Chile Citizenship: Routes, Requirements, and Dual Nationality
Chilean citizenship is usually the last step after temporary and permanent residency, though descent and birth can bypass that ladder entirely. This page maps all five routes Chile recognizes, and covers dual nationality and loss of citizenship.
Routes to Chile citizenship
Chilean citizenship is usually the final step of a longer immigration journey: a temporary residence permit leads to permanent residency (Residencia Definitiva), which in turn leads to naturalization after a further period of continuous residence. Descent and birth are the two exceptions. Both can apply to people who never held a Chilean residence permit at all. [1][2]
Citizenship by naturalization
Chile's general route: permanent residents aged 18 or older with more than five years of continuous residence can apply for the Carta de Nacionalización (naturalization letter). A qualified route reduces that to two years of continuous residence for applicants with a close Chilean family tie: a spouse of two-plus years, a blood relative to the second degree, an adoptee, or a child of a former Chilean who lost their nationality before the applicant's birth. [1][3] See citizenship by naturalization →
Citizenship by descent
If a parent or grandparent held Chilean nationality (by birth in Chile, by naturalization, or by special grace), you may be able to register your own birth as Chilean at a Chilean consulate abroad, or at the Civil Registry if you are already in Chile, without going through residency or naturalization at all. [4] See citizenship by descent →
Citizenship by marriage
Marrying a Chilean citizen does not, by itself, grant you citizenship. It qualifies you, once you hold permanent residency, for the two-year qualified-naturalization track instead of the standard five-year one. [3][5] See the marriage route on the naturalization page →
Citizenship by investment
Chile has no citizenship-by-investment route. The naturalization framework, made up of the standard route under DS 5.142/1960 Art. 2 and the qualified route under Ley 21.325 Art. 85, tests only residence duration and, for the qualified track, family ties to a Chilean citizen. Investment appears in neither test. [1][3] See why →
Citizenship by birth
Chile applies birthright citizenship: children born on Chilean soil are Chilean by birth. The one statutory exception, drawn from Article 10 of the Constitution, covers children born to parents serving a foreign government in Chile or to transient foreigners. They are not automatically Chilean and must instead exercise the "option to nationality" within one year of turning 18. [6] See citizenship by birth →
Dual citizenship in Chile
Chile allows dual and multiple nationality. Chilean nationals by birth or descent do not lose their Chilean nationality by naturalizing in another country. The only way a Chilean-born citizen loses that nationality through a foreign naturalization is by voluntarily renouncing it before a competent Chilean authority.
For foreigners becoming Chilean through naturalization, the position is less settled in the letter of the law. DS 5.142/1960 Art. 2 still requires the applicant to formally renounce their nationality of origin in writing, filed with the Ministry of the Interior after a favorable preliminary decision on the application. That renunciation clause predates Chile's 2005 constitutional reform (Ley 20.050), which entrenched the right to hold dual nationality. Current guidance published on the SERMIG portal does not list renunciation as a requirement for new citizens. This tension has not been formally resolved in the sources reviewed for this page. If renunciation matters to your situation, verify current administrative practice directly with SERMIG or a licensed immigration attorney before applying. [1][7][8]
Loss of nationality in Chile
Chilean nationality can be lost in four ways: voluntary renunciation before a competent Chilean authority (effective only once you have already naturalized elsewhere), a supreme decree issued for providing services to an enemy of Chile during a foreign war, cancellation of the naturalization card, or a law revoking a nationality that was granted by special grace.
Since December 1, 2025, renunciation of Chilean nationality is filed through the SERMIG Digital Services Portal, using ClaveÚnica (Chile's single sign-on government login) or a personal account, supported by proof of the foreign nationality already acquired and a Chilean birth certificate.
If your Chilean birth certificate carries a loss-of-nationality annotation from naturalizing abroad before the 2005 constitutional reform (Ley 20.050), you can apply through the same portal to have that annotation removed, restoring your Chilean nationality. [7][8]
Benefits and obligations of Chile citizenship
Chilean citizenship gives you the right to vote in public elections and the right to run for or hold publicly elected office. Both rights are reserved to citizens under Chilean law. Applying is optional: nothing in the law obliges a permanent resident to seek naturalization once they meet the residency requirement. Once you are a citizen, you also fall outside the scope of Chile's immigration law: Ley 21.325 regulates the entry, stay, residence, and exit of foreigners, so you are no longer subject to a residence permit, its renewal deadlines, or its conditions. [3][5]
The sources reviewed for this page document only the naturalization renunciation clause discussed above. They do not describe other obligations tied specifically to citizenship, such as military service or a change in tax residency. Treat that silence as a gap in the available sources, not as confirmation that no such obligations exist.
Frequently asked questions about Chile citizenship
How Chilean citizenship works
Chile recognizes four active routes to citizenship: naturalization, descent, marriage, and birth. A fifth route, investment, does not exist as its own path. Naturalization is the general route for permanent residents. Descent and birth can apply to people who have never lived in Chile. Marriage does not grant citizenship on its own, but it can shorten the naturalization wait.[1][3][5]
Naturalization takes an average of three years to process. This is separate from the residency time you must already have completed before applying: more than five years of continuous residence as a permanent resident under the standard route, or two years under the qualified route for applicants with a close Chilean family tie.[1][5]
No. Applying for Chilean nationality is optional. Nothing obliges a permanent resident to apply for naturalization once they meet the residency requirement. You can remain a permanent resident indefinitely instead.[5]
Dual citizenship and loss of nationality
It depends on which side of the rule you fall on, and current practice is not fully settled in the text of the law. Chileans by birth or descent keep their Chilean nationality even after naturalizing elsewhere, unless they voluntarily renounce it. For foreigners naturalizing as Chilean, DS 5.142/1960 Art. 2 still requires a written renunciation of the origin nationality, filed after a favorable preliminary decision. That requirement predates Chile's 2005 constitutional reform recognizing dual nationality. Verify its continued application in practice directly with SERMIG or a licensed attorney before applying.[1][7][8]
Yes, but only in four specific situations. Chilean nationality can be lost through: voluntary renunciation before a competent Chilean authority (only effective once you have already naturalized elsewhere), a supreme decree for providing services to an enemy of Chile during a foreign war, cancellation of the naturalization card, or a law revoking a nationality that was granted by special grace.[8]
Chilean citizenship gives you the right to vote in public elections and the right to run for or hold publicly elected office. Both rights are reserved to citizens. You also stop being subject to Chile's immigration law, which by its own terms only regulates the entry, stay, residence, and exit of foreigners.[3][5]
Note
This page is a private, independent information service and is provided for general information only. It is not legal advice. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or authorized by SERMIG (Servicio Nacional de Migraciones) or the Government of Chile. Official applications must be filed directly at serviciomigraciones.cl. For legal representation in a Chilean immigration matter, consult a licensed attorney in Chile. This page does not replace professional legal advice.
References
- [1]DS 5.142/1960 — Ley sobre Nacionalización de Extranjeros (Spanish) [law text]
- [2]Decreto 296 — Reglamento de la Ley 21.325 (Spanish) [law text]
- [3]Ley 21.325 — Ley de Migración y Extranjería (Spanish) [law text]
- [4]SERMIG — Nacionalidad: Inscripción Consular (Spanish)
- [5]SERMIG — Nacionalidad (Spanish)
- [6]SERMIG — Nacionalidad: Opción a la Nacionalidad, página general (Spanish)
- [7]Ley 20.050 — Reforma Constitucional de 2005 (doble nacionalidad) (Spanish)
- [8]SERMIG — Pérdida de Nacionalidad (Spanish)
What is the best visa for you?
Answer a few quick questions and see which visa category fits your situation.
These articles may interest you:
