Last night (March 16, 2020), the Immigration Department in Chile (“Departamento de Extranjería y Migración”) announced through its official Twitter account the adoption of new measures due to phase 4 of the Coronavirus in Chile:

As of Tuesday, March 17, and for a period of at least 14 days, digital attention will be prioritized at the Immigration Department offices throughout the country.

Those who needed to present their Payment Vouchers (“Vale Vistas”) or to apply for a visa in person at Provincial Governments (“Gobernaciones Provinciales”), may send their applications from Tuesday 17 through certified mail to the “Oficina de Partes” of the Immigration Department or to the corresponding Provincial Government.

Measures announced

From March 23, 2020, the following measures will be taken:

1) Calculation and payment of fines now completely online*: It will prevent users from making payments at banks and Immigration Department offices. Initially, the procedure is considered for the Metropolitan Region only, and will be expanded, gradually, to the rest of the country.

* The calculation was already available online, but now the payment of the fines will be made online as well (and not in person at the bank).

2) E-Visa: The visa stamping process is the main process that foreigners have to carry out in person. From March 23, 2020, foreigners will be able to download an E-Visa from the Immigration Department’s website (once it has been approved, of course).

The stamp will be valid for 6 months and will be valid for the subsequent processes in PDI (registration) and Civil Registry and Identification Service (applying for ID Card).

After those 6 months, the migrants will have to stamp their visas on their passports in order for them to be valid for a potential application for Permanent Residency in Chile.

3) New digital processes available in Provincial Governments (“Gobernaciones Provinciales”): From March 23, 2020, the following processes will be available online for the entire country and not only for the Metropolitan Region:

  • Tourism extension (“Ampliación y Prórroga de Turismo”); AND,
  • Work permit for foreigners under a Tourist Visa (“Permiso de Trabajo como Turista”); AND,
  • Work permit for foreigners processing their residence visas (“Permiso de trabajo con visa en trámite”).

Featured image: Departamento de Extranjería y Migración de Chile.