The Chile Citizenship, Explained
Interested in obtaining the Chilean Citizenship? In this article, we review the different options to obtain the nationality, indicate who qualifies or not for citizenship in Chile and detail the required documents, fees as well as the application process for each category.
What is the Citizenship in Chile?
Acquiring a citizenship is becoming a citizen of a country. It is usually the last step of an immigration process, which usually started with a residence visa. Citizenship in Chile can be acquired through various means as stipulated by the Chilean Constitution and immigration laws. One can become a Chilean citizen by birth if either parent is a Chilean citizen or if born in Chilean territory. Additionally, foreigners can acquire Chilean citizenship through a process known as naturalization.
The citizenship of Chile gives you all the advantages, but also the disadvantages of being a Chilean citizen:
What are the advantages to becoming a citizen of Chile?
- You are no longer required to do any immigration process. You are a citizen of the country and do not anymore need to renew your visa, or abide by certain immigration criteria, such as living a minimum number of days per year in the country.
- You are allowed to apply to certain public positions which are not available to foreign citizens.
- You can benefit of the protection of the embassy when you travel in another country. If you become a dual citizen, you can benefit from the protection of two embassies while abroad.
- You can benefit from some aids reserved to citizens.
- You can get elected.
Disadvantages to obtaining citizenship in Chile?
- When living in Chile, you can no longer benefit from the protection of the embassy of your country of origin. For example, let's assume that you are a US national living in Chile. If you are involved in criminal activity (knowingly or not), or you need to defend yourself against abuse, you will be considered as a Chilean citizen. The US embassy cannot assist you in defending yourself.
- You can no longer benefit from tax exemption or any benefits aiming at attracting foreigners into the country.
- If your country of origin does not allow dual citizenship, you will have to renounce the citizenship of your country origin when acquiring the Chilean citizenship. It may or may not be interesting in your situation. If not, it is better to remain a permanent resident.
Is the Chilean citizenship right for me?
The Chilean citizenship is an excellent option if you intend to stay long-term in Chile, or if your current passport is more restricted than the Chilean one (in terms of visa-free travel countries for example).
The Chilean citizenship is not the best option if:
- your country of origin does not accept dual citizenship and you do not want to renounce your current citizenship to get the Chilean one.
- you plan to leave Chile in the future, and have accumulated payments into the Chilean retirement system that you would like to withdraw when leaving. You will no longer be allowed to do that after gaining Chilean citizenship.
How can I become a citizen of Chile?
There are several ways ob obtaining the Chilean citizenship:
- Chilean citizenship by descent if one of your parent or grand-parent was Chilean at some point in their life.
- Chilean citizenship by naturalization
Chilean citizenship by descent
The children of a Chilean father or mother born abroad can request to obtain the Chilean nationality. To do this, they need to prove that one of their parents (or grandparents) has obtained Chilean nationality:
- by being born in Chile,
- by obtaining a nationalization letter,
- by special grace.
There is two channels to request this:
- registration of the birth of the child(ren) at the Chilean consulate of the country where they live if abroad.
- registration of the birth at the Civil Registry of the city where they live if they are in Chile.
The second option is usually faster.
Required documents for Chilean citizenship by descent
- Copy of your passport (only the page with your photo)
- Your birth certificate to justify your link with your Chilean parent. In case the link is with a grandparent, the birth certificate of your parent will also be required to justify the parentage.
Note
The birth certificate shall be translated into Spanish by an official translator, even when the document is in English. Contrary to the visas, documents in English are not accepted for citizenship by descent
Chilean citizenship by naturalisation
Obtaining citizenship by naturalisation requires you first to:
- be a resident in Chile for five years, considering the start date of the last temporary visa that you received before applying for Permanent Residency
- be at least 18 years old, or 14 years old and having an authorization from your parents or tutor.
The 5-year requirement can be reduced to two years if you have one of the following family links with a Chilean citizen:
- Chilean spouse for at least two years. The wedding / civil union must be registered in Chile.
- Chilean parents until second grade (parent / grand parents).
- Chilean father or mother who lots the Chilean citizenship before you were born.
Info
Please remember that, even if you qualify for the reduced 2-year residency, you are still required to obtain permanent residency first, which is a process that can last some time, before being able to apply for citizenship.
Required documents for Chilean citizenship by naturalisation
- Copy of your passport (only the page with your photo)
- Background check of your country of origin a background check of your country of origina background check of your country of origin a background check of your country of origin a background check of your country of origin
Chilean citizenship by marriage
Getting married with a Chilean will not automatically grant you the right to obtain the Chilean citizenship.
It helps to obtain more easily a family reunification temporary visa when arriving, and then the permanent residence. Finally, you can apply for citizenship after two years or residency in Chile instead of five years.
There is no requirement to be married for a certain number of years before having the right to use this faster process. The civil union grants you the same right as the marriage.
Chilean citizenship by investment
Unfortunately, citizenship by investment does not exist in Chile. You shall first get a temporary visa, then permanent residency, then apply for citizenship.
Chilean citizenship application process
- Go on the immigration service platform
- Login with your Clave Unica
- Click on the section Solicitud de carta de Nacionalización
- Start to fill the information required and upload the documents
- You will receive a confirmation by email that your application has been received
- Wait for the reply from the immigration service (see current reply time in the right column of the main page)
- Book an appointment at the civil registry to get your updated Chilean ID card as a Chilean, and a passport too, if you want. Both documents have a 10-year validity period.
Citizenship: validity / Renewal process
Once you have been granted citizenship in Chile, it remains valid indefinitely. There is no need to renew it. In some very rare cases, your citizenship could be revoked if you commit a serious crime and if you still have another citizenship. We not enter in depth in this situation as this is very rare.
The only thing that will need to be renewed are your Chilean passport and your Chilean ID card. This can be done at a consulate if you live abroad, or at any Registro Civil in Chile, even if you do not live in the comuna where is located the civil register.
You need to be physically present to renew your Chilean passport or your Chilean ID card, as the request must be authenticated with your fingerprints. Once the document is ready, you can pick it up yourself. Or you can send someone on your behalf, with a valid power of attorney signed at a Chilean notary.
Frequently Asked Questions regarding Chile citizenship
Citizenship process questions
The process of becoming a Chilean citizen takes an average of three years. However, this duration can be longer as the process involves a thorough review of the applicant's background and circumstances. Additionally, the applicant must have resided in Chile for a minimum of five years before applying for citizenship.
Yes. This is not a strict requirement, but there is usually an interview during the process, and not knowing Spanish might make it challenging for you to reply to the questions.
No. There is no formal citizenship test. You may have a few simple questions to test your knowledge of Chile though.
Yes. You need to be a resident of Chile to become a citizen. The law requires that you have permanent residency and can prove two years of continuous residence in the country, starting from when you obtained the last temporary residency visa that led to your current permanent residency.
Citizenship through activities
No. You do not need to invest in Chile to become a citizen. The law states that if you are a permanent resident and can prove two years of continuous residence in the country, you can apply for citizenship. There is no citizenship by investment fast-track program like in other countries.
No. You do not need to work in Chile to become a citizen. You will be required to demonstrate a source of income in Chile, by providing your last tax return, but working is not required. You may have assets generating a recurring income, or a pension.
Citizenship through relationships
Yes. You can become a citizen of Chile through your family. If you are a permanent resident and can prove two years of continuous residence in the country, you may be eligible for citizenship if you meet one of the following conditions: 1) being the spouse of a Chilean citizen for at least two years, 2) being a relative of a Chilean citizen by blood up to the second degree, 3) being adopted by Chileans, 4) being a child whose father or mother lost Chilean citizenship before your birth. Additionally, children of foreign parents who are in Chile in service of their government, or children of transient foreigners, can also apply for Chilean nationality.
Yes. You can become a citizen of Chile if you were born there. The law states that one of the requirements for citizenship is that at least one of your parents or grandparents was born in Chile and maintained their Chilean nationality at the time of your birth. You would need to prove that one of your parents or grandparents obtained Chilean nationality either by being born in Chile, through a Letter of Nationalization, or by special grace.
Yes. You can become a citizen of Chile if you marry a Chilean citizen. However, you must be a permanent resident and be able to prove two years of continuous residence in the country, starting from when you obtained your last temporary residence visa before your current permanent residence. Your marriage must be registered in Chile and you must have lived in a common household for at least two years. To summarize, getting married can reduce the minimum required stay, but is not a fast track to immediately obtain citizenship.
Yes. You can become a citizen of Chile if your parents are or were citizens. The law allows for individuals to apply for Chilean citizenship if they are the child of a parent who was a Chilean citizen but lost their Chilean nationality before the applicant's birth.
Yes. You can become a citizen of Chile if you have Chilean ancestors. The law allows for individuals to apply for Chilean citizenship if they can prove that at least one of their parents or grandparents was born in Chile and maintained their Chilean nationality at the time of the descendant's birth.
Yes. Only direct ancestors up to the second degree are allowed: parents or grand-parents.
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