The Chile Investor Visa, Explained
Are you planning to invest in Chile? This page reviews the investor visa: the USD 500,000 threshold, the InvestChile sponsorship letter, required documents, and process.
What is an investor visa in Chile?
The investor visa in Chile is called Inversionistas y personal relacionado (Spanish for "investors and related personnel"). It is a temporary residence permit for 1) foreign investors putting USD 500,000 or more into the production of goods or services in Chile, and 2) senior managers and specialized technical staff of a foreign-controlled Chilean company [1].
This visa is sponsored by InvestChile, the Chilean Foreign Investment Promotion Agency, which issues the required Carta de Patrocinio (sponsorship letter) [2]. InvestChile also offers post-investment support once you are established in the country [3].
Who can apply for an investor visa in Chile?
The investor visa can be obtained by providing information about the investment or the Chilean company where the applicant will work, and evidence of the qualifying capital [1]. This is part of Chile's policy to give foreign investors and their key personnel a fast, dedicated residence pathway.
Foreigners who can apply for an investor visa in Chile fall into two tracks:
- Investor track: you are a foreign natural person, or the legal representative or senior manager of a foreign company, investing USD 500,000 or more in the production of goods or services in Chile. You must be able to document capital of at least USD 500,000.
- Company-role track: you are a senior manager or specialized technical staff member, employed by or contracted to serve a Chile-based company that is directly or indirectly controlled by a foreign investor holding at least 10% of its voting rights (or an equivalent capital participation).
In both tracks, you must submit a sponsorship letter (Carta de Patrocinio) issued by InvestChile, plus a document describing the investment: its amount, sector, a brief project description, and the employment it generates or will generate in Chile [2].
The general document rules that apply to every temporary residence application also apply here: your passport must be valid for at least one year at the time of application, you need a criminal background certificate covering the last 5 years, foreign public documents must be no older than 60 days and foreign private documents no older than 30 days, and any document not in Spanish or English must be translated [1]. You must also not be subject to the imperative prohibitions on entry set out in Ley 21.325 [4].
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Is the investor visa right for me?
The investor visa is the best option for you if:
- you intend to invest USD 500,000 or more in Chile, directly or through a company, or
- a Chile-based company, controlled by a foreign investor with at least 10% of its voting rights, employs or contracts you as a senior manager or specialized technical staff member.
Who does not qualify for an investor visa?
If your investment amount is lower than USD 500,000 and you do not hold a qualifying senior-manager or specialist role at a foreign-controlled Chilean company, you do not qualify for the investor visa [1][5]. Consider the rentista visa or the work visa, which are the most common alternatives. You may also qualify for other visa categories, depending on your situation.
Chile investor visa eligibility
The requirements to apply for an investor visa in Chile are: [1]
- getting the sponsorship letter (Carta de Patrocinio) approved by InvestChile.
- investment project of USD 500,000 or more aimed at producing goods or services, or a qualifying role at a company that a foreign investor controls with at least 10% of the voting rights.
- a document describing the investment: amount, sector, project description, and expected employment created.
- having a passport valid for at least one year at the date of application.
- not being subject to Ley 21.325's imperative prohibitions on entry (for example, certain criminal or security grounds) [4]. See details on the Chile temporary visa page.
Note
Documents issued abroad must be apostilled or legalized adequately by the Chilean consulate in the country of origin and by the Chilean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as stipulated in articles 345/345 bis of the Civil Procedure Code. Public documents must be no older than 60 days and private documents no older than 30 days at the time of application, and any document not in Spanish or English must be translated.
Documents required for the investment visa in Chile
Documents required for all temporary visas
- Copy of your passport (only the page with your photo), valid for at least one year.
- Background check of your country of origin, apostilled or legalized, covering the last 5 years.
- Background check of your country of residence, apostilled or legalized, if you have resided in the last five years in a country different from your country of origin.
- Criminal record certificate (last 5 years)
- Valid passport
Requirements come from the official eligibility rules; always confirm against the cited source before applying.
Specific documents for this visa
- Sponsorship letter (Carta de Patrocinio) from InvestChile.
- Description of the investment project: amount, sector, brief project description, and employment generated or to be generated.
- Evidence of capital of at least USD 500,000, for the investor track (foreign natural person or foreign legal entity).
- Banco Central certificates, corporate formation documents, and commercial registry inscriptions, for a Chilean entity receiving foreign capital or a foreign entity with a Chilean participation.
- Passport copy, and, for legal representatives, a legalized/apostilled power of attorney (in Spanish or English), for each named beneficiary.
- Corporate bylaws or powers, for beneficiaries in managerial or senior executive roles.
- CV, employment contract, and professional credentials, for specialist technical personnel.
The list of documents InvestChile requests varies by applicant type and investment vehicle [2]. Gathering all the required documents for the Carta de Patrocinio can take time. For this reason, we do not detail every case and recommend contacting our local immigration expert, who can assist you.
Duration and renewal
The investor visa is granted for up to 24 months per period [1].
You must file a renewal application between 90 and 10 days before the visa's expiration date [6]. For the investor visa specifically, renewal requires documents showing your investment's progress, your company's electronic tax folder (Carpeta Tributaria Electrónica), proof of municipal patente payment when applicable, and legalized or apostilled documents proving the contractual relationship and associated income between the company and you. See the visa renewal page for the general renewal process.
Chile Investor visa fees and related costs
The Chilean investor visa is a category of temporary visa. For this reason, the associated visa fees vary based on the applicant's citizenship [7].
Investor visa complete application process
The investment visa is applied for from abroad only. You cannot switch into it once in Chile as a tourist [1]. See the application process for the temporary visa for the general steps. If InvestChile finds your Carta de Patrocinio application incomplete or in error, it will notify you at the email address you provided, so you can correct or complete it [2].
Path to permanent residency and citizenship
The investor visa leads to permanent residency. The typical stages are:
- Investor Temporary Residence (Residencia Temporal — Inversionistas y Personal Relacionado), granted for up to 24 months per period, renewable
- Permanent residence (Residencia Definitiva) eligibility: 24 months standard, discretionarily reducible to 12 months on investment grounds
- 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[8]
Statutory minimums — actual processing adds time on top. Details on the visa page.
After holding the investor visa, the standard residency period required before you can apply for permanent residency (Residencia Definitiva) is 24 months. The Regional Director may, at their discretion, reduce this to a minimum of 12 months on investment-related grounds. This is a discretionary reduction, not an entitlement, and is decided case by case [6].
Once you hold permanent residency, naturalization (Carta de Nacionalización) requires 5 years of continuous residence in Chile, counted from the date of your Temporary Residence Electronic Stamp, provided you are 18 or older [4][8].
Frequently Asked Questions about the investor visa in Chile
Investor visa application process
Yes. There are two qualifying tracks under the same investor visa: 1) foreign investors (or the legal representatives / senior managers of a foreign company) investing USD 500,000 or more in Chile, and 2) senior managers or specialized technical staff employed by a Chile-based company that a foreign investor controls. The process is the same, but the supporting documents InvestChile requires differ by track.[1][3][5]
Investor visa conditions
Yes. You can bring dependents or family members to Chile under your investor visa. The family members 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.[5][10]
The investor visa is a category of temporary visa. Processing times are set by SERMIG and vary. You can find the current indicator in the "Visa Processing Time" box on the Chile immigration hub page. Because this visa is processed in coordination with InvestChile, the Chilean investment agency, applications are generally faster than other temporary visa categories.[3][11]
No. The Chile immigration service does not provide an option to expedite the visa process. Yet, SERMIG has an agreement with InvestChile to facilitate the processing of investment visas. If your application is delayed, we recommend contacting InvestChile, which you should already be in touch with, so it can liaise with SERMIG.[3][5]
Investment-related questions
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.
No. Purchasing real estate in Chile does not, on its own, qualify for an investment visa. The law requires the investment to be aimed at producing goods or services and to be equal to or greater than USD 500,000 (or the equivalent in other currencies). A real estate purchase does not qualify unless it is part of a larger project that produces goods or services.[1][5]
It depends. Buying bonds or publicly traded shares on the Chilean stock market does not, by itself, meet the "production of goods or services" requirement. Taking a controlling stake in a private company, with an associated business plan to develop it, can qualify.[1]
No. For the first visa application, transferring the funds to a local bank is not required. You need to demonstrate that you own capital of at least USD 500,000, per the InvestChile resolution's supporting-document requirements.[2]
Yes. All applicants must submit a document describing the investment, planned or completed, including its amount, sector, a brief project description, and the employment it generates or will generate in Chile.[2]
Yes. The investment project needs a sponsorship letter, the Carta de Patrocinio (Spanish for "sponsorship letter"), issued by InvestChile, the Chilean Foreign Investment Promotion Agency. This letter is a prerequisite for the investor residence permit. InvestChile clarifies it is issued solely for immigration purposes. On its own, this letter does not confer foreign-investor status under other Chilean investment law.[1][2]
No. There are different qualifying tracks based on the applicant's role (investor, or manager/specialist of a foreign-controlled company), but not tiers based on the investment amount. As long as the investment is USD 500,000 or more, the amount requirement is met.[1]
No. There is no minimum employment requirement in the law. The investment description you submit to InvestChile must state the employment generated or to be generated in Chile, and this is considered as part of the review.[2]
Not necessarily. The investment is reviewed again when you renew the visa, after two years. Renewal requires documents showing investment progress. You do not need to keep the full USD 500,000 balance untouched if you have deployed part of it into the project.[1]
The Chilean immigration law does not set a minimum number of days per year that a temporary resident must spend in Chile. However, to qualify for permanent residency, you must complete the applicable continuous-residence period in Chile.[11]
There is no closed list of qualifying investment types. The investment must aim at producing goods or services. For this reason, a real estate purchase does not qualify unless it is part of a larger project aimed at producing goods or services.[1]
No. The immigration law does not restrict the investor visa by the applicant's country of origin.[1]
It depends. You must be able to document that you hold capital of at least USD 500,000, per the InvestChile resolution's supporting-document requirements. If a loan is the source of these funds, the principal would need to have been transferred to your account before you apply, so that you can evidence the capital as required.[2]
No. Neither Decreto 177 nor the InvestChile resolution requires prior business experience or a track record as an investor.[1]
No. Neither SERMIG nor InvestChile designates particular regions or zones in Chile as required or incentivized for this visa.[3]
Yes, foreigners can own land in Chile. You do not need to be legally resident in Chile, and you can buy as a non-resident. The main restriction applies to citizens of countries that share a land border with Chile, who are not allowed to purchase land within 10km of that border.
Yes, the same rules apply to houses and apartments as to other property in Chile. A foreigner can buy them.
Investment visa renewal / Permanent residency
Yes. You can 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. For the investor visa specifically, renewal requires documents showing investment progress, your company's electronic tax folder, proof of municipal patente payment when applicable, and legalized or apostilled documents proving the contractual relationship and associated income between the company and you. Plan ahead so you have time to gather these documents.[1][6]
Yes. You can apply for permanent residency in Chile after living on an investor visa. The standard residency period before applying for permanent residency is 24 months, though the Regional Director may discretionarily reduce it to a minimum of 12 months on investment grounds.
No immediately for citizenship. Only permanent residents who can prove the applicable years of continuous residence in Chile can apply for naturalization.
[4][6]Note
This page is a private, independent information service and is provided for general information only. It is not legal advice. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or authorized by SERMIG (Servicio Nacional de Migraciones) or the Government of Chile. Official applications must be filed directly at serviciomigraciones.cl. For legal representation in a Chilean immigration matter, consult a licensed attorney in Chile. This page does not replace professional legal advice.
References
- [1]Decreto 177 — Subcategorías Migratorias de Residencia Temporal (Spanish) [law text]
- [2]Resolución InvestChile — Requisitos Visa de Inversionista (Spanish)
- [3]SERMIG — Convenio para Facilitar la Llegada de Inversionistas Extranjeros, comunicado (Spanish)
- [4]Ley 21.325 — Ley de Migración y Extranjería (Spanish) [law text]
- [5]SERMIG — Residencia Temporal, Subcategoría: Inversionistas (investor) (Spanish)
- [6]Decreto 296 — Reglamento de la Ley 21.325 (Spanish) [law text]
- [7]SERMIG — Aranceles Migratorios (fee schedule) (Spanish)
- [8]DS 5.142/1960 — Ley sobre Nacionalización de Extranjeros (Spanish) [law text]
- [9]SERMIG — Permanencia Transitoria, Subcategoría: Turistas (tourist) (Spanish)
- [10]SERMIG Centro de Ayuda — Requisitos: Residencia Temporal de Reunificación Familiar (Spanish)
- [11]SERMIG — Residencia Definitiva (Spanish)
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