Countries › Chile › Guide › 8. Immigration › Overstays, migration fines and expulsion in Chile: fine ranges, the 50 and 25 percent discounts, late renewals, leaving with unpaid fines, entry bans and appeals

Overstays, migration fines and expulsion in Chile: fine ranges, the 50 and 25 percent discounts, late renewals, leaving with unpaid fines, entry bans and appeals

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

Staying after a permit expires is fined 0.5 to 10 UTM for up to 180 days and 1 to 10 UTM beyond that, working without authorisation 0.5 to 5 UTM and a late identity card application 0.5 to 2 UTM; self reporting halves the fine, paying within 5 business days cuts it by 25 percent, and SERMIG's online self declaration tables start at 0.25 UTM. Residents can still renew up to 9 months after expiry by paying a fine, but after that they can be expelled, and foreigners with unpaid fines cannot leave Chile without SERMIG's leave, which brings an entry ban of up to 1 year or 18 months. Expulsion orders carry entry bans of 3 to 25 years and can be appealed to the Court of Appeals within 10 calendar days with suspensive effect; infractions also lengthen the wait for permanent residence, and a bill reforming the expulsion procedure (boletín Nº 16.836-06) has cleared Congress but is not yet law.

USD figures use the Central Bank rate of CLP 986.58 per US dollar published in the Diario Oficial of 23 October 2026 (CVE 2891564). 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

Maximum fine for staying up to 180 days after a permit expires	10 UTMLey Nº 21.325 art. 107, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Minimum fine for staying more than 180 days after a permit expires	1 UTMLey Nº 21.325 art. 119, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Maximum fine for a foreigner working without authorisation	5 UTMLey Nº 21.325 art. 109, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Maximum fine for a late identity card application	2 UTMLey Nº 21.325 art. 106, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Fine reduction for self reporting	50 %Ley Nº 21.325 art. 121, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Fine reduction for paying within 5 business days	25 %Ley Nº 21.325 art. 121, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Days after expiry within which a resident can leave without a fine	30 daysLey Nº 21.325 art. 30, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Months after expiry in which a resident may still apply to renew	9 monthsReglamento art. 71, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Maximum entry ban when leaving with an unpaid fine above 5 UTM	18 monthsReglamento art. 22, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Calendar days to appeal an expulsion to the Court of Appeals	10 daysLey Nº 21.325 art. 141, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Minimum entry ban period	3 yearsLey Nº 21.325 art. 136, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Maximum entry ban period	25 yearsLey Nº 21.325 art. 136, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Maximum days a person may be held to carry out an expulsion	5 daysLey Nº 21.325 art. 134, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Expulsion procedure reform bill (boletín Nº 16.836-06)	Approved by Congress, not yet published textBoletín Nº 16.836-06, as of 2026-10-26 · pending

The rule

1. Less serious infractions by foreigners: failing to apply for the identity card within 30 days of the residence permit taking effect, 0.5 to 2 UTM; staying up to 180 calendar days after a residence or stay permit expires, 0.5 to 10 UTM; not reporting a change of address within 30 days, from a written warning up to 2 UTM; paid work without authorisation, 0.5 to 5 UTM. Staying more than 180 calendar days after expiry is a serious infraction fined 1 to 10 UTM. Residents who leave Chile within 30 calendar days after their permit expires are not fined.
Cost to do it: 0.5 UTM is CLP 36,076 (about US$37); 2 UTM CLP 144,302 (US$146); 5 UTM CLP 360,755 (US$366); 10 UTM CLP 721,510 (US$731).
Example: A manager whose temporary residence lapsed 4 months ago risks up to CLP 721,510 before discounts. / Up to about US$731.Ley Nº 21.325, Ley de Migración y Extranjería, Art. 30, art. 43, art. 46, art. 106, art. 107, art. 108, art. 109 and art. 119, 2021-04-20 official text · verified 2026-10-26

2. Fines are halved when the offender self reports to SERMIG or the police and that report led to detection. Paying within 5 business days of notice of the sanction cuts the fine by 25 percent, but the two discounts do not stack. For less serious infractions by first time offenders, SERMIG may replace the fine with a written warning, of its own motion or on request. No fine applies for force majeure, which must be argued in the defence filed within 10 business days of notice. The maximum can be applied to repeat offenders or where a minor's integrity was affected, and minors are exempt from migration fines. Fines are cancelled if an expulsion is carried out.Ley Nº 21.325; Decreto Nº 296 of 2021 (Reglamento), Ley Nº 21.325 art. 120 to art. 124; Reglamento art. 118 to art. 120 and art. 122, 2022-02-12 official text · verified 2026-10-26

3. SERMIG's online self declaration covers expired permits, unauthorised work and late identity card applications for people who entered through an authorised crossing. Its tables already include the 50 percent discount: an expired permit costs 0.25 UTM for 1 to 90 days, 0.5 UTM for 91 to 120 days and 1.5 UTM for 121 to 180 days, then 2.5, 3 and 4 UTM for 181 to 270, 271 to 360 and 361 days or more (1 to 5 UTM for repeat offenders); unauthorised work costs 0.25 to 1 UTM by duration (1 to 2.5 UTM for repeat offenders). Payment is online through the General Treasury by card, and SERMIG states that foreigners with unpaid migration fines cannot leave Chile.
Cost to do it: First time self declared overstay of 1 to 90 days: 0.25 UTM, CLP 18,038 (about US$18); 121 to 180 days: 1.5 UTM, CLP 108,226 (US$110); 361 days or more: 4 UTM, CLP 288,604 (US$293).
Example: A consultant who overstayed a visitor stay by 20 days self declares and pays 0.25 UTM, CLP 18,038, before flying out. / About US$18.SERMIG, infraction self declaration and fine calculation (updated 18 March 2026); Ley Nº 21.325, Ley Nº 21.325 art. 107, art. 109, art. 119 and art. 121, 2026-03-18 official text · verified 2026-10-26

4. Renewals are filed 90 to 10 days before the residence permit expires. A resident whose permit has expired may still apply to renew within 9 months of expiry, paying a fine set when the application is admitted: 0.25 to 5 UTM if filed within 180 calendar days, and 5 to 10 UTM if filed after 180 days and before 9 months. SERMIG will not approve the renewal until the fine is paid. After 9 months without a renewal application the resident can be expelled, unless force majeure prevented filing.
Cost to do it: Late renewal within 180 days: 0.25 to 5 UTM, CLP 18,038 to CLP 360,755 (about US$18 to US$366); from 181 days to 9 months: 5 to 10 UTM, CLP 360,755 to CLP 721,510 (US$366 to US$731).Ley Nº 21.325; Decreto Nº 296 of 2021 (Reglamento), Ley Nº 21.325 art. 37 and art. 128 Nº 4; Reglamento art. 70 and art. 71, 2022-02-12 official text · verified 2026-10-26

5. Foreigners sanctioned for a migration infraction must prove before leaving Chile that they have complied with the sanction or have SERMIG's exceptional leave to exit. The request must be filed at least 15 business days before departure, since SERMIG has up to 15 business days to decide (up to 3 calendar days in urgent and unforeseen cases), and leave comes with an entry ban of up to 1 year for fines of 5 UTM or less and 12 to 18 months for larger fines. Paying the fine from abroad, through SERMIG's system or at a Chilean consulate, ends the ban, which SERMIG must revoke within 15 business days of payment.Ley Nº 21.325; Decreto Nº 296 of 2021 (Reglamento), Ley Nº 21.325 art. 30; Reglamento art. 19 to art. 25, 2022-02-12 official text · verified 2026-10-26

6. Visitors and people without a permit can be expelled for entering despite a mandatory entry bar, committing such a ground while in Chile, ignoring an order to leave, staying after the visitor permit expires, a repeat of unauthorised paid work after a prior sanction, or false statements or documents. Residents can be expelled for entering despite the bars in art. 32 Nº 1 or 8, acts listed in art. 32 Nº 1, 5 or 8 (terrorism, serious crimes, failing entry requirements), ignoring an order to leave, or staying more than 9 months after expiry without applying to renew. Before deciding, SERMIG must weigh the seriousness of the facts, criminal record, repeat infractions, length of lawful residence, family ties in Chile, children's interests and the person's contributions to Chile; collective expulsions are banned.Ley Nº 21.325, Art. 126 to art. 130, 2021-04-20 official text · verified 2026-10-26

7. Expulsion is ordered by reasoned resolution of SERMIG's National Director after notice and a 10 day period to answer. The person may appeal, personally or through anyone, to the Court of Appeals of their domicile within 10 calendar days of notice; the court must rule within 3 days and the appeal suspends the expulsion. Once final, the person may be held only to carry out the expulsion and for no more than 5 calendar days. Other SERMIG decisions, such as fines, rejections and revocations, can be challenged with the administrative remedies of Ley Nº 19.880, which suspend their effects.Ley Nº 21.325, as amended by Ley Nº 21.589 (Diario Oficial 18 August 2023) and Ley Nº 21.590 (Diario Oficial 7 August 2023), Art. 132, art. 134, art. 139, art. 140 and art. 141, 2023-08-18 official text · verified 2026-10-26

8. Expulsion and other measures carry an entry ban of a set period: at least 3 years, up to 5 years for purely administrative infractions, up to 10 years for simple offences or infractions using false documents, up to 20 years for crimes, and up to 25 years for terrorism and the serious crimes listed in art. 32 Nº 1 and 5. A rejection or revocation must give at least 5 days to leave, and leaving within the period set halves any entry ban. Unpaid serious infraction fines are a ground to revoke a residence permit.Ley Nº 21.325, Art. 90 Nº 4, art. 91 and art. 136, 2021-04-20 official text · verified 2026-10-26

9. Infractions slow the route to permanent residence. A final less serious infraction raises the residence period required to apply to at least 30 months, two or more to at least 36 months, a serious infraction to 42 months and two or more serious ones to at least 48 months, instead of the usual 24.Decreto Nº 296 of 2021 (Reglamento), Art. 65, 2022-02-12 official text · verified 2026-10-26

10. A bill to improve the administrative expulsion procedure under Ley Nº 21.325 (boletín Nº 16.836-06) completed its passage through Congress when both chambers approved the mixed committee report on 19 and 20 October 2026, with the final communication recorded on 21 October 2026. As of 26 October 2026 it had not been published as a law, so the rules above remain in force until it is.Boletín Nº 16.836-06, Senate of Chile legislative record, Bill status, 2026-10-21 official text · verified 2026-10-26 · changed: Pending: Congress approved the mixed committee report on the expulsion procedure bill on 19 and 20 October 2026; the content takes effect only once published in the Diario Oficial.

Infraction	Article	Class	Fine (UTM)	CLP	Approx. US$
Late identity card application (over 30 days)	106	Less serious	0.5 to 2	36,076 to 144,302	37 to 146
Permit expired, up to 180 days	107	Less serious	0.5 to 10	36,076 to 721,510	37 to 731
Change of address not reported within 30 days	108	Less serious	Warning up to 2	0 to 144,302	0 to 146
Paid work without authorisation	109	Less serious	0.5 to 5	36,076 to 360,755	37 to 366
Border zone resident outside the agreed zone	110	Less serious	0.5 to 5, or 90 day entry ban	36,076 to 360,755	37 to 366
Left without exit control and returning after 2 years	116	Serious	10 to 50	721,510 to 3,607,550	731 to 3,657
Permit expired, more than 180 days	119	Serious	1 to 10	72,151 to 721,510	73 to 731
Breach of control measures (fixed address, reporting)	137		1 to 10	72,151 to 721,510	73 to 731

Migration fines on foreigners (Ley Nº 21.325 Title VII) at the October 2026 UTM of CLP 72,151

Infraction	Period	First time (UTM)	Repeat (UTM)	First time CLP
Expired permit	1 to 90 days	0.25	1	18,038
Expired permit	91 to 120 days	0.5	2	36,076
Expired permit	121 to 180 days	1.5	2.5	108,226
Expired permit	181 to 270 days	2.5	3.5	180,378
Expired permit	271 to 360 days	3	4.5	216,453
Expired permit	361 days or more	4	5	288,604
Work without authorisation	1 to 90 days	0.25	1	18,038
Work without authorisation	91 to 180 days	0.5	1.5	36,076
Work without authorisation	181 to 270 days	0.75	2	54,113
Work without authorisation	271 days or more	1	2.5	72,151
Late identity card appointment	1 to 30 days	0.25	0.5	18,038
Late identity card appointment	31 days or more	0.5	1	36,076

SERMIG online self declaration fines, already halved (SERMIG page updated 18 March 2026)

Worked example

A temporary resident forgets to renew and notices 5 months after expiry. Filing the renewal now (within 180 days) triggers a fine of 0.25 to 5 UTM, CLP 18,038 to CLP 360,755 (about US$18 to US$366), which must be paid before SERMIG approves the renewal. Filing at month 8 instead raises the range to 5 to 10 UTM, and after month 9 the resident risks expulsion.
SERMIG fines an engineer 4 UTM, CLP 288,604, for unauthorised work. Paying within 5 business days reduces it by 25 percent to 3 UTM, CLP 216,453 (about US$219).
A visitor who must fly home with an unpaid 6 UTM fine asks SERMIG for leave at least 15 business days ahead; leave comes with an entry ban of 12 to 18 months, which ends early once the fine is paid from abroad.
A resident with one final less serious infraction needs at least 30 months of temporary residence, not 24, before applying for permanent residence.

Step by step

Diarise permit expiry dates for every foreign staff member and family member, and file renewals 90 to 10 days before expiry.
If a permit has lapsed, act fast: self declare on SERMIG's portal to get the 50 percent discount, or leave within 30 days of expiry, which avoids the fine for residents.
Read any notice of a sanction carefully: there are 10 business days to file a defence, including force majeure, and paying within 5 business days of the sanction cuts it by 25 percent.
Ask for a written warning instead of a fine for a first less serious infraction (Reglamento art. 120).
Pay fines before travelling; otherwise request exit leave at least 15 business days ahead and expect an entry ban until the fine is paid.
If an expulsion is ordered, appeal to the Court of Appeals within 10 calendar days; the appeal suspends the order.
Follow the publication of boletín Nº 16.836-06, which will change the expulsion procedure once it becomes law.

Common traps

Missing the 9 month late renewal window. After that, the resident can be expelled (Ley Nº 21.325 art. 128 Nº 4; Reglamento art. 71).
Trying to leave with an unpaid fine. The police will not let a sanctioned foreigner exit without proof of payment or SERMIG leave (Ley Nº 21.325 art. 30).
Leaving without exit control. Returning after 2 years from the expiry of the permit costs 10 to 50 UTM (Ley Nº 21.325 art. 116).
Ignoring an order to leave. It becomes a ground for expulsion, and leaving within the period halves any entry ban (Ley Nº 21.325 art. 91).
Unpaid serious infraction fines can lead SERMIG to revoke a residence permit (Ley Nº 21.325 art. 90 Nº 4).
Small infractions lengthen the wait for permanent residence to 30 to 48 months (Reglamento art. 65).
Not updating the address with SERMIG: certified letters are deemed served at the last address on file (Reglamento art. 127).

Sources

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