In order to immigrate to Chile, start with what you want to do.
Are you just living in Chile for a few months a year? Do you plan to
simply retire and do nothing in Chile? Are you coming to Chile to
start a business? Do you have family members? How many months of
the year do you plan to be in Chile? Many other countries in Latin
America will simply take your relocation money, and not ask any
questions. Chile wants to know why you want to relocate.
First things first. For almost every type of visa you must first
come to Chile as a tourist, then change. The Chilean embassies may tell you
different, but the immigration office in Chile will have the last
say. If you start the process incorrectly, and it results in your
rejection, it can be very difficult to undo. Our advice is to seek
help, for anything but the most basic visas.
Chile Tourist visa
The first place to start is the Tourist Visa in Chile. This is
almost certainly the way you will first enter Chile. There are many
people that live in Chile just fine for years on a tourist visa;
however, after a while it can become inconvenient as it must be
renewed and it also bars you from contracting certain services. There
are also special cases of people from certain countries that must
constantly pay reciprocity fees at the airport each time they enter
Chile. For them, getting off the tourist visa would be a top
priority.
That said, you can get a lot done with just a tourist visa. For
example, you can by real estate or property in Chile or buy vehicle
in Chile. All you need is to apply at an IRS office for your RUT or
Tax payer Id number. The tourist visa is also well suited to people
that simply plan to be in Chile for a couple of months a year. When
you are ready to apply for other types of visas, you can switch visas
at the Chilean Immigration office in Chile.
Please keep in mind that owning property or real estate in Chile
does not entitle you to residency. It may help later when you apply
in as far as it proves that you have means to survive in Chile, but
by itself gives you no right to a permanent residency. The same can
be said for your IRS rut number. The RUT (sometimes called a RUN), is
just a tax payer id number. Again, the taxes you pay in Chile may
help you prove income for immigration purposes, but does not entitle
you to residency in Chile.
A tourist visa in Chile is for the most part only for three months, and then it must be renewed. You can however renew your tourist visa indefinitely.
Chile Work Visa
This is the second most common type of temporary visa in Chile.
This is fairly easy to get for most people and for most jobs, as long
as you have an employment contract. Generally to get this you would
simply enter Chile as a tourist, find a job, and then apply for your
a work visa. As soon as you apply, you can legally work in Chile.
Businesses in Chile, if they hire you, are required to sponsor
your work visa application. If a company tells you that you do not
need a work visa to work for them, they are breaking the law. You can
be deported, prohibited from obtaining a new visa. In addition to
violating Chilean immigration laws, it might potentially place both
you and your employer in violation of the tax laws in Chile. This is
a common problem among English schools in Chile that fail to handle
their employee work visas correctly. Reputable companies will not
have a problem with helping you get your work visa. For the most
part, a work visa is simply done by sending an application by mail.
Send it certified mail, and keep your receipt as proof that you sent
it until you get your official authorization.
Chile Business or Investment Visa
We get a lot of people that come to Chile to start a business
under the mistaken impression that this is the easiest route to
permanent residency. It is not. Many mistakenly believe that they can
start a "business" (wink, wink) simply to get residency. This is
not true. Chile is well wired. The IRS knows all and sees all in the
Chilean economy.
The immigration department will issue fairly easily a business /
investor visa for the first year. Where most loose there visa is in
the second year, because they need to prove that they are a real
viable business. You can not cook the books.
You need a a real business plan. Find professional help to apply for this type of visa. You will need an attorney, an accountant, and a tax expert to get started with applying for a business visa in Chile.
Chile Retirement visa
This is for most people wishing to relocate to Chile likely the
path of least resistance for obtaining permanent residency in Chile.
Currently we are told by the public relations department of the
Chilean immigration office that they are processing these sorts of
Visas in approximately three months. This will likely very depending
on your situation, which Chilean immigration office you apply to, and
other factors. You still must go through the standard procedures of
one year temporary residency, proving that you have sufficient funds
to live in Chile, and submitting your paper work.
We will examine
this process in more detail in future articles in this series about
immigratiing or retiring in Chile..we will look at some of
the common pitfalls, where to apply, what sort of documents you will
need to immigrate to Chile, and the procedures you will need to
follow both before you obtain your Chilean residency and after. We
will also look at some of the benefits and obligations that go with
being a permanent resident in Chile.
Recommended Articles on Law and Immigration in Chile:
Chile Retirment and Periodic Income Visa
Chile Notaries and Powers of Attorney
Chile Relocation Articles 
