On February 12th, 2022, a new immigration law came into force in Chile. We have updated all the pages of this section following this new law, to reflect the changes. Some points are still pending for a decision by the immigration service. In that case, the corresponding page will display a warning similar to this one. Should you have doubts, we recommend you to book a consultation to review your situation more in depth.
Please note that at the moment, you can NOT come in Chile as a tourist and apply for a visa after arriving, unless you are applying for a visa thanks to a family link with a Chilean / permanent resident. This might change in the future, but this is the current situation. This was not the case before, and you may still find sites saying the contrary. Be careful as this could cause you trouble if you do not plan in advance.
Are you planning to relocate soon to Chile? Do you need help to understand what the best visa for you? What are the steps to get a visa in Chile?
We have summarized in this section the most useful information for you to complete this process on your own.
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 visas in Chile, to be able to choose which one is best for you.
- The immigration requirements to obtain your visa in Chile.
Furthermore, we wrote two detailed articles about the work visa for Chile and the permanent residency in Chile.
If you want to come to invest or retire in Chile, we have done two specific articles:
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 in the list of countries requiring a tourist visa or not.
Finally, you should read all the Frequently Asked Questions about visas in Chile, as they answer a lots of issues foreigners usually face for their temporary and permanent residency in Chile.
A few other useful 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 inmigration service, for a tourist visa, a temporary visa, a permanent residency…
- Dual citizenship in Chile: is it possible to get a dual citizenship?
- Chile immigration law: all the laws and policies that rules the 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 the Chilean immigration service has significantly increased. You need to plan at least 6-8 months in advance. Furthermore, you are no longer allowed to apply for a resident visa in Chile after arriving as a tourist, unless you meet specific criteria, such as direct family link with a Chilean citizen or a permanent resident (parent, child, partner).
For permanent residency, waiting time is around 18-24 months at the moment, and for citizenship, waiting time is around 2.5 to 3 years.
Need some help to immigrate in 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 notably need to know your nationality, who is the visa for, if you relocate with family or alone, if you have recurring income…
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