Chile Temporary vs. Permanent Residency
“Temporary residency” (residencia temporaria) refers to the time you must be physically in Chile within one year, before qualifying for permanent residency (Permanencia Definitiva). For most visa types, this time is 180 days within one year. These do not need to be consecutive days physically present in the country but must total more than 180 days. You may leave Chile within that one year. For certain types of limited work visas in Chile, this time is 180 days out of two years. If you do not complete your…
Time Needed to Qualify for Citizenship in Chile
The department of immigration in Chile (Departamento de Extranjería y Migración) starts counting from the time you receive temporary residency stamp in your passport towards your five years of “residency” for citizenship, as the constitution of Chile only says “residency” without distinction to status as a temporary or a permanent resident of Chile. So, One year of temporary residency, plus four years of permanent residency, will qualify most people living in Chile as permanent residents to applying…
