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Chile · Residencia temporal para inversionistas y personal relacionado · Investor visa · apply online
Temporary residence for foreigners investing at least USD 500,000, or the equivalent in another currency, in the production of goods or services in Chile, and for senior managers and specialist technical staff of a company in Chile controlled by a foreign investor. InvestChile must issue a sponsorship letter before the SERMIG filing. The permit is requested from outside Chile, lasts up to two years, and can be extended if the investment is actually moving forward.
| Type | Tier / zone | Min amount | USD equivalent | Holding | Returnable | Required |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business | Production of goods or services | USD 500,000 | $500,000 | — | Yes | Optional |
Decreto 177 of 2022, articles 62 to 64, is the rule. The investor route covers the foreign individual and the legal representatives and senior managers of a foreign company that is investing at least USD 500,000 in production. The second route covers senior managers and specialist technical staff hired as employees, or engaged to provide services, by a company in Chile that a foreign investor controls with at least 10 percent of the voting rights, or an equivalent share of the capital. That staff route is not a second USD 500,000 ticket, so the investment option is not mandatory. The sponsorship letter is mandatory and does not itself grant residence. InvestChile says it is valid for 60 days from issue for filing with SERMIG. The SERMIG file also needs a document stating the purpose and amount of the investment and the nature of the role. An owner or partner of a company already formed can add the constitution deed, the tax-start certificate, the tax folder and proof of municipal patent. Renewal needs evidence the investment is progressing, the company's tax folder, the municipal patent where it applies, and a contract showing pay. SERMIG says the project must be underway and the company consolidated. File only from abroad, on the "Residencia Temporal en el extranjero" form, after the letter. Passport validity must be at least one year from the filing date. Applicants 18 or older need a criminal-record certificate no more than 60 days old, from the country of origin or of residence in the last five years. The fee depends on nationality. There is no single dollar amount on the tariff page. The permit follows the ordinary temporary-residence term: up to two years, then extensions of two years. Article 73 allows paid work. Permanent residence can be requested after 24 months. Article 79 allows that wait to be cut to 12 months for investments already carried out or a company operating in Chile. Absences can lengthen it, on the same scale as other temporary residents. Naturalisation is five years from the temporary-residence stamp that led to permanent residence. The official checklist has no language exam. A spouse or civil partner, a child under 18, a disabled child, and a student who is over 18 and under 24 may apply as dependents and may work. The holder must show stable income to support them. No amount per person is published. Parents are not included. A foreigner who becomes domiciled or resident is taxed only on Chilean-source income for the first three years from entry. A regional director may extend that period. The statute sets no extra length. The letter is not access to the foreign-investment statute in Law 20.848. Health insurance is not on this checklist.
Chile also offers a digital nomad visa for remote workers
Last verified Oct 9, 2026 Last changed Oct 10, 2026 Source
Added
created from the SERMIG investor subcategory and Decreto 177, articles 62–64. Minimum investment USD 500,000, InvestChile letter, up to 24 months and extendable (https://serviciomigraciones.cl/residencia-temporal/subcategorias/inversionistas/).
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