Chile Work Visa 2026: Requirements, Cost and Process
The Chile work visa is a Temporary Residence permit (Residencia Temporal) in the subcategory for foreigners who carry out lawful remunerated activities. It is granted by the National Migration Service (Servicio Nacional de Migraciones, SERMIG), and it has to be applied for online from outside Chile. You cannot arrive as a tourist and switch, apart from the exceptions the law lists. This guide sets out who qualifies, the documents, the fee by nationality, and each stage of the process, as published by SERMIG and Chile's foreign ministry and read on 14 October 2026.
Quick answer
You need an employment contract or a formal job offer from an employer in Chile, and you apply from abroad on SERMIG's digital portal. With a contract the permit is valid for up to two years and can be extended by two years at a time. With a job offer you receive 90 days, and have 45 days after entering Chile to submit the final contract. The fee depends on nationality: the table SERMIG links shows US$ 190 for United States citizens, US$ 123 for Indian citizens and US$ 194 for Pakistani citizens.
Two ways to qualify
| Basis | What you receive | What follows |
|---|---|---|
| A contract under subordination or dependence with an employer that has a domicile or branch in Chile | A permit valid for up to two years | It can be extended by two years, successively |
| A formal job offer from a Chilean natural or legal person, formally accepted by you | A permit for 90 consecutive days | Once you enter Chile you have 45 days to submit the final contract, and receive an extension of 1 year |
| A contract for services, for self-employed activity, made with a Chilean or a holder of Definitive Residence | A permit under the same subcategory | The services must run for more than 90 consecutive days, and the contract is concluded before the Chilean consulate before you enter |
SERMIG states that the contract can be for any kind of employment that is not contrary to morality, public safety or public health, and that its form and content must follow the Labour Code.
Where and how you apply
- From abroad only: SERMIG marks this application as available only from outside Chile. You log in to its digital procedures portal (Portal de Trámites Digitales) with an account created for the purpose or with ClaveÚnica.
- Not from a tourist stay: people in Chile on a Transitory Stay (Permanencia Transitoria) cannot apply for residence permits during their stay. The exceptions SERMIG lists include family ties with Chileans or permanent residents, dependants of a temporary residence holder, and humanitarian reasons.
- No paid work as a visitor: holders of a Transitory Stay cannot carry out remunerated activities. A separate work authorisation exists for specific and sporadic activities, such as performers, athletes, speakers and expert advisers.
Documents
With a contract of employment you attach:
- Passport: valid, for all nationalities. For applications from abroad it must be valid for at least one year from the date of application.
- Criminal record certificate from your country of origin or the country where you have lived in the last 5 years, required for applicants over 18. It must be no more than 60 days old.
- Recent photograph: colour, white background, full face, no glasses or hat, in JPG or PNG.
- The employment contract. The employer signs it before a Chilean notary, and you sign it before the competent Chilean consulate.
- Proof of the employer's liquidity to hire you, and the employer's tax file (Carpeta Tributaria) where the employer is a company or a person registered for business activities.
- Company documents, depending on the employer: for example the document showing the legal representation of whoever signs the contract.
With a job offer, the contract is replaced by an offer letter notarised by a Chilean notary public and your letter accepting it, signed before the consulate.
Rules for every document
- Documents in a language other than Spanish or English need an official translation.
- Documents issued abroad must be apostilled or duly legalised.
- Documents from private entities must be attached within 30 days of issue, and those from public bodies within 60 days, unless the document states a different validity.
- Everything is uploaded in PDF format.
What it costs
SERMIG's fee page, updated on 1 October 2026, says the fee for Temporary Residence depends on nationality and links a table of amounts in US dollars. The column for the contract-based visa shows:
| Nationality | Contract-based residence (US$) | Temporary visa column (US$) | Student (US$) |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States of America | 190 | 205 | 160 |
| India | 123 | 123 | 78 |
| Pakistan | 194 | 170 | 122 |
| United Kingdom | 1160 | 2620 | 870 |
- How you pay: in Chilean pesos through the portal of the General Treasury (TGR). SERMIG's page gives the dollar value used for calculations as $969,70 until 31.10.2026.
- When you pay: for an application from abroad, the application is not sent to SERMIG until the payment is made.
- The table's age: the linked table is a resolution dated 3 July 2020. It is the one SERMIG's current fee page points to, so confirm the amount the portal shows you before paying.
The process, stage by stage
- Payment. You complete the application and pay the fee.
- Received and under analysis. SERMIG may email you if it needs more documents. In some cases it asks you to go to the nearest Chilean consulate to complete them.
- Resolution. If SERMIG intends to refuse, it notifies you first, and you have 10 working days to send documents in reply.
- Signature, then notification by email, with the resolution attached.
- Electronic stamp (Estampado Electrónico). You check its details and download it within 120 working days of the date the residence was granted.
- Entry. Once you have downloaded it you have 90 consecutive days to enter Chile. The permit's validity is counted from your entry.
- Identity card. After activating the stamp you have 30 consecutive days to request an appointment at the Civil Registry (Registro Civil) for your Chilean identity card. Missing this is a migration infraction that can be fined.
Processing time: the SERMIG pages we read publish no number of days or weeks for a Temporary Residence decision. You can follow each stage in the portal under the option to check the status of a procedure.
If you are from the US, India or Pakistan
| Citizenship | Visa needed to enter as a visitor | Visitor visa fee and maximum stay |
|---|---|---|
| United States of America | No | US$ 0, max. 90-day stay |
| India | Yes | US$ 42 (single entry), max. 90-day stay |
| Pakistan | Yes | US$ 122 (single entry, max. 30-day stay), US$ 202 (multiple entry, max. 90-day stay) |
These entries are from the foreign ministry's consular site and concern the Transitory Stay. Most are capped at 90 days, but a Pakistani citizen's single-entry visa is capped at 30 days (the multiple-entry visa still allows up to 90). They do not change the work route: citizens of all three countries apply for Temporary Residence from abroad. Where a consulate charges in local currency, the site says a surcharge of 10 % applies to the base value.
After you arrive
- Changing employer: losing the job that supported your permit, or changing employer voluntarily, is not by itself a reason to revoke it. A holder of Temporary Residence can change employer without informing SERMIG. The 90-day permit based on a job offer is the exception.
- If the offered contract never happens: SERMIG cancels the 90-day permit and orders you to leave the country.
- Extension: you can apply to extend if you show that you are still carrying out lawful remunerated activities.
- Family: relatives covered by article 74 of Law 21.325 can be granted Temporary Residence as your dependants.
- Permanent residence: holders of Temporary Residence applied for after 14 May 2022 must have lived in Chile in that status for at least 24 months before applying for Definitive Residence.
For the wider move, see our moving to Chile guide.
Frequently asked questions
What are the requirements for a Chile work visa?
An employment contract or a formal job offer from an employer in Chile, a passport valid for at least one year from the application date, a criminal record certificate no more than 60 days old, a recent photograph, and proof that the employer can afford to hire you.
Can I apply for a Chile work visa from inside Chile?
No. SERMIG states that the application is available only from abroad, and that people in Chile on a Transitory Stay cannot apply for residence permits, apart from the exceptions set by law.
How much does a Chile work visa cost?
It depends on your nationality. The table linked from SERMIG's fee page shows US$ 190 for United States citizens, US$ 123 for Indian citizens and US$ 194 for Pakistani citizens for the contract-based residence.
How long does a Chile work visa take to process?
SERMIG publishes no processing time on the pages we read. It publishes the deadlines that bind you: 120 working days to download the electronic stamp and 90 consecutive days after that to enter Chile.
How long is a Chile work visa valid?
Up to two years with an employment contract, extendable by two years at a time. With a job offer you receive 90 days and a 1-year extension once you submit the contract within 45 days of entering.
Can US citizens work in Chile?
Yes, with Temporary Residence for remunerated activities, applied for from abroad. US citizens need no visa to enter as visitors for up to 90 days, but visitors cannot do paid work.
Can I change jobs on a Chile work visa?
Yes. SERMIG says a holder of Temporary Residence can change employer without informing it. The exception is the 90-day permit granted on a job offer, which is tied to the employer that made the offer.
Official sources
- Servicio Nacional de Migraciones — Residencia Temporal: actividades lícitas remuneradas (Spanish)
- Servicio Nacional de Migraciones — Residencia Temporal permit (English)
- Servicio Nacional de Migraciones — Stages of an application made abroad (Spanish)
- Servicio Nacional de Migraciones — Migration fees (Spanish)
- Ministry of the Interior — Fee table by nationality, Resolución Exenta N° 129194 (PDF, Spanish)
- Servicio Nacional de Migraciones — Permanencia Transitoria (Spanish)
- Servicio Nacional de Migraciones — Residencia Definitiva (Spanish)
- Consulado.gob.cl (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) — Visas to enter Chile (Spanish)
All fees, deadlines and rules verified against the official sources above on 14 October 2026. Translations from Spanish are ours. Information, not legal advice.