Nacionalidade por nascimento em território chileno (jus soli)

The single operative criterion is birth in Chilean territory. Jus soli is near-unconditional: the Constitution imposes NO condition on the parents' legal residence status, length of stay, or nationality — Chilean jus soli «imposes no condition on the parents' legal residence status, duration of stay, or nationality» beyond the two enumerated carve-outs. Those two carve-outs, both inside Art 10 Nº1 itself, are: «los hijos de extranjeros que se encuentren en Chile en servicio de su Gobierno» (children of foreigners in the service of their Government, i.e. accredited diplomats/officials) and «los hijos de extranjeros transeúntes» (children of transient foreigners). Beyond these two, birth on Chilean soil confers nationality regardless of parental migratory status — on the face of the text the children of settled irregular migrants fall within jus soli, not within an exception. No age, registration, residence, or declaration is required to HOLD nationality by birth; acquisition is instantaneous at birth. Critically, the Constitution supplies no definition of «extranjeros transeúntes», so the exact outer edge of eligibility is not resolved by the constitutional primary text (see ). Where a carve-out applies, the child is not excluded but deferred to the option right (route CL-BTH-02): «todos los que, sin embargo, podrán optar por la nacionalidad chilena».

Acquisition is automatic and requires no application, grant, or oath: nationality vests ipso iure (de pleno derecho) at the moment of birth in Chilean territory by force of Art 10 Nº1 itself. In practice the fact of Chilean birth is evidenced — not constituted — by inscription of the birth in the Servicio de Registro Civil e Identificación and issuance of a Chilean birth certificate; the cédula nacional de identidad and passport are downstream identity documents, not the source of the nationality. Because Art 10 Nº1 is self-executing, there is no administrative decision that 'grants' jus-soli nationality (contrast the carta de nacionalización, granted by presidential decree under DFL 5.142). A procedure arises only where one of the two carve-outs applies: the excepted child does not acquire nationality automatically but «podrán optar por la nacionalidad chilena» (may opt), and «La ley reglamentará los procedimientos de opción por la nacionalidad chilena» — the option mechanics (form, time-limit, competent authority) are delegated to statute/regulation and processed within the migration framework, not fixed in the Constitution. A dispute over whether a person is Chilean by birth is resolved through the Art 12 reclamación before the Corte Suprema (see cross_references).

Chilean nationality by birth in the national territory (jus soli) is conferred directly by the Constitution, with no implementing statute needed. Chapter II «Nacionalidad y Ciudadanía» opens with Art 10: «Artículo 10.- Son chilenos:», and its first numeral establishes jus soli as the primary rule — «1º.- Los nacidos en el territorio de Chile, con excepción de los hijos de extranjeros que se encuentren en Chile en servicio de su Gobierno, y de los hijos de extranjeros transeúntes, todos los que, sin embargo, podrán optar por la nacionalidad chilena;» (marginal note «CPR Art. 10° Nº 1 D.O. 24.10.1980»). Every person born on Chilean soil is Chilean by the sole fact of birth, subject only to two enumerated carve-outs (children of foreign-government agents; children of extranjeros transeúntes / transient foreigners), both of which retain a constitutional right to opt (podrán optar) — the boundary handled under route CL-BTH-02. The current text derives from the 1980 Constitution approved by DL 3.464 (8 Aug 1980), nationality chapter published D.O. 24.10.1980. Art 10 delegates only the option and carta procedures to statute — «La ley reglamentará los procedimientos de opción por la nacionalidad chilena; de otorgamiento, negativa y cancelación de las cartas de nacionalización...» — leaving the jus-soli rule itself self-executing (ope constitutionis). This is legal research, not legal advice; verify against SERMIG / Registro Civil before reliance.

The constitutional source is self-executing: no ministry 'grants' jus-soli nationality; Art 10 Nº1 operates by its own force (D.O. 24.10.1980). Institutionally: (1) the Servicio de Registro Civil e Identificación registers births in Chilean territory and issues the birth certificate, cédula nacional de identidad and passport that evidence the nationality — documentary, not constitutive. (2) The Servicio Nacional de Migraciones (SERMIG), created by Ley 21.325 (in force 2022-02-12), administers the migration framework within which the option procedure for excepted children (Art 10 Nº1 in fine) operates, the constitutional option procedure being delegated to statute. (3) The Corte Suprema is the constitutional authority for nationality disputes: under Art 12 a person deprived of or denied Chilean nationality by an administrative authority «podrá recurrir.. dentro del plazo de treinta días, ante la Corte Suprema, la que conocerá como jurado y en tribunal pleno». (4) Internationally, the Corte Interamericana de Derechos Humanos holds contentious jurisdiction over ACHR Art 20 claims for facts on/after 11.03.1990.