Chile residence and citizenship
The lowest comparable cited investment amount on file for a residence route in Chile is $500,000, for the Investor temporary residence. Ordinary naturalisation in Chile needs 5 years of legal residence.
Checked — Sources last checked 10 November 2026 by the automated residence and citizenship review.
Residence routes in Chile
Investment, own-income, remote-work and permanent routes. Scroll across the table to see every column.
| Route | Kind | Minimum | Processing | To citizenship |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Investor temporary residence | Investor | $500,000 | — | 5 years |
| Pensioner temporary residence | Retirement or own income | — | — | 5 years |
| Definitive residence after temporary residence | Permanent residence | — | — | 5 years |
"Minimum" is a cited investment threshold in its stated currency. A USD figure appears only when a supported conversion is on file; "—" means no supported amount is on file, not that it is free. "To citizenship" counts the years of residence before a naturalisation application. A zero-year entry states no residence wait; citizenship still needs a separate decision.
Work, family, study and other routes (6)
| Route | Kind | Minimum | Processing | To citizenship |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Self-employed lawful activities | Residence permit | — | — | 5 years |
| Rentista passive-income residence | Residence permit | — | — | 5 years |
| Investor-related management or specialist staff | Work | — | — | 5 years |
| Employer-sponsored paid work | Work | — | — | 5 years |
| Family reunification temporary residence | Family | — | — | — |
| Mercosur reciprocity temporary residence | EU / EEA free movement | — | — | 5 years |
Each route's conditions and sources
Investor temporary residence
Foreign-company legal representatives and senior managers seeking a productive investment of at least USD 500,000 qualify. Other specialist staff are a distinct arm of the subcategory and need not invest personally. This amount is a business commitment, not a real-estate purchase. Temporary-residence fee varies by nationality and no general amount or decision bound is established. Ordinary citizenship may be sought after five qualifying residence years and definitive residence; eligibility follows the cited corporate role, without a nationality restriction.
Sources: Investors and related personnel (SERMIG), Definitive residence (SERMIG), Chilean naturalisation (SERMIG), Migration fees November 2026 (SERMIG)
Pensioner temporary residence
Foreign pensioner whose pension covers basic needs; the government sets no universal USD pension or investment floor on this page. Temporary-residence fee varies by nationality and no bounded decision period is published. Qualifying stay normally permits definitive residence after 24 months and citizenship application after five years.
Sources: Retired persons and rentistas (SERMIG), Definitive residence (SERMIG), Chilean naturalisation (SERMIG), Migration fees November 2026 (SERMIG)
Definitive residence after temporary residence
Normally requires 24 months of qualifying temporary residence; exceptional 12-month cases and longer absence-related periods exist. CLP 142,726 / 981.08 CLP per USD = USD 145.48 for a general adult applicant. Minors and some spouses are exempt but this is not a universal zero fee. No decision bound is established. The ordinary citizenship clock is five years from the qualifying temporary-residence stamp, not five additional years after definitive residence.
Sources: Definitive residence (SERMIG), Migration fees November 2026 (SERMIG), Chilean naturalisation (SERMIG)
Self-employed lawful activities
Foreign national carrying out lawful remunerated activity on own account outside the investor subcategory. The page does not set a universal investment minimum; business solvency requirements still apply. Nationality-dependent fee and processing time are unestablished. Qualifying residence can lead to definitive residence after normally 24 months and citizenship application after five total years.
Sources: Lawful paid activities (SERMIG), Definitive residence (SERMIG), Chilean naturalisation (SERMIG), Migration fees November 2026 (SERMIG)
Rentista passive-income residence
Foreign national with regular rental or financial-asset income sufficient for basic needs. Owning an asset alone is not a cited fixed investment threshold. Nationality-dependent fee and processing time remain unestablished. Qualifying residence normally leads to definitive residence after 24 months and citizenship application after five years.
Sources: Retired persons and rentistas (SERMIG), Definitive residence (SERMIG), Chilean naturalisation (SERMIG), Migration fees November 2026 (SERMIG)
Investor-related management or specialist staff
Foreign manager or specialist contracted by a Chilean company controlled at least 10% by a foreign investor qualifies under the investor-related subcategory. Nationality-dependent fee and decision bound are unestablished. Qualifying residence normally leads to definitive residence after 24 months and ordinary citizenship application after five total years.
Sources: Investor-related staff (SERMIG), Definitive residence (SERMIG), Chilean naturalisation (SERMIG), Migration fees November 2026 (SERMIG)
Employer-sponsored paid work
Foreign national with a Chilean employer or accepted formal offer. No capital investment is required. Fee varies by nationality; no one USD amount or bounded processing period is given. Qualifying temporary residence normally leads to definitive residence after 24 months and naturalisation eligibility after five years. Eligibility follows the work relationship, not passport nationality.
Sources: Lawful paid activities (SERMIG), Definitive residence (SERMIG), Chilean naturalisation (SERMIG), Migration fees November 2026 (SERMIG)
Family reunification temporary residence
Foreign spouse, parent or qualifying child of a Chilean citizen or definitive resident. Eligibility follows the documented family relationship, not nationality. Nationality-dependent fee, investment floor and decision bound are not established. Definitive residence normally follows 24 months, while a qualifying Chilean-family link can allow a two-year naturalisation application once definitive residence is held; no one clock applies to every family applicant.
Sources: Family reunification (SERMIG), Definitive residence (SERMIG), Chilean naturalisation (SERMIG), Migration fees November 2026 (SERMIG)
Mercosur reciprocity temporary residence
Only citizens of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay are listed. This is a residence application under reciprocity, not unrestricted entry for all South Americans. Fee varies by nationality and no general USD amount or decision bound is stated. Qualifying residence normally permits definitive residence after 24 months and citizenship application after five years.
Sources: Mercosur reciprocity residence (SERMIG), Definitive residence (SERMIG), Chilean naturalisation (SERMIG), Migration fees November 2026 (SERMIG), Latin American investment migration overview (Global Citizen Solutions, summary)
Citizenship in Chile
- Years of residence before naturalisation: 5 years
- Years before permanent residence: 2 years
- Dual citizenship allowed: Yes
- Residence and presence: Five years' residence from the qualifying temporary-residence stamp and current definitive residence; shorter two-year family-linked exception.
Ordinary naturalisation requires current definitive residence plus five years from the temporary-residence stamp that led to it. A two-year family-linked exception exists. The cited SERMIG materials do not establish a universal language exam or citizenship-by-investment programme. Chilean nationality may be voluntarily renounced; retention of another nationality depends on the other state's rules. Definitive residence normally takes 24 months, with statutory exceptions.
What is the cheapest residence visa in Chile?
The lowest comparable cited investment amount on file for a residence route in Chile is $500,000, for the Investor temporary residence. Routes for people living on their own income or working remotely (Pensioner temporary residence) ask for proof of income, not an investment.
How many years to citizenship in Chile?
Ordinary naturalisation in Chile needs 5 years of legal residence. Permanent residence is possible after 2 years. Five years' residence from the qualifying temporary-residence stamp and current definitive residence; shorter two-year family-linked exception.
Does Chile allow dual citizenship?
Yes. Chile lets a new citizen keep another nationality, subject to the other country's rules.
Tax and residence days
A residence permit and tax residence are different tests. See the Chile tax rates, count your days with the Chile day test and see what changed in the data, day by day.
Sources
The Chile profile cites 12 sources, 11 of them from a government or a statute. Data as of 2026-Q4.
- Temporary residence categories · SERMIG, official, read 10 November 2026
- Investors and related personnel · SERMIG, official, read 10 November 2026
- Investor-related staff · SERMIG, official, read 10 November 2026
- Lawful paid activities · SERMIG, official, read 10 November 2026
- Family reunification · SERMIG, official, read 10 November 2026
- Retired persons and rentistas · SERMIG, official, read 10 November 2026
- Mercosur reciprocity residence · SERMIG, official, read 10 November 2026
- Definitive residence · SERMIG, official, read 10 November 2026
- Chilean naturalisation · SERMIG, official, read 10 November 2026
- Chilean dual nationality evidence · SERMIG, official, read 10 November 2026
- Migration fees November 2026 · SERMIG, official, read 10 November 2026
- Latin American investment migration overview · Global Citizen Solutions, summary, read 10 November 2026
Rules, fees and minimums change, and many routes have conditions not shown here. Did you find an error? Tell us, with the source.
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