I’m moving to Chile: applying for a residence permit from abroad
Residence before your flight — otherwise you cannot obtain it in Chile
You cannot fly into Chile and sort things out on arrival. Law 21.325 closed that the route in February 2022: a tourist already in the country cannot apply for residency. That means the entire path runs in reverse — first the dossier and application from the country where you live, then the decision, and only then the flight. We manage this submission in full.
Who it suits. For those living on passive income, a pension, or remote work, and choosing a calm country in Latin America. For those who have a Chilean employer. And especially for those already set to fly on a 90-day visa-free days to ’look around and apply’ — start with this first.
What is included
- ⚠️ We verify the essentials before any money changes hands: arriving as a tourist and applying on the spot is not possible. Since 12 February 2022, Law 21.325 prohibits this — residency is obtained from the country of residence, with entry after a positive decision
- We identify which category applies to you: rentista on passive income, pensioner, employment contract, investor, family reunification or study
- We build a dossier that reads as a steady income: there is no fixed threshold in Chilean law, and the decision rests with SERMIG — that is precisely where all the work lies
- We prepare and review the complete document package for your chosen basis
- We file through the Trámites Digitales portal from your country of residence
- We manage the case through to a decision and prepare you for entry: what to do in the first 30 days
- We give honest timelines from the authorities: SERMIG reviews temporary residency up to 12 months, permanent — from one to two years. These are service timelines, not ours.
What the package does not include
Paid separately and directly, with no markup from us.
- Apostille, sworn translation into Spanish, and legalization of documents: aid separately and directly
- Chile government fees: 85 $ for a visa for a Russian passport holder, 138,974 pesos (approx. 152 $) for permanent residence, 38,697 pesos (approx. 42 $) for naturalisation
- Tickets, accommodation, and insurance
- Guaranteed approval: the decision rests with SERMIG, and the law sets no income threshold
Since 12 February 2022, Law 21.325 has been in effect: a foreigner present in Chile on tourist status cannot apply for residency. Exceptions are narrow — family reunification, humanitarian cases, and those who arrived before that date. So the usual process doesn’t apply here: person who arrives on 90 visa-free days ’to look around and apply’ finds out only on arrival and has to leave and reapply again from the country of residence. That is why the residence permit is arranged before departure, and entry is only permitted after a positive decision. That is why the first package in the range is our most expensive: it delivers status, not preparation o them. The timelines are departmental: SERMIG reviews the temporary residence for up to twelve months, permanent — from one to two years, and we we state this before payment, not after.
What the market won’t tell you about Chile. Since 12 February 2022, Act 21.325: a tourist present in the country cannot apply for residency. Exceptions are narrow — family reunification, humanitarian cases, and those who entered before that date. A person who arrived on 90 visa-free days to ’look around and submit’, loses both time and money: they will have to leave and apply again from the country of residence. That is why our work begins before your ticket, not after.
About the income threshold that doesn’t exist. The market throws out numbers — “from $1,000 per month”, ’savings from such-and-such an amount’ — and sells them as a guarantee. In Chilean law no fixed threshold: SERMIG requires ’regular income or sufficient savings» and decides on the overall picture. That is why we do not guarantee approval based on the amount, but compile a file that the authorities will have no questions about.
About timelines we can’t control. According to the 2025 SERMIG report, the temporary residency is processed from zero to twelve months — realistically six eight after a clean submission — and permanent residence from one to two years. We are responsible for preparation, submission and management; no one can guarantee government processing times, and anyone who ives promises, promises what isn’t theirs to give.
The exact amount for your situation is stated before we begin and confirmed in writing in the agreement. If it changes, you will be informed before payment, not after.
Grounds selection, document collection and review, filing from your country of residence, management through to a decision and preparation for entry.
Spouse, child, or parent in the same filing. We calculate separately who it’s more cost-effective to process together from the start, and others later through family reunification from Chile.
Prices are in US dollars and are all-inclusive — nothing is added on top. Chilean government fees are paid separately and directly to the authority: $85 for a visa for Russian citizens, 138,974 pesos (approx. $152) for permanent residence, 38,697 pesos (approx. $42) for naturalisation. Fees are set in UTM and converted to pesos at the exchange rate on the day of payment. Chile’s 19% IVA is included in the service provider’s price and is not shown as a separate line item. SVOY initial consultation — 100 $, credited in the cost of support — the same as for Mexico and Argentina. It is paid from the first minute: a breakdown of the Chilean case — these are two dates that must align, a category matching your income and an honest answer on whether you can make it in time. We hand over the roadmap with a schedule and budget, even if the conclusion is negative.
Housing rental and purchase, documents, bank accounts and taxes, schooling, driving licence — 28 services in Chile, each has its own price.
Package «I’m planning to leave» · Chile
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The same package in another country
There is only one moment in life, but the documents, deadlines and costs are unique to each case: the rules are set by the country.