Countries › Chile › Guide › 8. Immigration › Retiree and rentista residence in Chile: living on a foreign pension or on rents from property and financial assets

Retiree and rentista residence in Chile: living on a foreign pension or on rents from property and financial assets

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

Foreigners with a retirement pension, or with regular income from real estate or financial assets, can obtain temporary residence in the retirees and rentistas subcategory, filed from abroad with an apostilled pension certificate or proof of ownership and of the income it produces. The test is income, not capital: it must cover at least basic needs under Ministry of Social Development indicators, and no fixed peso or dollar amount is published on SERMIG's page. The permit lasts up to 2 years, can be renewed while the income continues, allows paid work like other temporary residence, and counts toward permanent residence, with a possible cut of the 24 month period for people with rents or pensions.

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

Income test for retirees and rentistas	At least basic needs under Ministry of Social Development indicators textDecreto Nº 177 art. 5, art. 53 and art. 57, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Maximum validity of each grant of the retirees and rentistas permit	2 yearsDecreto Exento Nº 4.236 art. 3, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Lowest qualifying period for permanent residence for holders of the retirees and rentistas permit	12 monthsReglamento art. 66 letter c), as of 2026-10-26 · in force

The rule

1. Foreigners who have obtained a retirement pension under the rules of their country of residence can apply, provided the pension covers at least their basic needs during their stay, according to the indicators estimated by the Ministry of Social Development and Family. The application is filed from abroad with an apostilled or legalised criminal record certificate, a certificate of the pension showing its amount and duration, and proof of the last pension payment, both apostilled or legalised.Decreto Nº 177 of 2022, Ministerio del Interior y Seguridad Pública, Art. 10 letter l), art. 53 and art. 54, 2022-05-14 official text · verified 2026-10-26

2. A retiree who already holds a paid activities temporary residence can exceptionally apply from inside Chile, and then only needs to file the certificate of the pension showing its amount and duration. To renew, retirees must show they are still pensioners and that they can cover their expenses in Chile.Decreto Nº 177 of 2022, Art. 55 and art. 56, 2022-05-14 official text · verified 2026-10-26

3. Rentistas are foreigners with constant income from exploiting real estate or financial assets, received regularly and enough to meet at least their basic needs under the same indicators. For real estate they file a certificate of ownership (no apostille needed for property in Chile), the acts or contracts under which a set sum is paid to them regularly, and proof of the income. For financial assets they file a certificate of ownership (no apostille needed for assets that yield income in Chile) and proof of the income those assets produce. Renewal requires current proof of rentista status and of enough resources.Decreto Nº 177 of 2022, Art. 57, art. 58 and art. 59, 2022-05-14 official text · verified 2026-10-26

4. Where a subcategory requires sufficient means, they are measured by income, which cannot be below the minimum set to meet the basic needs of the household according to the Ministry of Social Development and Family indicators. SERMIG's page for this subcategory links to that ministry and does not state an amount.Decreto Nº 177 of 2022; SERMIG retirees and rentistas page (updated 18 December 2025), Decreto Nº 177 art. 5, 2022-05-14 official text · verified 2026-10-26

5. Temporary residence in this subcategory is valid for up to 2 years under the general rule and can be renewed while the requirements are met. Like all temporary residents, holders may carry out paid activities.Decreto Exento Nº 4.236 of 2022; Ley Nº 21.325, Decreto Exento Nº 4.236 art. 3; Ley Nº 21.325 art. 72 and art. 73, 2022-12-27 official text · verified 2026-10-26

6. Retirees and rentistas can always apply for permanent residence, because the law makes it admissible for the subcategory in art. 70 Nº 12. The qualifying period is 24 months, but the Director of SERMIG can reduce it to no less than 12 months where the applicant holds, when applying, a permit in the retirees and rentistas subcategory.
Cost to do it: Permanent residence fee CLP 142,726, about US$144.67 (SERMIG fee page, 1 October 2026).
Example: CLP 142,726. / About US$144.67.Ley Nº 21.325; Decreto Nº 296 of 2021 (Reglamento), Ley Nº 21.325 art. 70 and art. 79; Reglamento art. 66 letter c), 2021-04-20 official text · verified 2026-10-26

7. Spouses or cohabitants and qualifying children can join as dependants if the holder shows stable income to support them. Former permanent residents whose permanent residence lapsed because of an absence of more than 2 years have their own temporary residence subcategory, filed from abroad with a criminal record certificate and proof of means.Ley Nº 21.325; Decreto Nº 177 of 2022, Ley Nº 21.325 art. 74 and art. 83; Decreto Nº 177 art. 60, art. 61 and art. 72, 2021-04-20 official text · verified 2026-10-26

Applicant	Proof of status	Proof of income	Apostille note
Retiree	Pension certificate with amount and duration	Last pension payment receipt	Both apostilled or legalised
Rentista, real estate	Certificate of ownership	Leases or contracts paying a set sum regularly, plus proof of income	Not needed for ownership of property in Chile
Rentista, financial assets	Certificate of ownership of the assets	Proof of income from those assets	Not needed for assets that yield income in Chile

Documents by applicant type (Decreto Nº 177 of 2022 art. 54 and art. 58; SERMIG page)

Worked example

A retired US engineer with a US pension and a dividend portfolio wants to live in Viña del Mar. She files from the United States as a retiree with an apostilled pension certificate showing the monthly amount and duration, her last payment receipt and a US criminal record certificate no older than 60 days (Decreto Nº 177 art. 54; art. 8).
Her husband applies at the same time as her dependant; she adds a notarised sworn statement that she will support him and proof of her income (art. 72 to 74).
Two years later she renews by showing she is still a pensioner and can cover her costs (art. 56). Holding this subcategory, she can ask SERMIG to cut the 24 month period for permanent residence to as little as 12 months (Reglamento art. 66 letter c)).
When she applies for permanent residence she pays CLP 142,726, about US$144.67; her husband, as a dependant, can apply without his own time requirement once she qualifies (Ley Nº 21.325 art. 81).
For tax, both become resident after more than 183 days in Chile in any 12 months, but for their first 3 years they pay Chilean tax only on Chilean source income, see immigration/relocating-staff-tax-and-social-security.

Step by step

Check that the pension or rents are regular and documented, and that the amount covers basic needs for the household; keep recent payment records.
Obtain apostilled certificates of pension or ownership, proof of income and criminal records; translate documents not in Spanish or English.
File from abroad on SERMIG's portal; pay the nationality based fee through the Tesorería portal.
Enter within 90 days of the electronic stamp, request the cédula within 30 days, and report address changes within 30 days.
Renew 90 to 10 days before expiry, or apply for permanent residence when the reduced or full period is met.

Common traps

A large lump sum of savings is not the test; the decree looks at regular income from a pension, real estate or financial assets (art. 53 and 57).
SERMIG publishes no fixed minimum amount; applicants whose income is close to the basic needs line should expect questions (art. 5).
The application must be filed from abroad unless the retiree already holds a paid activities permit in Chile (art. 55).
Long absences from Chile lengthen the permanent residence clock: more than 2 months abroad pushes it to 30 months or more (Reglamento art. 65).
Tax residence after 183 days can bring foreign income into Chilean tax once the 3 year window ends, so plan the portfolio before year 4.

Sources

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