Chile Immigration Glossary: Spanish Terms Explained

Chilean immigration paperwork mixes plain Spanish with agency shorthand and statute-specific terms. This glossary lists the Spanish terms you will run into on SERMIG forms and across this site, with a plain-English definition and its legal source for each one.

Chile immigration glossary

Chilean immigration law and forms use precise Spanish terms that do not always translate cleanly into English. Each entry below gives the term as it appears in Chilean statutes or on official SERMIG forms, its English gloss, a plain-English definition, and the law, decree, or agency source that defines it.

Terms

Apostilla / Legalización — Apostille / Legalization — Procedure to authenticate foreign documents issued by public institutions, per Articles 345 and 345 bis of the Code of Civil Procedure.

Asilo Político — Political Asylum — Protective category jointly qualified by the Ministries of Interior and Public Security and of Foreign Affairs under Articles 94+ of Ley 21.325.

Calidad de Dependiente — Dependent Status — Temporary residence modality in which a family member of the titular (spouse/partner, child, parent, disabled child, single child under 24 studying) obtains a permit linked to the titular. Dependents are work-authorized and may apply for titular status.

Cancelación de la Carta de Nacionalización — Cancellation of the Naturalization Card — Act by which the naturalized foreigner is deprived of their naturalization card by a decree signed by the President of the Republic, following prior Cabinet agreement. Grounds are: the card was granted in violation of the (now-repealed) Article 3 of DS 5.142, events rendering the holder 'unworthy' of the grant, or conviction for crimes under Ley 12.927/1958 (State Security Law). The reference to Article 3 is a dangling cross-reference today because that article was repealed by Ley 21.325.

Carta de Nacionalización — Naturalization Letter / Naturalization Card — Document evidencing Chilean naturalization, granted by a decree of the President of the Republic countersigned by the Minister of the Interior under the DS 5.142/1960 procedure, invoked by Articles 84-87 of Ley 21.325. Numbered sequentially by SERMIG (successor to the Departamento de Extranjería referenced in the decree) after payment of the fee.

Carta de Patrocinio — Sponsorship Letter — Document issued by the Foreign Investment Promotion Agency (InvestChile) required as a prerequisite for the investor temporary residence permit. It is solely for immigration purposes and does not confer foreign investor status under Ley 20.848.

ClaveÚnica — ClaveÚnica (Single Authentication Key) — Chile's unified digital authentication system provided by the Civil Registry and Identification Service, required for filing applications on the SERMIG electronic platform (e.g., family reunification).

Estampado Electrónico — Electronic Visa Stamp — Electronic document evidencing the grant of temporary residence; must be downloaded by the applicant to activate the permit.

Expulsión — Expulsion — Forced removal from the country by order of administrative or judicial authority. Ley 21.325 distinguishes grounds for transitory stay holders (Article 127) and for residents (Article 128).

InvestChile — Foreign Investment Promotion Agency — Foreign Investment Promotion Agency, the public body that issues the Carta de Patrocinio for applicants of the investor temporary residence permit.

Nacionalización Calificada — Qualified Naturalization — Faster naturalization pathway available to permanent residents with two continuous years of residency who are spouses of Chileans (married 2+ years) or children of Chileans by naturalization.

Niños, Niñas y Adolescentes (NNA) — Children and Adolescents — Term used in Chilean legislation for persons under 18. Ley 21.325 and Decreto 177 establish reinforced protection for migrant children and adolescents, including the mandatory temporary residence permit and priority processing.

Opción de Nacionalidad — Option of Nationality — Procedure under DS 5.142/1960 Art. 10 by which persons born in Chile to foreign-government or transient-foreigner parents may opt for Chilean nationality under the Constitution. Must be exercised by declaration within a mandatory one-year window starting when the interested party turns 18.

Permanencia Transitoria — Transitory Stay — Permit for foreigners entering Chile for short periods without intent to settle, up to 90 calendar days extendable once for an additional 90 days.

Permiso de Oportunidades Laborales — Job-Search Permit — Temporary residence subcategory for foreigners seeking employment opportunities in Chile, subject to specific requirements under Article 162 of Ley 21.325 and quota availability.

Política Nacional de Migración y Extranjería — National Migration and Foreign Affairs Policy — Policy defined by presidential supreme decree that guides administration of quota-based subcategories (job-search, seasonal workers).

Reconducción / Reembarco — Frontier Reconduction / Reembarkation — Immediate administrative measures applied to foreigners caught evading border control or attempting entry with falsified documents, requiring no new resolution when an active expulsion order exists.

Refugio (Ley 20.430) — Refugee Status (Ley 20.430) — Status governed by Ley 20.430 that initially grants an 8-month temporary residence permit (titular and family) during processing, and permanent residence upon recognition under Article 45.

Renuncia de Nacionalidad de Origen — Renunciation of Origin Nationality — Literal requirement under DS 5.142/1960 Art. 2 inciso 2 that the foreigner renounce, in writing, their original nationality (and any other nationality acquired or attributable) via a form addressed to the President of the Republic, filed after a favorable preliminary assessment. This requirement is likely superseded by the 2005 constitutional reform (Ley 20.050) permitting dual nationality; current administrative practice must be verified.

Residencia Definitiva — Permanent Residence — Permit allowing indefinite settlement in Chile with unrestricted lawful activities and visa-free re-entry.

Residencia Temporal — Temporary Residence — Time-limited permit for foreigners intending to settle in Chile, subject to the requirements of one of the 16 subcategories under Decreto 177.

Reunificación Familiar — Family Reunification — Temporary residence subcategory available to foreigners with qualifying family ties to a Chilean or permanent resident (spouse, parent, minor child, disabled child, single child under 24 studying, minor under guardianship).

Rol de Cartas de Nacionalización — Roll of Naturalization Cards — Sequential registry maintained by SERMIG (successor to the Departamento de Extranjería of the Ministry of the Interior referenced in DS 5.142) where granted naturalization cards are entered after payment of the fee. Changes to the roll are published annually in the Ministry's Yearbook.

SERMIG (Servicio Nacional de Migraciones) — National Migration Service — Public agency established by Ley 21.325 responsible for granting, extending, and revoking temporary and permanent residence permits as well as transitory stay permits.

Subcategoría Migratoria — Migration Subcategory — One of the 16 specific temporary residence categories defined in Article 10 of Decreto 177, each with its own eligibility requirements.

Sueldo Vital (mensual de Santiago) — Sueldo Vital (Santiago Monthly Vital Wage) — obsolete unit — Historical monetary unit used in DS 5.142/1960 Art. 12 to fix naturalization fees (50% of one sueldo vital for the general regime, 10% for spouses/widowers of Chileans or parents of a Chilean child). The unit was abolished in Chile decades ago; current fees are determined by administrative conversion rules published by SERMIG.

Suficiencia de Medios de Vida — Sufficient Means of Subsistence — Requirement for certain migration subcategories whereby the applicant must demonstrate income no lower than the minimum needed to meet the family group's basic needs, per indicators estimated by the Ministry of Social Development and Family.

Tesorería General de la República (TGR) — General Treasury of the Republic — Public agency responsible for collecting migration fees (aranceles) through its payment portal.

Trabajadores de Temporada — Seasonal Workers — Temporary residence subcategory for specific seasonal work, limited to 6 months per calendar year and subject to quotas. Time on this permit does not count toward permanent residence eligibility.

Unidad Tributaria Mensual (UTM) — Monthly Tax Unit — Indexed accounting unit used in Chilean legislation to fix fines and monetary thresholds. Migration fines and Ley 21.325 infraction penalties are expressed in UTM.

References