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Residencia Definitiva permit

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What is a Residencia Definitiva permit?

Residencia Definitiva is the permit granted by the Servicio Nacional de Migraciones (SERMIG) to foreigners who have a valid Residencia Temporal, to reside indefinitely and engage in any lawful activity in the country.

In which cases can I apply for Residencia Definitiva?

Residencia Temporal holders may apply for Residencia Definitiva, only in the cases accepted by the migration subcategory of which they are holders. The application must be made before the deadline to request the extension of the residence permit, that is to say, no more than 90 days prior to the due date.

Where can I apply for Residencia Definitiva permit?

Applications related to Residencia Definitiva are made through SERMIG’s Portal de Trámites Digitales, by logging in with ClaveÚnica or with the account created by the applicant for such purposes, meeting all the requirements.

Apply for Residencia Definitiva *

* Spanish only.

Requirements

As an applicant, you must upload the general documentation plus the specific documentation for your application, as shown below:

  1. Criminal record certificate from country of origin, apostilled or duly legalized and translated, if applicable, and valid (mandatory for those over 18 years old). (*)
  2. Scanned image of passport or identity card from country of origin. (*)
  3. Scanned image of Chilean Identity Card for foreigners (mandatory for those over 18 years of age). (*)
  4. Estampado Electrónico of the Residencia Temporal permit or Visa stamped in passport or Certificado de Término de Misión issued by MINREL, as appropriate. (*)
  5. Recent photo: (*)
    • In color, with a white background.
    • Looking directly at the camera, covering the entire face, with a neutral expression and open eyes.
    • Do not wear accessories such as glasses or a hat.
    • It must be taken on a current date, as close as possible to the time of application.
    • Upload to the platform in JPG or PNG format.
(*) Mandatory documents.
  • If spouse:
    • Marriage Certificate. (*)
    • Spouse’s birth certificate. (*)
  • If you are a child:
    • Birth Certificate of the applicant containing their personal data and that of the parent. (*)
  • If you are a parent:
    • Birth Certificate of the child containing their personal data and those of the parent. (*)
  • If you are a civil partner:
    • Civil partnership certificate. (*)
    • Birth Certificate of the civil partner. (*)

(*) Mandatory documents.

  • If you have an employment contract:
    • Copy of the current contract signed before a public notary (*).
    • Certificado de vigencia del contrato, signed before a public notary (*).
    • Certificado histórico de cotizaciones de AFP (*).
    • Certificado histórico de cotizaciones de salud (*).
  • If you work on a fee basis or are self-employed (2nd category):
    • Copy of inicio de actividades (*).
    • Declaración de impuesto a la renta (Optional).
    • Copy of the current contract signed before a public notary (*).
  • If you issue electronic invoices:
    • Annual report of the total fees received (*).
  • If you issue paper receipts:
    • Monthly tax payments for the last 8 months (*).
  • If you are an investor or trader:
    • Escritura de constitución de sociedad y modificaciones (Optional).
    • Certificado de inicio de actividades (*).
    • Last 8 payments of V.A.T. (*).
    • Last tax balance sheet of the company (Optional).
    • Last Declaración de Renta de la sociedad y personal (Optional).
    • Certificado de dominio or lease contracts (Optional).
    • Proof of payment of municipal patents (Optional).
  • If you are retired or a pensioner:
    • Retirement or income statement (*).
  • If you are a leaser:
    • Certificates of ownership domain (*).
    • Lease agreements (Optional).
    • Other documents (Optional).
  • If you are financially supported by your spouse, parents, children or others (inactive):
    • Affidavit of expenses signed by the family provider(s) before a notary (*).
    • Financial income of the family provider(s) (*).

(*) Mandatory documents.

  • Notarized copy of título, Certificado de título, Licencia de Enseñanza Media or high school degree (Optional).
  • Certificado de Alumno Regular (Regular Student certificate) of the educational center (Optional).
  • Proof of income (*):
    • Offer or employment contract, signed by the employer before a public notary, indicating services to be rendered and income, or
    • Affidavit of expenses signed before a public notary and financial income of the breadwinner.
  • For children and teens not accompanied by their parents, the guardian must attach a Certificate of Guardianship duly legalized in the country of origin or apostilled or a document issued by the Juzgado de Familia in Chile (*).

(*) Mandatory documents.

  • From the Catholic Church:
    • Certificate from the congregation or church indicating membership and economic dependence, legalized by the Bishop of the respective diocese (*).
  • From other religions or cults:
    • Certificate from the superior of the church or religion indicating activity and/or economic dependence of the applicant, notarized (*).
    • Validity of the legal personality of the church to which they belong, document issued by the Ministry of Justice (Law No. 19.638) or certificate of the board of directors and of validity of non-profit legal entity, granted by the Registro Civil (Law No. 20.500) (Valid for 30 days) (*).

(*) Mandatory documents.

You must prove your relationship with the family provider:

  • Affidavit of expenses signed by the holder before a notary (*).
  • Financial income of the sponsor. Activity, income and/or economic support must be proven (*).

(*) Mandatory documents.

Important!

  • In order to apply for Residencia Definitiva, a certificate of criminal and/or judicial record from the country of origin is required for all nationalities. This document is valid for no more than 90 days from the date of issuance.
  • Any document issued abroad or by the respective consular representation in Chile must be apostilled or duly legalized, as stipulated in Articles No. 345 and 345 bis of the Código de Procedimiento Civil.
  • In addition, any document in a language other than Spanish or English must be translated.

General information

When your application is reviewed, you will receive an email notification to pay fees, if applicable. Please review the instructions in the guide on payment of residence fees.

In order to apply for Residencia Definitiva, temporary residents who are holders of subcategories of applications were submitted after May 14, 2022, must have resided in the country as such for at least 24 months.

According to article 79 of Law No. 21.325 of Migración y Extranjería and article 66 of its Reglamento, the period of residence required to apply for Residencia Definitiva may be from 12 months, depending on the following personal circumstances of the interested party:

  • Family bond with nationals or permanent residents.
  • Official missions performed in Chile.
  • Availability of income or pensions.
  • Executed investments and/or companies that prove effective operation in Chile.
  • Their contribution to the field of social, cultural, artistic, scientific and/or sports.
  • Other cases provided for in international agreements ratified by Chile and which are in force.

In the same article 79 of Law No. 21.325 of Migración y Extranjería and article 65 of the Reglamento, in order to apply for Residencia Definitiva, a period of residence of more than 24 months is required in the following cases:

  • Insufficient means of livelihood for the applicant and their family group, according to the indicators estimated by the Ministry of Social Development and Family, to consider that the household income is less than the minimum required to meet the basic needs of its members.
  • Labor stability of the applicant, understood as the performance of any lawful economic activity, autonomously or as a dependent, that allows proving income for at least half of the months of Residencia Temporal in the country.
  • Absence from the country and its duration.
  • Migration violations.
  • Labor, social security, environmental, sanitary, tax, customs or any other violations to the Chilean legal system, and its seriousness.

If you attach incorrect or irrelevant information, you will be contacted by e-mail and asked for more information, and you will have 60 calendar days from the date of notification to send the requested documents through the SERMIG's Portal de Trámites Digitales. If you do not do so within the indicated term, your application may be rejected according to Art. 88 of Law No. 21,325 of Migración y Extranjería.

In order to submit the requested documentation for a Residencia Definitiva application, you must have been previously notified by e-mail of the application. After this, you must follow the next steps:

  1. With your ClaveÚnica or Login account, enter the SERMIG's Portal de Trámites Digitales, check your Bandeja de Entrada (Inbox), and you will find the application called "Completa antecedentes por ClaveÚnica o cuenta Login".
  2. When you click on the "Realizar" button, you must attach the documentation that was requested in the "Solicita antecedentes" notification you received. Once you have attached the files, you must complete the process for your application to be received by SERMIG.
  3. Only in case you don't have the requested documents, you must attach a letter of explanation.

Yes, official residents who have completed their official missions, and provided that they have completed a period equal to or greater than one year in that capacity, may apply for any other residence or Permanencia Transitoria under the same conditions as other foreigners. For this purpose, the end of the mission must be duly certified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (according to Art. 64 and Art. 79 of Law No. 21325 of Migración y Extranjería).

According to Law No. 21325 of Migración y Extranjería, the entry into force of the decree creating the new migration subcategories will not affect the acquired rights of those who were holders of Residencia Temporal at that date.

  • If a change of migration subcategory implies greater benefits for the holders of the Residencia Temporal previously granted, you will be able to opt for such category if you comply with the requirements established for the same.
  • If before the entry into force of the new subcategories, you were a holder of a residence or applicant for Residencia Temporal and you were granted such benefit assimilated to the new subcategories, the terms of the old legislation to apply for Residencia Definitiva will be respected (one year for Visa Temporal, two years for Visa Sujeta a Contrato and two years for Visa de Estudiante).*
* This includes persons who have Residencial Temporal for a one-year term as a result of the 2021 Regularization.

How can I see the status of my application for Residencia Definitiva?

You can track the progress of an application in the SERMIG’s Portal de Trámites Digitales, logging in with ClaveÚnica. Then you must go to the side menu and click on the “Consulta Estado Trámite” button.

More FAQ about Residencia Definitiva

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