From Visa to Chilean Citizenship: How Long Does It Take?

From visa to Chilean citizenship: how long does it take?

Work Visa

1. Paid Work Temporary Residence (Residencia Temporal — Actividades Lícitas Remuneradas), granted for up to 24 months per period, renewable
   from 24 months^[1][2]
2. Standard permanent residence (Residencia Definitiva) eligibility: 24 months of continuous eligible temporary residence
   from 24 months^[3][2]
3. Naturalization eligibility (Carta de Nacionalización): 5 years of continuous residence, counted from the Temporary Residence Electronic Stamp date, as a Residencia Definitiva holder aged 18+
   from 60 months^[4]

Statutory minimums — actual processing adds time on top. Details on the visa page.

Investor Visa

1. Investor Temporary Residence (Residencia Temporal — Inversionistas y Personal Relacionado), granted for up to 24 months per period, renewable
   from 24 months^[1][5]
2. Permanent residence (Residencia Definitiva) eligibility: 24 months standard, discretionarily reducible to 12 months on investment grounds
   12–24 months^[2][3]
3. Naturalization eligibility (Carta de Nacionalización): 5 years of continuous residence, counted from the Temporary Residence Electronic Stamp date, as a Residencia Definitiva holder aged 18+
   from 60 months^[4]

Statutory minimums — actual processing adds time on top. Details on the visa page.

Retirement Visa

1. Retiree Temporary Residence (Residencia Temporal — Extranjeros Jubilados), granted for up to 24 months per period, renewable
   from 24 months^[1]
2. Permanent residence (Residencia Definitiva) eligibility: 24 months standard, discretionarily reducible to 12 months on pension grounds
   12–24 months^[2][3]
3. Naturalization eligibility (Carta de Nacionalización): 5 years of continuous residence, counted from the Temporary Residence Electronic Stamp date, as a Residencia Definitiva holder aged 18+
   from 60 months^[4]

Statutory minimums — actual processing adds time on top. Details on the visa page.

References

1. [1]
   Decreto 177 — Subcategorías Migratorias de Residencia Temporal (Spanish) [law text]
2. [2]
   Ley 21.325 — Ley de Migración y Extranjería (Spanish) [law text]
3. [3]
   Decreto 296 — Reglamento de la Ley 21.325 (Spanish) [law text]
4. [4]
   DS 5.142/1960 — Ley sobre Nacionalización de Extranjeros (Spanish) [law text]
5. [5]
   Resolución InvestChile — Requisitos Visa de Inversionista (Spanish)