Visa for Chile
How can I get a Chilean visa?
Bureaucracy knows no borders, and Chile has learned a lot from the first world in this respect. In the following we answer the most important questions about visas for Chile. Our team of experts will be happy to advise and assist you with your application.
First of all: In February 2022, the new Foreigners Act came into force, so the procedure for visas has changed completely. (Attention, there is still a lot of information circulating on the net from before the law changed).
Visa applications can now only be submitted before entering Chile, not (as before) in Chile itself.
- The application runs exclusively online via the platform of the migration authority.
- The Chilean consulates abroad are no longer involved with the process and can only certify individual documents (e.g. the signature on an employment contract).
- With regard to processing times, you should expect at least 3-6 months.
What type of visas are there?
In principle, the new law distinguishes three types of visas:
- Transient stay - Permanencia Transitoria: mainly tourists, artists, etc. Citizen from most English-speaking countries may enter Chile without a special permit, just with their passports.
- Temporary residence - Residencia temporal: students, employees, self-employed, pensioners, investors and a number of other subcategories
- Permanent Residence - Residencia definitiva: Permanent visa for foreigners who have lived in Chile for at least two years on a temporary residence visa.
Which visa is the most suitable for my purposes?
That depends on what you intend to do in Chile. If you already have an employment contract in prospect, you should apply for the visa for paid activities (desarrollo de actividades lícitas remuneradas). It is valid for the duration of the contract or a maximum of 2 years and is comparatively easy to obtain.
The types of temporary residence visa are:
- family reunion
- paid activity
- study
- seasonal work
- pregnant woman
- international agreements
- church employees
- medical treatment
- pensioners or retirees
- investors
- businessmen
How do I apply for a visa for Chile?
The visa can only be applied for in advance and only online via the platform of the Migration Service.
In principle, you may enter Chile as a tourist during an ongoing visa application. If the visa is then granted, you must first leave and re-enter with the visa.
Our service
We support you during the entire visa process. Our service includes general consultation, review and official translation of documents, submitting the application, monitoring of the procedure and helping with the necessary administrative procedures in Chile after the visa has been issued.
Please note that we advise you to the best of our knowledge and belief but cannot guarantee that the visa will be granted. This is an exclusive competence of the Chilean authorities.
Interested? Please use the quick inquiry on the right to contact us!
