's more data. Other experts, though, say studies already show that water birth with a trained professional is no riskier than a traditional birth.
A water birth means at least part of your labor, delivery, or both happen while you're in a birth pool filled with warm water. It can take place in a hospital, a birthing center, or at home. A doctor, nurse-midwife, or midwife helps you through it. In the U.S., some birthing centers and hospitals offer water births.
If you want to go swimming, you'll need to wait until any discharge (lochia) has stopped and any stitches have healed. This is likely to be from about 6 weeks onwards.