The Chile Investor Visa, Explained

Yes. There are distinct subcategories of investor visas in Chile based on the investor's profile (private investor, company, employee of a foreign company). The process is the same, but the documents required by the Chilean investment agency are different.

You must apply for a temporary residence visa as an investor outside Chile. This process is only available outside Chile and cannot be conducted once you arrive in Chile as a tourist.

Yes. You can bring dependents or family members to Chile under your investor visa. The family members that you can include are your spouse or equivalent, children under 18 years old, children with disabilities, unmarried children under 24 years old who are (or will be) studying in Chile, and minors under your personal care or guardianship. Additional documents are needed to establish family links. See the temporary visa application page for more information.

The duration of the investor visa granted by the Chile immigration service is usually two years.

Yes. There is no travel restriction with the investor visa in Chile.

The investor visa is a category of temporary visa. You can find the average application time on this page, section "Reply Time". As this visa is processed in coordination with the investment agency, they are usually faster to obtain as Chile wants to incentivize investment in the country.

Yes. The Chile immigration service does not provide an option to expedite the visa process. Yet, they have signed an agreement with the investment agency to facilitate the processing of investment visas. If your application is delayed, we recommend contacting the investment agency, which you should already be in touch with, so that they liaise with the immigration service.

No. There is no cap. This visa is quite restrictive, but if you meet the requirements, it is an excellent option to gain residency quickly.

No. The requirements for the investor visa are focused on the planned investment and do not include any course or exam about Chilean culture or Spanish.

Chile is the wealthiest country in Latin America. It is an attractive and stable economy with a high standard of living and a decent labor force.

Of course, it depends on the industry. Several sectors are particularly interesting for investment, such as mining, renewable energy, technology, and infrastructure. Unfortunately, Chile remains a small market with less than 20 million inhabitants, so the consumer goods industry is not scalable."

The government of Chile has taken steps to promote foreign investment. Chile has two specific agencies within the Ministry of Economy. One is in charge of large foreign investors, called InvestChile. The other agency, called CORFO, supports production and innovation in general (not only for foreign investors). It has several programs that fund companies innovating or willing to set up in a Chilean region outside Santiago. The goal is to decentralize the country.

The types of investment that qualify for an investment visa in Chile include investing an amount equal to or greater than 500,000 USD in producing goods or services.

No. Purchasing real estate in Chile does not qualify for an investment visa. The law specifies that the investment must be for producing goods or services and must be equal to or greater than 500,000 USD (or equivalent in other currencies). Real estate investment, unless included in a larger project that produces goods or services, does not qualify.

It depends. Buying bonds or publicly traded shares on the Chilean stock market does not qualify. Buying private instruments to take control of a significant share in a private company, with an associated business plan to develop it, can qualify.

The required investment amount in Chile to qualify for an investor visa is equal to or greater than 500,000 USD or equivalent in other currencies.

No. For the first visa application, transferring the funds to a local bank is not required. You only need to demonstrate that you have the funds.

Yes. It is necessary to have a detailed document of the investment, indicating its purpose and amount, to apply for an investor visa in Chile. If you are an owner or partner of an established company, you can also add documents such as the company's constitution deed and modifications, or tax folder.

Yes. The investment project needs to be approved by InvestChile, the Chilean investment agency. While applying for the visa, the foreign investor must submit a sponsorship letter issued by the Foreign Investment Promotion Agency (InvestChile). Therefore, a previous analysis and validation of the project by this agency is required.

No. There are no specific sectors where investment is required. The Chilean investment agency is promoting specific sectors, such as mining, infrastructure, logistics, and energy, but these are not required sectors.

No. There are different categories based on the type of investor (private, company) but not based on the amount. As long as the investment is above 500,000 USD, the applicant qualifies.

No. There is no employment requirement. Yet, the planned number of job creations is required in the application and considered.

Not necessarily. The investment project is reviewed after two years when the investment visa must be renewed. If you want to qualify for visa renewal based on the investment project, you need to demonstrate that you have executed the project and that it is generating income. You may not have a balance above 500,000 USD if you have invested part of it to develop the project.

The Chilean immigration laws do not explicitly state a requirement for a temporary resident to reside in Chile for a certain number of days each year. However, to qualify for permanent residency, you must prove two years of continuous residency in Chile.

There is no specific definition of a qualifying investment. Yet, the investment must aim at producing goods or services. For this reason, real estate purchases do not qualify unless related to a more significant investment project aiming at producing goods/services.

No. The immigration law does not specify any restrictions on the countries of origin for potential investors in Chile.

It depends. You must be able to provide a financial statement indicating that you own financial resources above the minimum amount required. You could use a loan if you can have the principal transferred to your bank account before applying for the investment visa.

No.

No. Nor does the immigration service or the Chilean investment agency specify particular regions or zones in Chile where investments are particularly encouraged or incentivized.

Yes, foreigners can own land in Chile. You do not need to be legally resident in Chile. It is possible to buy as a non-resident. The only restriction is for citizens of the countries with a shared land border with Chile, who are not allowed to purchase land in Chile within 10km of this border.

Yes, the same rules apply to properties such as houses and apartments in Chile. Therefore, a foreigner can buy them.

Yes. You can switch to another type of temporary visa, which might be interesting if you realize that your investment project will not work and, therefore, will not allow you to renew your visa.

Yes. It is possible to renew an investor visa in Chile when it expires. You must file your renewal application between 90 and 10 days before the visa expiration date. You will be required to file a letter from the investment agency. Make sure to plan to have time to obtain the documents.

Yes. You can apply for permanent residency in Chile after living on an investor visa. The necessary residency period to apply for permanent residency is 24 months.

No for citizenship. Only permanent residents who can prove two years of continuous residence in Chile can apply for it.