Countries › Chile › Guide › 8. Immigration › Work permits in Chile: the paid activities residence permit for employees and self employed professionals, job offers, seasonal workers, students and visitors who work

Work permits in Chile: the paid activities residence permit for employees and self employed professionals, job offers, seasonal workers, students and visitors who work

Argentina. For full detail on Argentina, go to The Argentine Thread.

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

A foreigner who will work in Chile for a local employer normally needs temporary residence in the paid activities subcategory, filed from abroad with a contract of at least 3 months signed by the employer before a Chilean notary and by the worker at a Chilean consulate, or with a notarised job offer that must be turned into a registered contract within 45 days of arrival. The permit lasts up to 2 years, is renewable for 2 years at a time if the holder worked at least 60 percent of the period, and survives a change of employer without notice to SERMIG. Self employed professionals need a services contract for more than 90 days with a Chilean or a permanent resident, while seasonal workers, students (30 hours a week) and visitors with a specific work authorisation have their own narrower routes.

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 length of the employment contract for the paid activities permit	3 monthsDecreto Nº 177 art. 17, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Maximum validity of the paid activities permit, renewable by 2 years at a time	2 yearsDecreto Exento Nº 4.236 art. 4, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Minimum share of the permit period worked to renew the paid activities permit	60 %Decreto Nº 177 art. 21, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Validity of the job offer temporary residence	90 daysDecreto Nº 177 art. 18, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Minimum length of services for the self employed route (more than)	90 daysDecreto Nº 177 art. 20, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Maximum paid work per calendar year under the seasonal worker permit	6 monthsDecreto Nº 177 art. 26 and art. 27, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Maximum validity of the seasonal worker permit	5 yearsDecreto Exento Nº 4.236 art. 5, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Maximum weekly paid work for student permit holders without extra authorisation	30 hoursDecreto Nº 177 art. 23, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Fee for a visitor work authorisation as a share of the paid activities residence fee	150 %Ley Nº 21.325 art. 51; SERMIG fee page, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Paid activities (sujeta a contrato) residence fee for US nationals, 2020 table	190 USDResolución Exenta Nº 129194 of 2020, as of 2026-10-26 · in force

The rule

1. Temporary residence in the paid activities subcategory is for foreigners who want to settle in Chile for a limited time to work under subordination and dependence. The applicant must file an employment contract with a natural or legal person that has a domicile or branch in Chile and, where its activity requires it, start of activities with the SII. The contract must last at least 3 months. The employer signs it before a Chilean notary and the worker signs it before the competent Chilean consulate. The job must be consistent with the activities the employer has declared to the SII. The permit runs from the worker's entry into Chile, and the employer must still put the contract in writing and register it electronically with the Labour Directorate under art. 9 and 9 bis of the Labour Code.
Cost to do it: SERMIG fee set by nationality. The 2020 fee table SERMIG links to lists US$190 in the sujeta a contrato column for US nationals (CLP 184,243 at SERMIG's October 2026 rate), US$250 for Argentine nationals (CLP 242,425), US$1,160 for UK nationals (CLP 1,124,852) and US$0 for Spanish nationals. Notary signature and consular signature fees are extra.
Example: A US engineer hired by a Santiago SpA pays about CLP 184,243 for the permit. / US$190.Decreto Nº 177 of 2022, Ministerio del Interior y Seguridad Pública, Art. 10 letter b) and art. 17, 2022-05-14 official text · verified 2026-10-26

2. The SERMIG page for this subcategory states that the application is only available from abroad, through the Portal de Trámites Digitales. The general rule is that temporary residence must be requested from outside Chile, with exceptions for family reunification, humanitarian cases and cases qualified by the Subsecretaría del Interior. Holders who are already temporary residents can change subcategory or renew from inside Chile.Decreto Nº 177 of 2022; SERMIG subcategory page (updated 18 December 2025), Decreto Nº 177 art. 4, 2022-05-14 official text · verified 2026-10-26

3. Instead of a signed contract, the applicant can file a formal job offer from a Chilean natural or legal person with a domicile or branch in Chile, accepted in writing. The offer must first be recorded (protocolizado) before a Chilean notary, and the acceptance is signed at the consulate. If the review is favourable SERMIG grants a 90 day temporary residence. Within 45 calendar days of entering Chile the worker must file a notarised copy of the employment contract with the same employer and proof of its electronic registration under art. 9 bis of the Labour Code, and then receives the regular permit. If the worker misses that step, SERMIG cancels the 90 day permit and orders the worker to leave, without prejudice to any civil or criminal liability of the company that issued an offer that did not go ahead. The first renewal of a permit obtained this way lasts 1 year.Decreto Nº 177 of 2022; Decreto Exento Nº 4.236 of 2022, Ministerio del Interior y Seguridad Pública, Decreto Nº 177 art. 18; Decreto Exento Nº 4.236 art. 4, 2022-05-14 official text · verified 2026-10-26

4. Except for the 90 day job offer permit, the end of the contract that supported the permit is not in itself a ground for revocation, so a holder can change employer without informing SERMIG. The contract must follow the Labour Code, in particular the minimum clauses of art. 10. The parties may agree that the employer pays the worker's return ticket when the contract ends; the decree makes this voluntary.Decreto Nº 177 of 2022, Art. 19, 2022-05-14 official text · verified 2026-10-26

5. Foreigners who will work on their own account and who are not investors must, before entering Chile, sign a civil or commercial contract with a Chilean citizen or a permanent resident under which they provide intangible or specialised professional services for more than 90 calendar days. The contract is executed before the competent Chilean consulate, and without it SERMIG does not issue an in process certificate. Shorter engagements must use the transitory stay rules.Decreto Nº 177 of 2022, Art. 20, 2022-05-14 official text · verified 2026-10-26

6. Whether the work is employed or self employed, the application must include the electronic tax file (carpeta tributaria) of the employer or client if it is a legal person or a natural person with start of activities. Otherwise the applicant must show that the employer is solvent enough to meet the contract.Decreto Nº 177 of 2022, Art. 22, 2022-05-14 official text · verified 2026-10-26

7. The paid activities permit is valid for up to 2 years and can be renewed for 2 years at a time. To renew, employees must have a current employment relationship and show that they worked under the Labour Code for at least 60 percent of the period of the permit. Self employed holders need a current civil or commercial contract and SII certificates showing activity for at least 60 percent of the period. Renewals are filed between 90 and 10 days before expiry.Decreto Nº 177 of 2022; Decreto Exento Nº 4.236 of 2022; Ley Nº 21.325, Decreto Nº 177 art. 21; Decreto Exento Nº 4.236 art. 4; Ley Nº 21.325 art. 37 and art. 72, 2022-12-27 official text · verified 2026-10-26

8. A foreigner inside Chile who has filed a complete application for a permit that allows work, a change of subcategory or a renewal receives a residence in process certificate. The certificate keeps the holder in regular status if the old permit expires, allows occasional trips out and back, and allows paid work while the application is pending. The law also requires SERMIG to grant an immediate work authorisation on request to anyone who has started, inside Chile, an application for a permit that allows work. Applications filed from abroad only get a receipt, which does not allow entry as a resident.Ley Nº 21.325; Decreto Nº 177 of 2022, Ley Nº 21.325 art. 73; Decreto Nº 177 art. 77 to 79, 2021-04-20 official text · verified 2026-10-26

9. Visitors on a transitory stay cannot do paid work. SERMIG may authorise specific and sporadic paid activities, for pay in Chile or abroad, for people such as performers, athletes, lecturers, advisers and expert technicians. The authorisation carries a fee, which SERMIG's fee page sets at 150 percent of the paid activities residence fee for the visitor's nationality.
Cost to do it: 150 percent of the sujeta a contrato fee: for a US national US$285 (CLP 276,364); for a UK national US$1,740 (CLP 1,687,278).
Example: A US consultant who comes to give a paid workshop pays about CLP 276,364 for the authorisation. / US$285.Ley Nº 21.325; SERMIG aranceles migratorios (updated 1 October 2026), Ley Nº 21.325 art. 50 and art. 51, 2021-04-20 official text · verified 2026-10-26

10. The seasonal worker permit is for specific seasonal work for limited periods and is granted only while permits are available within the quantities set under the National Migration and Aliens Policy. The worker needs an employment contract with an employer that has started activities with the SII and has a domicile or branch in Chile, signed by the employer before a notary and by the worker at the consulate; nationals of countries with a bilateral temporary worker agreement can apply with a formal job offer and then have 45 days after entry to file the notarised and registered contract. Total paid work cannot exceed 6 months per calendar year. The permit can last up to 5 years and be renewed for up to 2 more, and it does not lead to permanent residence; time spent on it does not count if the worker later moves to the paid activities subcategory, which can be done from inside Chile.Decreto Nº 177 of 2022; Decreto Exento Nº 4.236 of 2022; Ley Nº 21.325, Decreto Nº 177 art. 10 and art. 26 to 27; Decreto Exento Nº 4.236 art. 5; Ley Nº 21.325 art. 72, 2022-05-14 official text · verified 2026-10-26

11. Holders of a student permit, which requires enrolment at a higher education institution recognised by the State and enough funds, can work up to 30 hours a week for the institution or any other employer without further authorisation, but must inform SERMIG and attach the contract. Working more than 30 hours a week can cost them their student status. Higher education institutions must report foreign students each year, and the job opportunities permit, which the decree ties to quotas under the National Migration Policy, can exceptionally be requested from inside Chile by students finishing a master's or doctorate.Decreto Nº 177 of 2022; Ley Nº 21.325, Decreto Nº 177 art. 23, art. 28 and art. 29; Ley Nº 21.325 art. 104, 2022-05-14 official text · verified 2026-10-26

12. All applications need a passport valid for at least 1 year and, for adults, criminal record certificates from the country of origin and every country of residence in the last 5 years. Documents not in Spanish or English need an authorised translation, foreign public documents need an apostille or legalisation under art. 345 and 345 bis of the Code of Civil Procedure, and documents must be no older than 60 days (public) or 30 days (private) when filed. If SERMIG finds documents clearly wrong or insufficient, the applicant has 10 business days to respond before rejection.Decreto Nº 177 of 2022, Art. 2, art. 6, art. 7, art. 8 and art. 11, 2022-05-14 official text · verified 2026-10-26

Route	Basis	Where to file	Validity	Work limits	Leads to permanent residence	Rule
Paid activities, contract	Employment contract of 3 months or more	Abroad	Up to 2 years, renewable by 2	Any lawful job, any employer	Yes	Art. 17 and 19
Paid activities, job offer	Notarised offer accepted at a consulate	Abroad	90 days, then regular permit; first renewal 1 year	Contract with the offering employer within 45 days	Yes	Art. 18; DE 4.236 art. 4
Paid activities, self employed	Services contract for more than 90 days with a Chilean or permanent resident	Abroad	Up to 2 years, renewable by 2	Own account services	Yes	Art. 20
Seasonal worker	Seasonal contract or offer under a bilateral agreement	Abroad	Up to 5 years, plus up to 2	6 months of work per calendar year	No	Art. 26 and 27; DE 4.236 art. 5
Student	Enrolment at a recognised higher education institution	Abroad	Up to 2 years	30 hours a week	Yes	Art. 23
Visitor with work authorisation	Specific and sporadic paid activity	In Chile or before entry	Within the 90 day stay	Only the authorised activity	No	Ley Nº 21.325 art. 50 and 51

Work routes compared (Decreto Nº 177 of 2022 and Decreto Exento Nº 4.236 of 2022)

Nationality	Fee US$	Approx. CLP	Visitor work authorisation (150%) US$
United States	190	184,243	285
Canada	265	256,970	398
United Kingdom	1,160	1,124,852	1,740
Germany	85	82,424	128
France	115	111,516	172
Spain	0	0	0
Italy	261	253,092	392
China	42	40,727	63
Japan	55	53,334	82
India	123	119,273	184
Mexico	411	398,547	616
Colombia	282	273,455	423
Peru	80	77,576	120
Brazil	100	96,970	150
Argentina	250	242,425	375
Australia	2,890	2,802,433	4,335

Paid activities (sujeta a contrato) fee for selected nationalities, Resolución Exenta Nº 129194 of 3 July 2020, the table SERMIG links as its fee table, converted at SERMIG's October 2026 rate of CLP 969.70

Worked example

A Chilean SpA hires a US data engineer on an indefinite contract at CLP 4,000,000 a month. The SpA signs the contract before a notary in Santiago and the engineer signs it at the Chilean consulate in their US district (Decreto Nº 177 art. 17).
The engineer files online from the United States with the contract, the SpA's carpeta tributaria and criminal record certificates no older than 60 days, and pays US$190, about CLP 184,243 at SERMIG's October 2026 rate.
After approval the engineer downloads the electronic stamp, has 90 days to enter Chile, and the permit runs from the entry date for up to 2 years (Ley Nº 21.325 art. 72). The cédula must be requested within 30 days (art. 43) and the SpA registers the contract electronically with the Labour Directorate (Labour Code art. 9 bis).
Eighteen months later the engineer moves to another company. No notice to SERMIG is needed (Decreto Nº 177 art. 19). To renew at month 24 the engineer must have a current job and have worked at least 60 percent of the period, which is 14.4 months of the 24 (art. 21).
If instead the SpA had only sent a notarised offer, the engineer would get a 90 day permit and would have 45 days after arrival to file the notarised and registered contract (art. 18). For a short paid visit before hiring, a visitor work authorisation would cost US$285, about CLP 276,364.

Step by step

Pick the route: employee contract, job offer, self employed services contract, seasonal, or a visitor work authorisation for a short assignment (see the table above). Investors and staff of foreign controlled companies can also use the investor route, see immigration/investor-and-business-permits.
Employer readiness: RUT and start of activities with the SII, a business line consistent with the job, and a current carpeta tributaria (Decreto Nº 177 art. 17 and 22). See entities/rut-start-of-activities-and-representatives.
Draft the contract with the minimum clauses of Labour Code art. 10 and a term of at least 3 months; decide whether the company will pay the return ticket (voluntary under art. 19).
Signatures: employer before a Chilean notary; worker at the competent Chilean consulate. For a job offer, record the offer before a notary and have the acceptance signed at the consulate (art. 18).
Gather documents: passport valid at least 1 year, criminal records for the last 5 years, apostilles and translations, all within the 60 or 30 day freshness limits (art. 7, 8 and 11).
File online from abroad on SERMIG's Portal de Trámites Digitales and pay through the Tesorería portal before the file is submitted. Answer any rejection notice within 10 business days (art. 2).
After approval: enter within 90 days, request the cédula within 30 days, register the contract electronically, report address changes within 30 days.
Diary the renewal window (90 to 10 days before expiry) and track months worked against the 60 percent test. Plan permanent residence from month 24, see immigration/permanent-residence.
Check /calendar/ for Chilean filing deadlines and /dashboard/ for the exchange rate used for fees.

Common traps

Signing the contract only in Chile: for the first application the worker's signature must be given at a Chilean consulate, not before a Chilean notary (Decreto Nº 177 art. 17 letter b). The notary only route applies to seasonal workers switching inside Chile (art. 27 Nº 3).
Contracts under 3 months do not qualify, and self employed services must exceed 90 calendar days (art. 17 and 20).
A job offer that does not become a notarised and registered contract within 45 days of arrival cancels the permit and triggers an order to leave, and the company that issued the offer can face liability (art. 18).
The job must match the employer's SII business line; a holding company with no operating activity can struggle to sponsor staff (art. 17 letter c).
Long gaps between jobs can block renewal because of the 60 percent rule (art. 21).
Seasonal permits do not count toward permanent residence, even after a later switch (art. 27 Nº 3).
Students who regularly exceed 30 hours a week risk losing student status (art. 23).
Fees depend on nationality and can be large: the 2020 table lists US$2,890 in the sujeta a contrato column for Australians and US$1,160 for UK nationals. Confirm the amount on the payment screen.
Work authorisation for visitors covers only specific and sporadic activities; regular work for a Chilean company on a visitor stay is an infraction for the worker and the employer, see immigration/employer-compliance-and-fines.

Sources

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