Chile Investor Residency

Summary

Chile's Residencia Temporal para Inversionistas is the temporary-residence subcategory for foreigners who are investing in or building a productive business in Chile. It is one of the fifteen subtypes of Residencia Temporal established under the 2022 Migration Law (Ley 21.325) and Decreto 177/2022.

Unlike citizenship-by-investment programs elsewhere in Latin America, Chile's investor route is active and operational, not passive. A bank deposit or a securities account alone does not qualify. You need a real business or investment project that produces goods or services, creates economic activity, and comes with a concrete business plan. Applications are reviewed jointly by SERMIG, Chile's National Migration Service, and InvestChile, the government's investment-promotion agency, which issues a carta de patrocinio — sponsorship letter — for larger projects.

Eligibility

You qualify for an investor residency if:

• You are funding an investment or business project in Chile worth a meaningful amount — SERMIG's internal benchmark is around $500,000 for InvestChile-sponsored projects, though smaller projects (starting around $50,000–100,000) can qualify if the economic contribution is clear.
• The project is productive — making goods, selling services, employing people. Holding assets, owning rental property without a business plan, or parking money in a bank does not qualify.
• You present a written business plan describing the project, its capital, its timeline, its jobs, and its revenue model.
• You have no disqualifying criminal record in Chile or any country where you have lived in the last five years.
• Your investment funds have a documented, lawful origin (bank statements, sale documents, employer compensation, tax returns).

Track A — InvestChile-sponsored ("carta de patrocinio")

For projects of around $500,000 or more that fit InvestChile's strategic priorities (mining services, energy, agritech, fintech, tourism, export manufacturing), the investor can request a formal sponsorship letter. This letter carries significant weight with SERMIG and is effectively a fast-tracking mechanism. It also extends to specialized technical staff, senior management, and family members.

Track B — Direct SERMIG investor application

Smaller investors — the sole-founder tech startup, the hospitality operator, the restaurateur, the consulting firm — file directly with SERMIG without an InvestChile sponsorship. SERMIG evaluates the business plan and capital commitment case by case. There is no hard minimum published, but SERMIG reviewers are looking for:

• At least $50,000–100,000 of deployed capital.
• A concrete Chilean company (SpA or Limitada) already formed with SII registration. SII is Chile's tax authority.
• A lease or property for the operation.
• Plans to hire Chilean staff within the first year.

Track C — Entrepreneur / "empresario"

An overlapping subcategory covers foreigners who come to manage or establish a company in Chile. This is common for foreign franchisees, branch managers of foreign firms, and tech founders. Requirements overlap with the investor track, but the emphasis is on operational leadership rather than capital.

Permit scope and family

• The initial permit is usually one year, renewable.
• Spouse, civil-union partner, and minor children can be added as dependents.
• All holders receive full Chilean work authorization, a RUN, and access to FONASA.

Path to permanent residency and citizenship

• After one to two years of Residencia Temporal as an investor, you can apply for Residencia Definitiva, provided the investment is still operating.
• After five total years in Chile (temporal + definitiva) you qualify for naturalization. Chile allows dual citizenship.

Where you file

Applications must be submitted through the Portal de Trámites Digitales de SERMIG from outside Chile, then the visa is stamped at the nearest Chilean consulate. Filing from inside Chile on a tourist permit is generally not permitted under Ley 21.325 for this category — a sharp change from the pre-2022 system.

Tax note

Chile has a six-year tax-residency grace period under Article 3 of the Ley sobre Impuesto a la Renta: new residents pay Chilean income tax only on Chilean-source income for their first three years, extendable to six. This preserves U.S. tax obligations but reduces double-taxation friction at the Chilean end.

What This Route Allows

If approved, this route gives you investor residence in Chile. Key limit: The project must be productive and documented with a business plan, capital deployment, Chilean company and SII records, and, for larger cases, any InvestChile sponsorship letter.

What This Route Is Not

This is not a guarantee of approval. Immigration authorities can still review documents, admissibility, background, funds, and whether the facts match the pathway rules.

Next Steps

1. Scope the project. A business plan, capital commitment, intended location, hiring plan, and revenue projection. Investors with projects over $500,000 should consider InvestChile sponsorship.
2. Form the Chilean company. A Sociedad por Acciones (SpA) is the common vehicle. A Chilean notary, local accountant, and lawyer are standard.
3. Deploy capital visibly. Wire funds into the Chilean corporate account, purchase equipment or lease property, and retain all documentation.
4. Request an InvestChile sponsorship letter (if eligible) via investchile.gob.cl.
5. Assemble immigration documents. Apostilled passport, police clearances from Chile and every country of residence in the past five years, proof of funds, business plan, and corporate registration.
6. File through the SERMIG portal from abroad. After approval, book a consular appointment for the visa stamp.
7. Enter Chile and collect your cédula. Visit the Registro Civil with your Estampado Electrónico to receive your RUN and physical cédula.
8. Keep the investment active. SERMIG can revoke an investor permit if the project is abandoned or the capital is withdrawn.

Sources

• Ley 21.325 de Migración y Extranjería — framework for investor residency.
• SERMIG — Investor subcategory — official requirements and portal.
• InvestChile — Sponsorship letter tool — carta de patrocinio application.
• Ministerio del Interior y Seguridad Pública — parent ministry of SERMIG.