Chile Temporary Investor Residency for US Citizens

Overview

Important — the program changed. Since Ley 21.325 (Chile’s 2021 migration law) took effect, Chile no longer offers a fixed-threshold “investor residency program.” The passive-income path for US citizens today is the temporary-residence subcategory “Jubilados y rentistas” (retirees and rentiers), administered by SERMIG (Servicio Nacional de Migraciones).

Key features of the jubilados-y-rentistas subcategory:

  • No fixed minimum income in the regulations — you must show income that is regular and sufficient to cover your basic needs in Chile (pension, rents, dividends, interest, or similar passive sources)
  • Apply from OUTSIDE Chile through the SERMIG digital portal (not at a consulate window, not in-country)
  • The permit grants temporary residence for up to 2 years, with a later path to permanent residence (definitiva)
  • Unofficial practitioner benchmark: facilitators commonly consider roughly US$1,000-1,500/month (plus about US$500-600/month per dependent) comfortably approvable — this is not an official threshold; SERMIG evaluates sufficiency case by case

General requirements

This section details essential requirements for the jubilados-y-rentistas subcategory:

  • Valid US passport (at least 6 months validity)
  • Proof of regular, sufficient passive income (pension statements, rental contracts, dividend/interest records)
  • FBI criminal background check (apostilled)
  • Documents legalized/apostilled and translated to Spanish where required
  • Initial financial proof

Step-by-step process

  1. Apply from outside Chile through the SERMIG digital portal (tramites.serviciomigraciones.cl)
  2. Upload evidence of regular passive income and supporting documents
  3. SERMIG resolution: if approved, the visa is stamped/issued for entry
  4. Temporary residency: up to 2 years under jubilados y rentistas
  5. Permanent residency (residencia definitiva) after the qualifying period
  6. Citizenship: possible after 5 years of total residence (general rule)

US tax obligations as expat

⚠️ Critical: as US citizen, you remain obligated to file US federal taxes.

  • Form 1040 annual with worldwide income
  • FEIE Form 2555: exclude up to $132,900 (tax year 2026) if residing abroad
  • Foreign Tax Credit Form 1116: avoid double taxation
  • FBAR FinCEN Form 114: if foreign accounts >$10K aggregated
  • FATCA Form 8938: if assets >$50K (single) / $100K (married)

See: US obligations abroad

Services and banking

As expat in Chile, consider:

  • Local bank account (for daily expenses)
  • Maintain US account (for Social Security, Medicare)
  • International transfers: use Wise (1% excise tax applies after Dec 2025)
  • Credit card: many US ones don’t work; get country one

Healthcare

Medicare generally does NOT cover in Chile. Options:

  • Local insurance: country’s national coverage
  • International insurance (Cigna Global, AXA): worldwide coverage
  • Traveler’s private insurance (short term)

Last verified: 2026-06-11.

General information — not legal advice. Consult immigration attorney in destination country for specific cases.