Eligibility quiz
Were you adopted by a Chilean citizen?
Benefits
Benefits for youBenefits for you
Chilean passport and ID
Chilean citizens can get an identity card and a Chilean passport, including a passport through a consulate abroad.
For an urgent return without a valid travel document, a 10-day emergency travel document may be available.
A passport can make travel easier, though entry rules vary by destination.
Live in Chile for life
Chilean citizens can live in and return to Chile without a visa or residence permit.
Nationality does not expire or depend on spending a set number of days in Chile.
Live and work in 9 countries
Study in Chile
Chilean citizens can study in Chile without an immigration visa or residence permit.
Work in Chile
Chilean citizens can work in Chile without an immigration visa or residence permit.
Get help abroad
Chilean consulates can help abroad after a serious illness or accident, or if documents are lost or stolen.
After assessing a case, a consular support programme may connect someone to local help or arrange an assisted return to Chile.
Vote and run for office
Chilean citizens can vote and run from age 18 if they are not serving a serious criminal sentence.
For voting abroad in presidential votes and national plebiscites, a valid Chilean ID or passport and more than a year previously living in Chile are needed.
Naturalised citizens must wait five years after their certificate to run for office.
How to apply
Applying onlineApplying online
Gather your documents
Prepare the required documents for your online application.
See required documentsFill in the application online
Sign in to the application portal with ClaveÚnica or create an account, then choose “Mayor de edad con vínculo con Chileno, con al menos 2 años de residencia en Chile” and “Adoptado por chileno”. Fill in your personal, contact, travel and work details, explain why you want citizenship, and upload the documents the form asks for; if you entered Chile as a child, give your first entry details.
Fill in the applicationSubmit your application
Review your application and press “Finalizar” to send it.
Submit your applicationKeep your confirmation
Keep the receipt and confirmation sent to your email. If they do not arrive, sign in to the portal and look under “Historial de Trámites”.
Check your application historyWait for the decision
Wait for the migration service to contact you; it will email you when it starts reviewing your application. Respond if it asks you for more information or documents.
See how long it takesSearches DuckDuckGo for “How long does a Nacionalización calificada decision take in Chile?”
Documents needed
Family certificates and recordsFamily certificates and records
Adoption record
Provide a document that proves you were adopted by your Chilean parent. Get a copy from the office that holds your adoption record.
Parent's citizenship records
Provide your Chilean adoptive parent's birth certificate or another document that proves their Chilean citizenship. Get a copy from the office that issued the record.
Considerations
Things to think aboutThings to think about
Military service for men
Chilean men enter the military service pool when they turn 18 and may be selected in an annual draw.
Those selected must report unless an exemption or exclusion applies.
Voting duties and limits
Eligible voters with an electoral address in Chile generally must vote or may face a fine.
Voting abroad is voluntary, but an outdated Chilean electoral address can lead to a fine for not voting.
Naturalised citizens must wait five years after their certificate to run for elected office.
Citizenship can be lost
You can lose Chilean nationality by formally giving it up or through cancellation of a naturalisation certificate, including in cases involving fraud or false statements.
Nationality granted as a special favour can also be withdrawn by law.
These routes cannot leave you without any nationality; losing nationality also ends citizenship.
Discuss
Online communitiesOnline communities
Santiago Chile English Speaking Expats
English Facebook group for people living in Chile interested in Chilean local life
Join on FacebookExpats in Chile - Chile Information Project (CHIP)
English Facebook group for people living in Chile interested in Chilean local life
Join on Facebookr/chile
Reddit group for people interested in Chilean local life (Spanish & English)
Join on RedditConsultation
Talk to a professionalTalk to a professional
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