Jus soli — birth in national territory

• A person born in the national territory of Panama acquires Panamanian nationality by birth (jus soli) UNCONDITIONALLY, irrespective of the parents' nationality or immigration status. Constitucion Art 9(1): 'Son panamenos por nacimiento: 1. Los nacidos en el territorio nacional.' The rule carries no residence, registration-timing, or parental-status precondition (unlike the descent numerals 9(2)/9(3), which require domicile/declaration). - Jus-soli nationality vests automatically at the moment of birth in national territory and is complete without any domicile, election, or timing precondition; birth registration in the Registro Civil is DECLARATORY (recognises a pre-existing nationality), not constitutive. This distinguishes birth-in-territory (Art 9(1)) from the descent routes (Art 9(2) natural-born parent + domicile; Art 9(3) naturalized parent + domicile + declaration within one year of majority). - There is NO immigration-status condition on Panamanian jus soli: birth in national territory confers nationality regardless of whether the parents are tourists, persons in transit, temporary residents, or undocumented migrants. Both the current Art 9(1) and the 1904 Art 6(1) key nationality to birth in territory 'cualquiera que sea la nacionalidad de sus padres'. - Because Art 9(1) jus soli is unconditional, a child born in Panamanian territory who would otherwise be stateless still acquires Panamanian nationality by birth. Panama's domestic jus-soli backstop operates above the international-law floor and prevents statelessness for territory births (subject only to civil-registry recognition). - Persons born in the former Panama Canal Zone (1904-1979) fall within Panamanian jus soli, because Panama retained titular/territorial sovereignty over the Zone while the United States exercised jurisdiction, not sovereignty. The 1904 Constitution keys nationality to birth 'en el territorio de Panama' (Art 6(1)) and Art 3 makes the Zone 'territorio de la Republica' subject only to treaty 'limitaciones jurisdiccionales' (not a cession); the 1903 Isthmian Canal Convention conveyed only 'exercise' of rights; the 1977 Torrijos-Carter treaty names Panama the 'territorial sovereign'. - Because Art 9(1) attaches nationality to the fact of birth in national territory without any parentage or parental-nationality requirement, foundlings and children of unknown or stateless parents born in Panama acquire Panamanian nationality by jus soli. The 1946 Constitution expressly enumerated foundlings among those Panamanian by birth, and the unconditional current text ('los nacidos en el territorio nacional') subsumes them.

• Panamanian jus-soli birthright is evidenced documentarily by the certificado de nacimiento (birth certificate) from the Registro Civil and the cedula de identidad personal issued by the Tribunal Electoral, which is generated from the civil-registry birth inscription. The birth certificate is the primary proof that the birth occurred in national territory.

• Births in Panama are registered with the Direccion Nacional del Registro Civil of the Tribunal Electoral (the constitutional civil-registry authority). The ordinary registration deadline is TWO YEARS from the date of birth; a later declaration is processed as 'inscripcion tardia de nacimiento' (Solicitud de Investigacion, minimum two sworn witnesses, documentary proof the birth occurred in Panama). Registration is gratuito (free).

Timeline: n/a. Document burden: standard. Required: none of residency/language/presence/renunciation.

Primary statute: Const Art 9(1). Operative 1904–present. Authority: Tribunal Electoral (Registro Civil) / Ministerio de Gobierno / Servicio Nacional de Migracion / Organo Ejecutivo.