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Chile Country Profile

Passport
For more details visit Chile Passport Ranking
  • Passport Grade
    A
  • Passport Ranking
    24/198
  • Passport Score
    173.4/198
  • Visa-free Countries
    146
  • Visa-required Countries
    52
  • Access to the World's GDP
    71%
  • Access to the World's Surface Area
    63%
  • Access to the World's Population
    45%
  • Access to the Unesco Sites
    79%
Citizenship and Naturalization
Birthright citizenship (Jus Soli)
  • Birthright citizenship (Jus Soli)
    Yes
    Unrestricted: Any child born in the country automatically becomes a citizen.
Naturalization - Standard Conditions
  • Minimum residency period
    5 years
    Also need to hold permanent residency, which you can obtain after 2 years of residency.
  • Physical presence requirement
    No specific requirements, but other requirements, such as to file local taxes, suggest you need to live in Chile
  • Language test
    Yes, Spanish (no test, just an interview)
  • Need to renounce original citizenship?
    No
  • Can minor children naturalize?
    A child must turn 14 to naturalize
  • Can naturalized parents pass citizenship to a child born abroad?
    Restricted
    Chilean citizenship is limited to the second generation born outside Chile. E.g., a child born to a Chilean parent or grandparent will inherit Chilean citizenship, while a child born to a Chilean great-grandparent will not.
  • Can you lose naturalization due to prolonged absence/ naturalization elsewhere?
    No / No
Naturalization - Your Spouse is a Citizen
  • Living IN the country: Residency/marriage requirement
    2 years / 2 years
    Must be both married and reside in the country for 2 years.
  • Living ABROAD: Marriage requirement
    Not allowed
  • Language test
    Yes, Spanish (no test, just an interview)
  • Need to renounce original citizenship?
    No
Naturalization - Other Beneficial Provisions
  • Your child is a citizen
    2 years
    May apply immediately after having a child with a Chilean citizen or giving birth in Chile (jus soli), assuming you have resided there for 2 years.
  • Citizens of specific countries
    No provisions
"–": The provision has not been analysed.
Taxation
For more details visit Cost of Living
  • Taxation Type
    Residence-based
A tax resident of a country with a RESIDENCE-BASED tax system pays taxes on their WORLDWIDE income. However, if you lose tax residency status there (e.g., by moving out), the country will generally stop taxing you.

New residents' worldwide income remains tax-free for the first 3 years of residency. Only Chilean income is taxed. After three years, worldwide taxation starts to apply.
Chile is part of the Mercosur, allowing its citizens to obtain residency in any other Mercosur country using a simplified procedure.
Sovereign Man's Take on Chile
Chile boasts the highest GDP per capita in South America (rivaled only by Panama). It is stunningly beautiful, has highly fertile agricultural land, and boasts incredible weather.

It’s Colorado or Montana on steroids, with a mix of amazing desert vistas thrown in.

And traditionally, the country has been very pro-business.

Corruption is low there, so you should never attempt to bribe a policeman or a government official there (or anywhere, for that matter). 

Santiago, the capital, is a very modern city… in fact, it is the most modern city in all of Latin America. The business district of Las Condes in northeast Santiago is quite remarkable.

If you’ve read Sovereign Man for a while, you know that we have many connections to Chile.

One of the Sovereign Man offices used to be in Chile, and some of our teammates are still based there.

At the same time, Chile has not been without its fair share of issues and challenges, especially lately.

The mass protests of 2019 against “income inequality” have led to the election of a far-left government. (We hope the amount of damage the new president will be able to do is going to be limited. At least some of his ministers hail from the center-right.)

And the country’s Covid-related restrictions were some of the harshest in the world.

But Chile can still be an excellent place to check some of your Plan B boxes. 

The Chilean passport is the best travel document on the continent, coming in ahead of both the US and Canada’s travel documents.

And since Chile practices jus soli, or “the right of soil”, it can be an excellent place to have a baby.

Not only will your child become a Chilean citizen automatically, but as their parent, you will also be able to claim permanent residency in the country as a result. In fact, one of the Sovereign Man team members did just that quite recently. (We have written about it in our new book, The Ultimate Plan B Guide.)

And numerous people we know have obtained Chilean passports after living in the country for 5+ years. Caveat – it is not a slam dunk process. The process is quite bureaucratic and takes at least two years to complete – and often longer.
Sovereign Man's Rolodex
Service Providers available in Chile
  • Immigration (residency, citizenship)
  • Tax advice (attorneys and/or accountants)
  • Asset protection (specialized LLCs, trusts, etc)
  • Corporate services (company formation, etc.)
  • Natal services (for jus soli countries)
  • Private medical insurance broker
Obtain access to our Rolodex by signing up for Sovereign Confidential Join Sovereign Confidential Today

Sovereign Global Explorer

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Chile Overview
  • Region
    North and South America
  • Capital City
    Santiago
  • Largest City
    Santiago
  • Currency
    Chilean peso
  • Languages
    Spanish
  • Population
    19.7 million (62nd)
  • Life Expectancy
    79.8 years (51st)
  • GDP (Nominal)
    $310.9 billion (45th)
  • GDP/Capita
    $15,797 (69th)
Useful Data
For more details visit Cost of Living
  • Cost of Living
    Inexpensive (3/7)
  • Climate
    Comfortable (2/5)
  • Safety
    Safe (3/7)
  • Pollution
    Polluted (4/5)
  • English Proficiency
    Low (4/5)

Sovereign Global Explorer

Benefiting from over a decade of our team’s boots-on-the-ground experience, Global Explorer is where your international journey begins.
Explore Now
Found a mistake /
Have a suggestion ?
Please let us know if you spot any inaccuracies on this page or have a suggestion on how to make it even more useful.
Report Here
PREMIUM REPORTS
Chile inside Sovereign Man resources
Resource TitleProductTypeDate
The Roundup of Common Residency Options in Latin AmericaSovereign ConfidentialSMCBlack Paper06-Sep-2309/06/23
October 2022 SC Q&ASovereign ConfidentialSMCQ&A28-Oct-2210/28/22
A Roundup of Naturalization Rules & Timelines in the AmericasSovereign ConfidentialSMCBlack Paper27-Jun-2206/27/22
What We Know About the New Chilean Immigration Law So FarSovereign ConfidentialSMCAlert16-Mar-2203/16/22
February 2022 SMC Q&ASovereign ConfidentialSMCQ&A28-Feb-2202/28/22
December 2021 SMC Q&ASovereign ConfidentialSMCQ&A29-Dec-2112/29/21
September 2021 SMC Q&ASovereign ConfidentialSMCQ&A29-Sep-2109/29/21
Here Are 15 Factors to Consider Before Your International MoveSovereign ConfidentialSMCMonthly Letter15-Jun-2106/15/21
May 2021 SMC Q&ASovereign ConfidentialSMCQ&A29-May-2105/29/21
April 2021 SMC Q&ASovereign ConfidentialSMCQ&A29-Apr-2104/29/21
The Sovereign Man Starter GuideSovereign ConfidentialSMCBlack Paper09-Feb-2102/09/21
Medical tourism destinations in Latin AmericaSovereign ConfidentialSMCAlert05-Jan-2101/05/21
December 2020 SMC Q&ASovereign ConfidentialSMCQ&A30-Dec-2012/30/20
November 2020 SMC Q&ASovereign ConfidentialSMCQ&A30-Nov-2011/30/20
Homesteading: A Plan B for your foodSovereign ConfidentialSMCAlert25-Jun-2006/25/20
May 2020 SMC Q&ASovereign ConfidentialSMCQ&A29-May-2005/29/20
Best startup programs around the worldSovereign ConfidentialSMCBlack Paper05-Oct-1810/05/18
The Sovereign Man Global Passport Ranking: 2018 EditionSovereign ConfidentialSMCBlack Paper05-Jul-1807/05/18
Chile announces changes to its immigration lawSovereign ConfidentialSMCAlert13-Apr-1804/13/18
Chile taxation and residency updateSovereign ConfidentialSMCAlert10-Mar-1803/10/18
New program: Chilean Tech visa in only 15 daysSovereign ConfidentialSMCAlert26-Apr-1704/26/17
Sovereign Man Country Rankings: The Right Country for YOU, with Simon's insightsSovereign ConfidentialSMCBlack Paper06-Apr-1704/06/17
Chilean residency update AND a step-by-step guide to applying for a Chilean passportSovereign ConfidentialSMCAlert05-Nov-1611/05/16
These countries could give you a second residency or passport in 2016Sovereign ConfidentialSMCMonthly Letter14-Oct-1610/14/16
Living in Chile: From opening a bank account to finding a decent doctorSovereign ConfidentialSMCCase Study08-Aug-1608/08/16
Case Study: Moving to Chile with a family of four with school-aged childrenSovereign ConfidentialSMCCase Study06-May-1605/06/16
Meet FATCA’s even nastier cousin: CRSSovereign ConfidentialSMCAlert26-Feb-1602/26/16
Why Chile, Colombia and Panama are great options for residency and for doing businessSovereign ConfidentialSMCMonthly Letter16-Apr-1504/16/15
SMC Comprehensive Residency Update: 2015 EditionSovereign ConfidentialSMCAlert03-Mar-1503/03/15
Worldwide Banking Review: 2015 EditionSovereign ConfidentialSMCAlert25-Jan-1501/25/15
How to obtain a Chilean PassportSovereign ConfidentialSMCAlert22-Nov-1411/22/14
Have your child in Chile and set them up with an automatic second passportSovereign ConfidentialSMCAlert22-Sep-1309/22/13
Solutions to Agricultural ChallengesSovereign ConfidentialSMCAlert15-Jan-1301/15/13

Articles featuring Chile

Trends & News

How two people from New York started over in Chile

Yesterday on the drive back to Santiago from one of our blueberry farms, I stopped to visit some friends who lived in the area. About a year ago they bought some land in Chile’s incredibly fertile 7th region, which boasts a rare Mediterranean climate. It never gets too hot, and it never gets too cold. […]

Alerts

An interesting loophole for Chilean residency

I’ve been in Chile now again for the past few weeks, and I’m really glad to be back. There’s lots of exciting stuff going on here, but today I want to tell you about a new way of obtaining residency in Chile that I’ve recently discovered. This is hot off the presses as I’ve just […]

Earthquake
Trends & News

Chile just had its own 'stress test'. Unlike Citigroup, it passed...

April 2, 2014 Santiago, Chile I’m really humbled and grateful for all the emails from well-wishers who wanted to know if we were OK. In case you hadn’t heard, there was a pretty massive earthquake yesterday evening in northern Chile off the coast of Iquique near the Peruvian border. According to the University of Chile […]

Chile
Investing

Chile farmland is some of the most undervalued in the world

June 18, 2013 Bio Bio Region, Chile In the world of investing, there’s a lot to be said for buying undervalued assets. Occasionally the market provides some incredible opportunities to pick up high quality assets so cheap that, to paraphrase acclaimed investor Jim Rogers, all you have to do is walk over and pick up […]

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