Countries › Chile › Guide › 13. Regulation › Bribery, private corruption and lobbying rules in Chile: domestic and foreign bribery, gifts, and the Lobby Law

Bribery, private corruption and lobbying rules in Chile: domestic and foreign bribery, gifts, and the Lobby Law

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

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

Offering or giving any economic or other benefit to a Chilean public employee because of their position, or for an act or omission, is a crime with prison, fines of one to four times the benefit and bans from public posts. Bribing a foreign public official to win or keep business, including in Argentina or elsewhere, is a crime in Chile, and so is commercial bribery of a company's directors or employees to win a contract. Meetings to influence authorities must be requested with the information the Lobby Law requires and appear in public agenda registers; false or omitted information is fined 10 to 50 UTM.

USD figures use the Central Bank exchange rate of CLP 986.58 per US dollar published in the Diario Oficial for 23 October 2026 (CVE 2891564). UF figures use the SII value of CLP 41,221.08 for 26 October 2026, and UTM and UTA figures the SII values of CLP 72,151 and CLP 865,812 for October 2026. Conversions are for orientation only.

Key facts

Bribery of foreign public officials is a crime	Yes textCódigo Penal art. 251 bis, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Commercial (private) bribery is a crime	Yes textCódigo Penal art. 287 bis and 287 ter, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Fine for foreign bribery, multiple of the benefit	2 to 4 timesCódigo Penal art. 251 bis, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Facilitation payments exception	No (only official, protocol or low value courtesy gifts are excluded, and never for a foreign official breaching duties) textCódigo Penal art. 251 sexies, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Public register of lobbying meetings	Yes textLey Nº 20.730 art. 7 and 8, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Fine for false or omitted information when requesting a lobbying meeting, maximum	50 UTMLey Nº 20.730 art. 8 and 12, as of 2026-10-26 · in force

The rule

1. A public employee who asks for or accepts a benefit they are not entitled to because of their position commits bribery, and the penalties rise when the benefit is for an act of their office, for omitting a due act or breaching duties, or for committing another crime. Whoever gives, offers or agrees to give such a benefit is punished with the same fines and bans as the official, plus imprisonment. Fines run from the amount of the benefit (position based bribery) to double (acts of office), double to four times (breach of duty) and four times (to commit a crime); non economic benefits are fined in UTM ranges of up to 1,500 UTM. Benefits received are always forfeited. Minimum penalties are excluded when senior officials are involved, or in processes such as appointments, procurement above 1,000 UTM, or permits and inspections of companies with annual revenue above UF 100,000.
Cost to do it: Fines are linked to the bribe: from one to four times the benefit given or offered.
Example: Offering CLP 20 million to an inspector to ignore a breach is bribery for breach of duty: a fine of CLP 40 to 80 million on top of imprisonment and bans. / About US$40,500 to US$81,100 in fines for a bribe of about US$20,300.Código Penal, as amended by Ley Nº 21.121, Art. 248, art. 248 bis, art. 249, art. 250, art. 251 and art. 251 quinquies, 2018-11-20 official text · verified 2026-10-26

2. Whoever, to obtain or keep any business or advantage in international transactions or in an economic activity abroad, offers, promises, gives or agrees to give a benefit to a foreign public official, because of their position or for an act or omission, is punished with reclusión menor en su grado máximo to reclusión mayor en su grado mínimo, a fine of two to four times the benefit (100 to 1,000 UTM for non economic benefits) and a ban from public posts. A foreign public official is anyone holding a legislative, administrative or judicial post in a foreign country, anyone exercising a public function for a foreign country including in a State company, and any official of a public international organisation. Official or protocol gifts and low value courtesy gifts are not bribery, but this exception does not cover benefits to a foreign official for breaching duties.
Cost to do it: Fine two to four times the benefit, plus imprisonment and a ban from posts in companies contracting with the State (art. 251 quáter).
Example: A Chilean exporter whose agent pays CLP 50 million to an Argentine customs officer to release goods faces a fine of CLP 100 to 200 million for the individuals, and the exporter can be liable under Ley Nº 20.393. / About US$101,000 to US$203,000 in fines for a payment of about US$50,700.Código Penal, as amended by Ley Nº 21.121, Art. 251 bis, art. 251 ter and art. 251 sexies, 2018-11-20 official text · verified 2026-10-26

3. A director, manager, agent or employee of a company who asks for or accepts a benefit to favour, or for having favoured, one bidder over another in contracting commits private corruption, punished with reclusión menor en su grado medio and a fine of one to two times the benefit (50 to 500 UTM for non economic benefits). Whoever gives, offers or agrees to give the benefit is punished with reclusión menor en su grado medio (given or offered) or en su grado mínimo (agreed), plus the same fines. Foreign bribery and private corruption are economic crimes in all circumstances under the Economic Crimes Law, so companies can be criminally liable for them.
Cost to do it: Fines from one to two times the benefit.
Example: A supplier giving a purchasing manager a CLP 5 million trip to win a tender faces a fine of CLP 5 to 10 million plus imprisonment. / About US$5,070 to US$10,140 in fines.Código Penal; Ley Nº 21.595, Código Penal art. 287 bis and art. 287 ter; Ley Nº 21.595 art. 1 Nº 10, 2023-08-17 official text · verified 2026-10-26

4. The Lobby Law regulates lobbying (paid) and the management of private interests (unpaid), by Chilean or foreign persons, aimed at influencing decisions of ministers, undersecretaries, heads of service, regional governors, presidential delegates, regional ministerial secretaries, ambassadors, mayors and councillors, members of Congress, Central Bank board members, armed forces procurement officers and other listed officials. Those officials must record in public agenda registers each meeting held to influence a decision, with who attended, whom they represented, whether they were paid, the date, place and subject; trips made for their functions and who paid; and gifts received. Lobbyists must give truthful information when requesting meetings, disclose whom they represent and whether they are paid, and give information on their corporate structure; each body keeps a public register of lobbyists. Omitting information without excuse or knowingly giving false information is fined 10 to 50 UTM.
Cost to do it: No fee to request a meeting. Fines for false or omitted information: 10 to 50 UTM (about CLP 721,510 to CLP 3.6 million; US$731 to US$3,657).
Example: A foreign investor's country manager asking the regional governor for a meeting about a project must say whom they represent and whether they are paid; the meeting will appear in the public register. / Same in USD terms.Ley Nº 20.730, Ley del Lobby (DO 8 March 2014), Art. 2, art. 3, art. 4, art. 7, art. 8, art. 12 and art. 13, 2014-03-08 official text · verified 2026-10-26

Offence	Article	Fine
Benefit because of the official's position	248 first paragraph and 250	Equal to the benefit (25 to 250 UTM if non economic)
Benefit for an act of office	248 second paragraph and 250	One to two times (50 to 500 UTM)
Benefit for omitting a due act or breaching duty	248 bis and 250	Two to four times (100 to 1,000 UTM)
Benefit to commit a crime	249 and 250	Four times (150 to 1,500 UTM)
Foreign public official	251 bis	Two to four times (100 to 1,000 UTM)
Private corruption in contracting	287 bis and 287 ter	One to two times (50 to 500 UTM)

Bribery fines by type (Código Penal; fines in addition to imprisonment and bans)

Worked example

A Chilean company's agent in Argentina pays a municipal inspector there US$20,000 to approve a warehouse. Under Código Penal art. 251 bis this is foreign bribery: the individuals face prison and a fine of US$40,000 to US$80,000 equivalent, and the company can be liable under Ley Nº 20.393 if its prevention model did not cover agents abroad. Argentine law applies separately; see The Argentine Thread.

Step by step

1. Adopt a gifts, hospitality and travel policy that allows only official, protocol or low value courtesy gifts, and none to foreign officials linked to a decision.
2. Screen and train agents, customs brokers and consultants who deal with officials, in Chile and abroad.
3. Request meetings with authorities through the Lobby Law platforms, disclosing whom you represent and whether advisers are paid.
4. Keep records of every meeting, gift and sponsored trip involving officials.

Common traps

Assuming small facilitation payments are allowed: Chile has no facilitation payment exception; only official, protocol and low value courtesy gifts are excluded (art. 251 sexies).
Treating non cash benefits as safe: trips, jobs for relatives and other non economic benefits are bribes too, fined in UTM ranges (art. 248 to 251 bis).
Forgetting that the briber is punished even if the official refuses: offering is enough (art. 250 and 251 bis).
Leaving out the represented company when requesting a meeting with an authority is fined (Ley Nº 20.730 art. 12).

Sources

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