Chile visas: information for foreigners moving to Chile

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Moving to Chile soon? Read this...

Since 2016, expat.cl has been maintaining this free online guide about Chile for foreigners, which takes a lot of time. Unfortunately, search engines now use this content to provide AI-generated answers. Therefore, our most up-to-date content is now only available in the Chile Handbook for Foreigners. Articles on this guide will still be updated, but less frequently.

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Are you planning to relocate soon to Chile? Do you need help understanding what the best visa is for you? What are the steps to get a visa in Chile?

We have summarized in this section the most helpful information for you to complete this process on your own. We also offer a visa support service in Chile if you need assistance.

Foreigners in Chile? Start your immigration journey here.

If you plan to immigrate to Chile, the three first articles to read are:

• Our guide about the process to obtain a visa in Chile.
• The types of temporary visas in Chile, to choose which one is best for you.
• The immigration requirements to obtain your visa in Chile.

Furthermore, we wrote detailed articles about the types of visas most often used by foreigners who relocate to Chile:

• the work visa for Chile,
• the investor visa in Chile,
• the retirement visa in Chile.

After a few years, you can apply for permanent residency in Chile and then for Chilean citizenship.

If you come as a tourist, you will most of the time not need to apply for a visa in advance, but check our tourist visa page to see if your country is on the list of countries requiring a tourist visa.

Finally, we advise you to read all the Frequently Asked Questions about visas in Chile, as they answer a lot of issues foreigners usually face for their temporary and permanent residency in Chile.

A few other valuable articles about immigration in Chile

• RUT and RUN: two ID numbers you need to know if you plan to migrate to Chile
• Costs of visas in Chile: the visa fee to pay to the Chilean immigration service for a tourist visa, a temporary visa, or a permanent residency.
• Chile immigration law: all the laws and policies that rule immigration in Chile

Visa processing time: How long does it take to get a visa in Chile?

Please note that due to the number of immigrants willing to relocate to Chile, the visa processing time of the Chilean immigration service has significantly increased. Therefore, you must plan at least 6-8 months in advance. Furthermore, you can only apply for a resident visa in Chile after arriving as a tourist if you meet specific criteria, such as a direct family link with a Chilean citizen or a permanent resident (parent, child, partner).

For permanent residency, the waiting time is approximately 18 months, and for citizenship, the waiting time is about 2.5 years. This is due to the backlog of the Covid crisis (yes, still in 2024...), the high immigration rate in the last few years, and the re-organization of the immigration service following the 2022 immigration law.

Need some help to immigrate to Chile?

If you want a specialist to take care of your Chilean visa process, we are happy to help. Please send us a detailed explanation of your situation using this form. Try to include as much detail as possible. We need to know your nationality, if you are relocating with family or alone, and if you have recurring income.

Do you want to go more in detail?

I wrote the Chile Handbook for Foreigners for anyone and everyone looking to move permanently and enjoy life in Chile. It's a 265-page book that goes over all aspects of relocating to Chile. Here is what you get:
✅ Practical tips based on 7-year relocation experience
✅ To-do lists to help you start
✅ Last updated in 2024

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