Does Chile Have a Digital Nomad Visa?
Looking for a Chile digital nomad visa? Chile does not have one. Here is why, and a review of the closest legal alternatives (the rentista, work, and multiple-entry business visas), plus what the tourist visa's stay limits mean for a short workation.
This visa does not exist in Chile
Chile does not have a dedicated digital-nomad visa. There is no residency category built around remote income from a foreign employer or foreign clients. [1]
Article 10 of Decreto 177 sets out the complete list of temporary-residence subcategories Chile regulates: family reunification, paid work, studies, seasonal work, job search, Gendarmería custody, court-ordered stay, five humanitarian sub-types, international agreements, religious ministers, medical treatment, retirees/rentiers, former permanent residents, investors, multiple-entry business, and refugees/political asylum. [1] None of them is a remote-worker or digital-nomad category, and SERMIG's own published subcategory listing matches this same list. [2] The nearest fits Chile does offer are the rentista visa (passive income), the work visa (a Chilean employer or client contract), and the multiple-entry business visa (short, recurring business trips). See What to use instead below.
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What to use instead
None of these three options is a substitute for a purpose-built digital-nomad visa. Each has its own eligibility conditions unrelated to remote work. They are simply the closest fits Chile currently offers:
- Rentista visa: a temporary-residence permit for recurring passive income from real estate rentals or financial assets. It is the closest fit if your income does not depend on active remote work, for example if you also collect rental or dividend income apart from your remote job. Income from freelancing or remote employment does not itself qualify. [1]
- Work visa: requires a signed employment contract, a notarized job offer, or a self-employed services contract with a Chilean-based employer or client. If you can find one or more clients in Chile willing to sign a services contract, or a Chilean employer willing to hire you, this route works even if you continue to perform the work remotely once in Chile. [1]
- Multiple-entry business visa: for foreigners who must come to Chile regularly for executive or management activities tied to a business or investment a company maintains in the country. It caps your total stay at six months per calendar year and does not itself authorize employment in Chile, so it fits occasional business trips rather than living in Chile full time. [1]
Short stays: what the tourist visa allows
If you only need a short workation rather than relocating, the tourist visa (permanencia transitoria) allows a stay of up to 90 calendar days. [3] It can be extended once for up to 90 additional days, for 180 days total. [3] It is not a residency permit and does not itself authorize employment. Paid work in Chile is generally prohibited on this permit, with a narrow SERMIG authorization limited to specific, sporadic activities such as performances, sports events, conferences, or expert or technical consulting. [3][4][5]
Warning
Chilean regulation does not separately address continuing to work remotely, from inside Chile, for an employer or clients located entirely outside the country while holding a tourist permit. The published rules do not resolve this either way. They are silent on it, not permissive of it. Confirm your specific situation with SERMIG or a licensed Chilean immigration attorney before relying on a tourist permit for remote work, regardless of duration.
Frequently Asked Questions about digital nomads and remote workers in Chile
Digital nomad / remote worker options in Chile
Chile does not have a digital nomad or remote-worker visa. Article 10 of Decreto 177 lists every temporary-residence subcategory Chile currently regulates: family reunification, paid work, studies, seasonal work, job search, Gendarmería custody, court-ordered stay, five humanitarian sub-types, international agreements, religious ministers, medical treatment, retirees/rentiers, former permanent residents, investors, multiple-entry business, and refugees/political asylum. None of them is built around income earned remotely from a foreign employer or foreign clients. SERMIG's own published list of residencia temporal subcategories matches this same list.[1][2]
It depends on your income source, not on the fact that you work remotely. If you have recurring passive income from real estate or financial assets, the rentista visa may fit. If you can sign an employment, job-offer, or services contract with a Chilean-based employer or client, the work visa fits. If you only need to visit Chile periodically for executive or management activities tied to a business or investment a company maintains in Chile, the multiple-entry business visa fits. None of these three routes is built around continuing to be paid by a foreign employer or foreign clients while living in Chile full time with no Chilean contractual link.[1]
Chile's tourist permit (permanencia transitoria) allows a stay of up to 90 calendar days, extendable once for up to 90 additional days. It generally prohibits paid work in Chile, with a narrow SERMIG authorization limited to specific, sporadic activities (public performances, sports events, conferences/lectures, and expert or technical consulting). Neither Decreto 296 nor Ley 21.325 separately addresses continuing to work remotely, from inside Chile, for an employer or clients located entirely outside the country while holding this permit. The published rules do not resolve this question either way, so treat it as open. Confirm your specific situation with SERMIG or a licensed Chilean immigration attorney before relying on a tourist permit for remote work of any duration.[3][4][5]
Note
This is a private immigration information service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or authorized by SERMIG (Servicio Nacional de Migraciones) or the Government of Chile, and this content is not legal advice. Official applications must be filed directly at serviciomigraciones.cl. For legal representation in a Chilean immigration matter, consult a licensed attorney in Chile.
References
- [1]Decreto 177 — Subcategorías Migratorias de Residencia Temporal (Spanish) [law text]
- [2]SERMIG — Residencia Temporal (Spanish)
- [3]Decreto 296 — Reglamento de la Ley 21.325 (Spanish) [law text]
- [4]Ley 21.325 — Ley de Migración y Extranjería (Spanish) [law text]
- [5]SERMIG — Permanencia Transitoria, Subcategoría: Turistas (tourist) (Spanish)
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