Visas for moving to Chile

Chile's residency pipeline runs Temporary first (1-2 years), then Permanencia Definitiva (PD). The PD is what makes Chile competitive: indefinite stay, no income tests, full work rights. We map the 21-month minimum pathway, the 12-month family-rule track, and what the 2022 immigration reform actually changed.

Chile has a two-track health system. FONASA is the universal public option funded by a 7% payroll deduction. ISAPRE is private insurance from 5 main providers (Banmedica, Cruz Blanca, Colmena, Consalud, Vida Tres). Each track suits a different expat profile. We compare 2026 costs, coverage and access.

In Chile, your RUT (Rol Unico Tributario) controls access to nearly every service - banking, housing, healthcare, contracts, even some food deliveries. We walk through obtaining it as a foreigner, the temporary RUT used pre-residency, and the banking sequence that comes next.

Chile's Residencia Temporal por Jubilados y Rentistas is the standard non-work residency path for retirees and rentiers. The income threshold is administratively set rather than codified, and SNM has tightened practice since the 2022 reform. We map the real 2026 bar, the documents that pass, and the tax holiday that still applies.

Chile declares you a tax resident when you spend more than 6 months in any consecutive 2 calendar years (technically, more than 183 days across two years OR more than 6 months in a single year). Once resident, worldwide income is taxable but the first 3 years of foreign income are exempt by statute. We unpack the 2026 rules.