Visa for Chile: conditions and required documents

• Home
• Expat Guide
• Immigration / Chile Visas
• Conditions and required documents

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.

DOWNLOAD TODAY

Chile has an open policy on immigration (especially from Western countries), so visas are pretty easy to obtain and affordable most of the time. However, some countries like Australia or the United Kingdom have a strong and expensive visa policy towards Chilean citizens. Therefore, Chile has the same approach to those countries. This leads to a higher cost for citizens of these countries.

There are many types of visas in Chile, so it can be difficult to know which one corresponds to your situation. To help you, we detail below all the types of visas as well as the requirements and documents to provide when you apply for a visa.

The different visas in Chile

Tourist visa

The tourist visa allows its holder to stay 90 days in Chile, with the possibility of renewal (up to 180 days). Chile has many reciprocal agreements, so nationals of many countries do not need to apply for a visa before visiting Chile as a tourist. For instance, this is the case for the United States, European, or South American countries. You simply have to go to the airport or the point of entry to Chile with your passport.

For more information, you can read our article on the tourist visa.

Temporary resident visa

There are several categories of temporary resident visas. We explain below the main ones. If you want details on all the categories, you can read this article listing all temporary resident visa types.

Student visa

As the name suggests, the student temporary resident visa allows to come and study in a Chilean institution. It also allows students to do an internship in a Chilean company, provided they have an internship agreement between the company and their university or school in their country of origin.

To obtain a student resident visa, you must meet the following conditions and provide the required documents:

• A photocopy of your passport
• A document (letter, registration, certificate) from the university or institute where you will study in Chile. This document must specify the studies carried out and their duration.
• A document proving that you have sufficient financial means to live in Chile. It can be a scholarship (at least US$550 per month) or a notarial certificate from your parents stipulating that one or both parents agree to provide for your needs during the stay.
• Your criminal record
• A health and repatriation insurance with international coverage.

"Subject to contract" visa

To obtain a work visa (subject to contract visa), you must meet the following conditions and provide the required documents:

• A photocopy of your passport
• Your criminal record
• A work contract of the Chilean company, drawn up and signed before a notary in Chile or at a consulate abroad.

The Chilean company will also be required to submit some documents to prove it is operating and is not a fake or new company created to apply for visas. This is due to the high level of fraud in the past years, where some people created empty companies to file visa applications.

If you want more information, read the article about the work visa in Chile.

Permanent resident visa

To obtain a permanent resident visa, you must meet the following conditions:

• You are an adult.
• You can prove that you have a sufficient recurring monthly income to live in Chile through a job or a pension.
• You have not been convicted in Chile or in your country of origin.
• Specific documents may be required based on the type of temporary visa you previously had.

You can read this article for more information on permanent residence in Chile.

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

DOWNLOAD TODAY