Chile retirement visa (retirees and rentistas)

Retirees qualify if they have obtained a retirement pension under the rules of their country of residence, and income earners (rentistas) if they receive constant income from real estate or financial assets. In both cases the money must arrive regularly and cover at least the applicant's basic needs during the stay, measured against the indicators of Chile's Ministry of Social Development and Family. SERMIG does not publish a fixed amount on the subcategory page, so the evidence should show clearly that the income is stable and sufficient.

Retirees provide a pension certificate stating the amount and duration, plus proof of the latest pension payment, both legalised or apostilled. The certificate normally comes from the body that pays the pension, with an official Spanish translation if it is not in Spanish or English.

Owners of real estate provide a certificate of ownership from the competent body (not needed for property in Chile), the lease contract obliging the tenant to pay a set sum regularly, legalised or apostilled, and proof of the rental income. Owners of financial assets provide a certificate of ownership of the assets (not needed for assets yielding in Chile) and documents proving the income they generate. Everyone adds a passport valid for at least a year, a criminal record certificate (over 18) and a photo.

Apply on SERMIG's Portal de Trámites Digitales with your account or ClaveÚnica while outside Chile, and pay the fee in the Treasury (TGR) portal before sending. Documents in languages other than Spanish or English need an official translation; foreign documents must be apostilled; public documents must be uploaded within 60 days of issue and private ones within 30 days, all as PDFs. After approval you download the electronic stamp, enter within 90 days and book a Civil Registry appointment within 30 days for your identity card.

To renew, retirees show that they are still pensioners and that they have the means to support themselves; income earners show, with current documents, that they still receive enough income. A spouse or partner and children can apply as dependants, with permits tied to the holder's. After at least 24 months of temporary residence you can apply for definitive residence where your subcategory allows it, within the 90 days before the deadline to renew.