Chile Family-Tie Residency

Summary

Chile grants temporary residence to close family members of Chilean citizens and of foreigners who hold Residencia Definitiva (Chilean permanent residency). The category is called Reunificación Familiar — family reunification — and it is one of the fifteen subtypes of Residencia Temporal established under Ley 21.325 and Decreto 177/2022.

Compared with other residency routes, family reunification is cheap, straightforward, and unusually flexible on where you file. Unlike most Chilean temporary-residence applications — which must be filed from a consulate abroad — family reunification applications can be submitted from inside Chile through the SERMIG digital portal. SERMIG is Chile's National Migration Service, the agency that receives and reviews immigration filings.

Eligibility

You qualify for Chilean family-reunification residency if you have one of the following ties to a Chilean citizen or to a foreigner who already holds Residencia Definitiva:

• Spouse or civil-union partner (conviviente civil) — or an equivalent relationship recognized under Chilean law.
• Child under 18 of the Chilean/permanent-resident anchor.
• Child with a disability, regardless of age.
• Unmarried child under 24 who is still in full-time education.
• Parent of a minor who is Chilean or holds permanent residency.
• Minor under the personal care or legal guardianship of a Chilean citizen or permanent resident.

Spouses and partners

• Marriages abroad must be registered in the Chilean Registro Civil before — or in parallel with — the visa application.
• Civil unions (acuerdo de unión civil) are accepted. Same-sex marriages are fully recognized since 2022.
• There is no minimum marriage duration to file for the residency itself, though the two-year qualified naturalization shortcut requires two years of registered marriage plus two years of shared household.

Children

• Adult children over 24 do not qualify unless they have a recognized disability.
• Stepchildren and adopted children qualify on the same terms as biological children.
• Children already in Chile on a student permit can convert to family reunification once the anchor parent's residency is in place.

Parents of minor Chileans

If you have a child who is Chilean (by birth in Chile or by descent) and that child is a minor, you qualify as the parent-of-minor anchor. This is a common route for foreign parents of Chilean-born babies.

Rights granted

• Full work authorization — you may engage in any lawful paid activity from day one.
• Access to the Chilean public health system (FONASA) and to public schools.
• Residency time counts toward the five-year clock for Residencia Definitiva and then toward naturalization.

Where you file

Most Residencia Temporal categories under Ley 21.325 require filing from a Chilean consulate abroad. Family reunification is the exception — it can be filed from inside Chile through the SERMIG Portal de Trámites Digitales, including by people already in Chile on a tourist stamp (permanencia transitoria).

Timeline and renewal

• The permit is granted for up to two years, renewable once.
• After one to two years (depending on how the anchor is structured), holders become eligible for Residencia Definitiva.
• After five total years of residence (temporal + definitiva), holders can apply for Chilean citizenship by naturalization — or two years on the qualified-naturalization track if the anchor is a spouse, parent, or child.

What This Route Allows

This route can allow you to live in Chile based on a qualifying family relationship. The relationship usually must be documented, genuine where relevant, and supported by the required civil records.

What This Route Is Not

This is not based only on wanting to live near family. The family relationship must fit the legal category and usually must be supported by records and sponsor documents.

Next Steps

1. Verify the anchor's status. Your Chilean spouse, parent, child, or guardian must either hold Chilean citizenship or a valid Residencia Definitiva. A simple screenshot of their cédula is not enough — ask them to pull an up-to-date certificate from the Registro Civil.
2. Register the family relationship in Chile. Marriages, civil unions, and births that happened abroad need to be recorded in the Chilean Registro Civil. This usually happens at a Chilean consulate or at the Santiago central office before filing.
3. Gather the documents. Apostilled and Spanish-translated copies of your birth certificate, marriage/civil-union certificate (if applicable), police clearances from every country where you have lived in the last five years (if 18+), and your valid passport.
4. File through the SERMIG portal. Use ClaveÚnica (if you already have a RUN) or create a SERMIG account. The fee is modest (around $50–100). Upload the documents and pay online.
5. Attend any consular interview or SERMIG biometric appointment you are summoned to. Keep your contact information current while SERMIG reviews the file.
6. Apply for your cédula de identidad and RUT. Once the Estampado Electrónico is issued, visit the Registro Civil in Chile to collect the cédula. This is your in-country ID and tax number.
7. Watch the renewal window. Don't let the residency lapse — renew within the grace period or file for Residencia Definitiva as soon as eligible.

Sources

• Ley 21.325 de Migración y Extranjería — framework for residency by family tie.
• SERMIG — Family reunification subcategory — official eligibility list and portal.
• Servicio de Registro Civil e Identificación — registration of foreign marriages and births.
• Ministerio del Interior y Seguridad Pública — parent ministry of SERMIG.