Countries › Chile › Guide › 8. Immigration › Investor and business permits in Chile: the US$500,000 investor route, staff of foreign controlled companies, the multiple entry business permit and why Chile has no golden visa

Investor and business permits in Chile: the US$500,000 investor route, staff of foreign controlled companies, the multiple entry business permit and why Chile has no golden visa

Last verified: 2026-10-26 · Status: Stable

Chile's investor route is a temporary residence subcategory for foreign individuals, legal representatives and senior managers who will invest US$500,000 or more in producing goods or services, backed by an InvestChile sponsorship letter, and it also covers managers and specialist staff of Chilean companies at least 10 percent foreign controlled. Executives who only need to fly in regularly can get a 2 year multiple entry business permit, renewable for 2 years, with a cap of 6 months in Chile per calendar year. Both are filed from abroad, renewals depend on proof that the investment or business activity continues, and there is no residence by passive investment such as buying property or bonds.

USD figures use the Central Bank rate of CLP 986.58 per US dollar published in the Diario Oficial of 23 October 2026 (Ley Nº 18.840 art. 44). Fees that SERMIG sets in US dollars are paid in pesos at the rate SERMIG publishes on its fee page, CLP 969.70 per US dollar until 31 October 2026, and peso amounts for those fees use that rate. UTM amounts use the SII value of CLP 72,151 for October 2026 (CLP 72,440 from November 2026). Conversions are for orientation only.

Key facts

Minimum investment for the investor temporary residence	500000 USDDecreto Nº 177 art. 62, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Minimum foreign voting stake in a Chilean company for its managers and specialists to use the investor route	10 %Decreto Nº 177 art. 62, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Maximum validity of each investor permit grant	2 yearsDecreto Exento Nº 4.236 art. 3, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Validity of the multiple entry business permit, renewable by 2 years	2 yearsDecreto Exento Nº 4.236 art. 8, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Maximum total stay per calendar year on the multiple entry business permit	6 monthsDecreto Nº 177 art. 65, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Residence by passive investment (golden visa) programme	No textDecreto Nº 177 art. 62 and art. 64, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Years of effective company operation that allow a reduced permanent residence period for investors	2 yearsReglamento art. 66 letter d), as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Months of continuous investment that allow a reduced permanent residence period	18 monthsReglamento art. 66 letter d), as of 2026-10-26 · in force

The rule

1. The investors and related staff permit is open to foreign individuals, legal representatives and people with managerial or senior executive functions in a foreign company who seek to invest in Chile US$500,000 or more, or the equivalent in other currencies, provided the investment is aimed at the production of goods or services.
Cost to do it: Minimum investment US$500,000, about CLP 493,290,000. The residence fee itself is set by nationality on SERMIG's fee page.
Example: An investment of CLP 493,290,000 at the 23 October 2026 rate meets the threshold. / US$500,000.Decreto Nº 177 of 2022, Ministerio del Interior y Seguridad Pública, Art. 10 letter n) and art. 62 first paragraph, 2022-05-14 official text · verified 2026-10-26

2. The same permit covers foreigners with managerial or senior executive functions and specialist technical staff hired as employees or service providers by a company established in Chile whose capital is controlled, directly or indirectly, by a foreign investor holding at least 10 percent of the voting shares, or an equivalent share of the capital or equity if it is not a share company. This lets a foreign owned subsidiary bring key staff without each person meeting the US$500,000 test.Decreto Nº 177 of 2022, Art. 62 second paragraph, 2022-05-14 official text · verified 2026-10-26

3. The application is filed from abroad on SERMIG's platform with an apostilled or legalised criminal record certificate and a sponsorship letter from the foreign investment promotion agency InvestChile. InvestChile issues the letter on request, with a document detailing the investment, at least its purpose and amount, and the nature of the applicant's functions, plus any other documents the agency sets by resolution. SERMIG's page adds a passport valid for at least 1 year and a photo, and lets owners or partners of an existing company add its deed, SII start of activities, carpeta tributaria and municipal licence receipt.Decreto Nº 177 of 2022; SERMIG investor subcategory page (updated 18 December 2025), Decreto Nº 177 art. 63, 2022-05-14 official text · verified 2026-10-26

4. To renew, the holder must show progress in carrying out the committed investment and file the company's electronic tax file, proof of payment of the municipal business licence for the period where applicable, and documents showing the contractual link between the company and the applicant and an associated income. The permit lasts up to 2 years per grant under the general rule, renewable while the requirements are met.Decreto Nº 177 of 2022; Decreto Exento Nº 4.236 of 2022, Decreto Nº 177 art. 64; Decreto Exento Nº 4.236 art. 3, 2022-12-27 official text · verified 2026-10-26

5. The multiple entry business permit is for foreigners who must come to Chile regularly for executive or management work linked to business or investments that companies hold in Chile. Their total time in Chile cannot exceed 6 months in each calendar year. It is filed from abroad with a criminal record certificate and documents showing the contractual link with the company and an income tied to this business work, apostilled or legalised. SERMIG's page also asks for a statement of the reasons for the visits and the applicant's economic and commercial interests.Decreto Nº 177 of 2022, Art. 10 letter o), art. 65 and art. 66, 2022-05-14 official text · verified 2026-10-26

6. The multiple entry business permit is valid for 2 years, provided the total stay in each calendar year does not exceed 6 months, and can be renewed for 2 years at a time, always within the annual cap.Decreto Exento Nº 4.236 of 2022, Ministerio del Interior y Seguridad Pública, Art. 8, 2022-12-27 official text · verified 2026-10-26

7. Holders of both permits can apply for permanent residence, because art. 10 of Decreto Nº 177 excludes only the seasonal, Gendarmería custody, court order and medical treatment permits. For investors the Director of SERMIG can cut the qualifying period below 24 months, to no less than 12, where the applicant shows a company with at least two annual financial years of effective operation or investments carried out continuously for at least 18 months.Decreto Nº 177 of 2022; Decreto Nº 296 of 2021 (Reglamento); Ley Nº 21.325, Decreto Nº 177 art. 10 final paragraph; Reglamento art. 66 letter d); Ley Nº 21.325 art. 79, 2022-02-12 official text · verified 2026-10-26

8. Spouses or cohabitants and children under 18, children with a disability and children aged 18 to 23 who study at a recognised institution can join as dependants. The main holder must show economic activity or stable income to support them, and dependants may work.Ley Nº 21.325; Decreto Nº 177 of 2022, Ley Nº 21.325 art. 74; Decreto Nº 177 art. 72 to 75, 2021-04-20 official text · verified 2026-10-26

9. There is no residence by investment programme of the golden visa kind. The investor subcategory requires the investment to be aimed at producing goods or services and its renewal depends on progress in executing it, so passive holdings do not meet the test as written. People who live off rents from real estate or financial assets use the rentista subcategory instead, which is based on regular income rather than an investment amount.Decreto Nº 177 of 2022, Art. 57, art. 62 and art. 64, 2022-05-14 official text · verified 2026-10-26

10. The investor permit is separate from the foreign investment regime. Foreign investors who bring US$5,000,000 or more can ask InvestChile for a foreign investor certificate under the Framework Law on Foreign Direct Investment, which gives rights on remittances, access to the formal exchange market and non discrimination; it does not itself grant residence.Ley Nº 20.848, Ley Marco para la Inversión Extranjera Directa en Chile, Art. 2, art. 3, art. 4 to 9, 2015-06-25 official text · verified 2026-10-26

Item	Investor (own investment)	Staff of a foreign controlled company	Multiple entry business permit
Who	Foreign individuals, legal representatives, senior managers of foreign companies	Managers, senior executives and specialist technicians	Executives visiting regularly for business or investments of companies in Chile
Key test	US$500,000 or more in producing goods or services	Employer at least 10 percent foreign controlled	Contract and income linked to the business
Sponsor document	InvestChile sponsorship letter	InvestChile sponsorship letter	Letter or certificate from the foreign company
Validity	Up to 2 years, renewable	Up to 2 years, renewable	2 years, renewable by 2
Time limits in Chile	None beyond residence rules	None beyond residence rules	6 months per calendar year
Renewal condition	Progress in the committed investment, carpeta tributaria, municipal licence	Contract and income, company tax file	Business activity continues
Rule	Decreto Nº 177 art. 62 to 64	Decreto Nº 177 art. 62 to 64	Decreto Nº 177 art. 65 and 66; DE 4.236 art. 8

Investor and executive routes compared

Worked example

A Canadian food company sets up a Chilean SpA and commits US$2,000,000, about CLP 1,973,160,000, to a processing plant. Its chief executive applies from Canada under the investor route with an InvestChile letter describing the plant, the amount and her role (Decreto Nº 177 art. 62 and 63).
Because the SpA is 100 percent owned by the Canadian parent, the plant manager and two specialist engineers also apply under the same subcategory as staff of a company at least 10 percent foreign controlled, each with an InvestChile letter and a contract.
The parent's regional finance director only needs to visit for board meetings and audits. She takes the multiple entry business permit, valid 2 years, and keeps her days in Chile under 6 months per calendar year (art. 65; Decreto Exento Nº 4.236 art. 8).
At renewal the chief executive files evidence of construction progress, the SpA's carpeta tributaria and the municipal licence receipt (art. 64). If the plant has run for two annual financial years, she can ask SERMIG to cut the permanent residence period below 24 months, to as little as 12 (Reglamento art. 66 letter d)).
If the investment reaches US$5,000,000 or more, the parent can separately request a foreign investor certificate under Ley Nº 20.848, see investing/investor-certificate-and-investchile.

Step by step

Decide who needs residence (investor, managers, specialists) and who only visits (multiple entry business permit or a visitor stay).
Request the InvestChile sponsorship letter online, with a document describing the investment, its purpose, amount and each person's role (Decreto Nº 177 art. 63).
Collect the criminal record certificates, passport, photo and company documents (deed, SII start of activities, carpeta tributaria) with apostilles and translations.
File from abroad on SERMIG's Portal de Trámites Digitales and pay the nationality based fee through the Tesorería portal.
Enter within 90 days of the electronic stamp, request the cédula within 30 days and keep the company's municipal licence and tax filings current.
Build the renewal file during the permit: investment milestones, board minutes, payments to suppliers, tax filings (art. 64).
For business permit holders, keep a day count per calendar year and stay below 6 months.
Track the permanent residence clock and the investor reduction criteria (Reglamento art. 66).

Common traps

Buying an apartment or a bond portfolio is not an investment in the production of goods or services and is not a route to the investor permit (art. 62); consider the rentista subcategory, see immigration/retirees-and-rentistas.
An investment that stalls puts the renewal at risk, because renewal requires progress in executing the committed investment (art. 64).
The multiple entry business permit is for executive or management visits; taking a local job or exceeding 6 months in a calendar year requires a different permit (art. 65).
The 10 percent foreign control test is about the employer company, so staff of a purely Chilean owned company must use the paid activities route instead, see immigration/work-permits.
The InvestChile letter is a condition of filing, so build its lead time into the plan (art. 63).
The immigration investor permit and the Ley Nº 20.848 investor certificate are different instruments with different thresholds (US$500,000 and US$5,000,000).

Sources

← Work permits in Chile: the paid activities residence permit for employees and self employed professionals, job offers, seasonal workers, students and visitors who workRetiree and rentista residence in Chile: living on a foreign pension or on rents from property and financial assets →