Do you want to apply for Permanent Residency in Chile? In this article we explain the requirements we need to comply in order to apply for Permanent Residency in Chile and when and how we must submit the application.

The length of the visa must comply with the duration required by law to apply for Permanent Residency

To apply for Permanent Residency in Chile, we must hold:

  • A work visa (visa sujeta a contrato) for 2 consecutive years; OR,
  • A student visa (visa de estudiante) for 2 years and finish our studies; OR,
  • A temporary visa (visa temporaria) for 1 year.

We cannot stay outside Chile for more than 180 days during the last year of our visa

We cannot stay outside Chile for more than 180 days during the last year of our visa.

i.e., If our visa was granted for one year on January 1, 2021, we cannot stay abroad for more than 180 days between January 1, 2021 and January 1, 2022.

Documentation

In order to apply for Permanent Residency in Chile we also have to present:

  • General documentation: All foreigners must present these documents, without distinction (holders and dependents).
  • Specific documentation (Family tie with a Chilean or with a foreigner with Permanent Residency / Economic activity and proof of income / Other specific groups): Foreigners must identify their current situation in Chile and upload the documents required in each case. All foreigners must declare how they sustain their stay (financially) in Chile and upload the documents to prove it.

General documentation

general documentation required permanent residency pede chile lostinchile immigration
Documents with (*) are mandatory

All foreigners (holders and dependents) must count with:

  • A valid e-mail address (mandatory); AND,
  • Police Clearance Certificate of the country of origin (mandatory) (Certificado de Antecedentes del país de origen): It must be apostilled or legalized and translated if written in a language other than Spanish or English. It cannot exceed 90 days from the date of issue; AND,
  • Copy of the Chilean Identity Card (mandatory) (“Cédula de identidad”): The identity card must be valid at the moment of the application. The copy must contain both faces. If we lost our ID Card, we must upload a copy of the “Constancia de Carabineros”; AND,
  • Copy of the visa stamped in our passport (mandatory) (Copia de visa estampada en pasaporte o título de residencia); AND,
  • Copy of the identification page of our passport (mandatory); AND,
  • Copy of the Residency Title (Título de Residencia) and stamped visas if we don’t have a valid passport.

Specific documentation

Besides the general documentation, we will have to gather specific documentation, depending on whether we have family ties with a chilean or permanent resident in Chile (Vínculos), if we hold a student visa, if we are on a temporary visa for religious, etc (Otras categorías). We will also have to upload the documents that prove how we have sustained ourselves economically in Chile (actividad, ingresos y/o sustento económico):

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Specific documentation

VÍNCULOS: Family tie with a Chilean or with a foreigner with Permanent Residency

If we have family ties with a chilean or permanent resident in Chile we will have to gather the following documentation:

ties documentation required permanent residency pede chile lostinchile immigration
Documents with (*) are mandatory

FAMILY TIE WITH A CHILEAN

If we are the spouse of a Chilean:

  • Marriage Certificate (mandatory): If the marriage was celebrated in Chile, we will have to present a “Certificado de Matrimonio” issued by the Civil Registry (Servicio de Registro Civil e Identificación). If the marriage was celebrated outside Chile, we will have to present a Marriage Certificate duly apostilled or legalized (and translated if written in a language other than Spanish and English); AND,
  • Birth certificate (mandatory): Must belong to the applicant’s Chilean spouse, issued by the Civil Registry (Servicio de Registro Civil e Identificación) (original).

If we are the “Conviviente civil” of a Chilean (Unión Civil):

  • Civil Union Agreement Certificate (mandatory): Issued by the Civil Registry (Registro Civil) or a document accrediting the condition (duly legalized or apostilled and translated if written on a language other than Spanish or English).

If we are the son or daughter of a Chilean:

  • Birth certificate (mandatory): Must belong to applicant and contain the parents details.

If we are the father or mother of a Chilean:

  • Birth certificate (mandatory): Must belong to the Chilean son or daughter.

FAMILY TIE WITH A FOREIGNER WITH PERMANENT RESIDENCY IN CHILE

If we are the spouse of a foreigner with Permanent Residency in Chile:

  • Marriage Certificate (mandatory).

If we are the “Conviviente civil” (Unión Civil) of a foreigner with Permanent Residency in Chile:

  • Civil Union Agreement Certificate (Acuerdo de Unión Civil).

If we are the son or daughter of a foreigner with Permanent Residency in Chile:

  • Birth Certificate (mandatory): duly apostilled or legalized (and translated if written in a language other than Spanish or English).

If we are the father or mother of a foreigner with Permanent Residency in Chile:

  • Birth Certificate from the holder (mandatory): duly apostilled or legalized (and translated if written in a language other than Spanish or English).

Economic activity and proof of income (Actividad que realizas ,ingresos y/o sustento económico)

We will also have to gather the documents that prove how we have sustained ourselves economically in Chile.

economic activity proof of income permanent residency immigration permanencia definitiva ingresos chile extranjeria lostinchile
Documents with (*) are mandatory

Employment contract (“Contrato de trabajo”)

  • Copy of the current contract signed before a Notary Public (mandatory); AND,
  • Certificate of Validity of the Contract (“Certificado de vigencia del Contrato”), signed before a Notary Public (mandatory); AND,
  • Historical Certificate of AFP payments (“Certificado histórico de cotizaciones de AFP”) (mandatory) – issued by pension institution (AFP); AND,
  • Historical Certificate of Health Contributions (“Certificado histótico de cotizaciones de Salud”) (mandatory): issued by a health insurance institution (FONASA or Isapre).

Self-employed (“Honorario – Trabajador por cuenta propia”)

  • “Inicio de Actividades” Certificate (mandatory) issued by SII; AND,
  • Boletas de Honorarios (mandatory) – we must include the last 8 months – issued by SII; AND,
  • Annual report of “boletas de honorarios” (from the visa period) (mandatory) – Electronic “boletas de honorarios” – issued by SII; AND,
  • Income Tax Return (Optional); AND,
  • Monthly Tax Payments (“Pagos de Impuestos Mensuales”): from the last 8 months.

Investor (“Inversionista”)

  • Certificate of incorporation (“escritura de constitución de la sociedad”) and its amendments (if any) (optional); AND,
  • “Inicio de Actividades” Certificate (mandatory) issued by SII; AND,
  • Last 8 V.A.T. payments (mandatory) – issued by SII; AND,
  • Last company tax balance sheet (Optional); AND,
  • Last corporate and personal income tax return (Optional) – issued by SII; AND,
  • Certificate of Ownership or Lease Agreements (Optional); AND,
  • Municipal patents payments (Optional).

Retired (“Jubilado”)

  • Certificate of retirement or income received (mandatory) – issued by the Consulate or social security institution; AND,

Rentiers (“Rentistas”)

  • Certificates of ownership (mandatory); AND,
  • Lease Contracts (Optional); AND,
  • Other Documents (optional) – demonstrating periodic income from other sources (such as: stocks).

Financially supported by spouse, parents, children or other (inactive) (“Sostenido económicamente por cónyuge, padre, madre, hijos u otro [inactivos]”)

  • Affidavit of Support (“Declaración jurada de expensas”) (mandatory); AND,
  • Proof of income from the holder (mandatory) – E.g.: Employment Contract, AFP and Health Payments, Boletas de honorarios, Tax Payments, among others.

Other specific groups (Otros grupos específicos)

Finally, if we are on a student visa, on a temporary visa for religious or we are economically supported by the holder, we will have to upload additional documents:

other specific groups permanent residency chile immigration extranjeria lostinchile
Documents with (*) are mandatory

Students (“Estudiantes”): only if you hold a student visa

  • High School Certificate or College Degree (mandatory) – We must hold a student visa for at least 2 years; AND,
  • Authorized copy of the Degree (optional); AND,
  • Job Offer (Optional) – For adults (18+). Signed by an employer before a Notary Public, indicating the tasks to be performed and wage;
  • Affidavit of Support (“Declaración Jurada de expensas”) (Optional) – For students who are not employed and depend from a third party.
  • Supporter’s Income (Optional).

Religious (“Religiosos”)

Catholic:

  • Certificate issued by the congregation or church (mandatory): Indicating membership and economic dependence, legalized by the Bishop of the respective diocese;

Other religions or cults:

  • Certificate issued by the superior of the church or cult (mandatory) – Indicating activity and/or economic dependence of the applicant, legalized before a Notary Public.
  • Validity Certificate of the legal personality of the church to which the applicant belongs (mandatory) – Issued by the Ministry of Justice Law No. 19.638; OR,
  • Validity Certificate of non-profit Legal Person granted by the Civil Registry (“Servicio de Registro Civil”) (mandatory).

Financially supported by spouse – parents – children or other (inactive)

  • Affidavit of Support (mandatory); AND,
  • Proof of income from the holder (mandatory).

Clave Única

In order to apply for Permanent Residency online we need to have our Clave Única. 

We can get our activation code on any office or totem of the Civil Registry (Servicio de Registro Civil e Identificación).

log in using clave unica permanent residency application chile extranjeria lostinchile
Clave Única

Application period

Finally, if we comply with all the above, we MUST apply for Permanent Residency within the last 90 days of our visas.

i.e., If our visa expires on December 31, 2021, we must apply for Permanent Residency between September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2021.

How to apply for Permanent Residency

  • If we are nationals of Brazil, China, Cuba, Haiti or Peru, we have to apply at any ChileAtiende office.
  • For the rest of the nationalities, the application is made online.

If you must apply online, you may want to read: How to apply for Permanent Residency in Chile – Step by step

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