On February 12th, 2022, a new immigration law came into force in Chile. On May 14th, 2022, the categories of temporary visas were updated. The end of the year 2022 was a bit complicated with several minor adjustements in the visa applications rules, but the processes are now consolidated. We have updated all the pages of this section, to reflect the changes and do not expect major changes in the near future. Should you have doubts, we recommend you to book a consultation to review your situation more in depth.
Please note that, following the 2022 immigration law, you can NO LONGER 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 foreigner. This was not the case previously, and you may still find sites saying the contrary. Be careful as this could cause you trouble if you do not start in advance your visa application.
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. 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 be able 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 that are most often used by foreigners who relocate to Chile:
After a few years, you may want to apply to the permanent residency in Chile, and then to the 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 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…
- Chile immigration law: all the laws and policies that rule 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, the waiting time is around 18 months at the moment, and for citizenship, waiting time is around 2.5 years. This is due to the Covid crisis, high immigration rate in the last few years and re-organization of the immigration service following the 2022 immigration law.
We are currently (December 2022) seing a decrease in the processing time by the immigration service, so the waiting time will probably decrease slowly in the next months.
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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