Eligibility quiz
Does your birth record say you were the child of parents who were citizens of another country in Chile to serve their government?
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 documents SERMIG asks for.
See required documentsFill in the application online
Sign in to the SERMIG digital services portal with ClaveÚnica or create or use a SERMIG portal account. Open Opción a la nacionalidad, complete every field and upload your documents.
Open the applicationSearches DuckDuckGo for “How do I fill in the SERMIG Opción a la nacionalidad application online in Chile?”
Submit your application
Submit your completed application online between your 18th birthday and the day before your 19th birthday. SERMIG will email you a confirmation of submission.
Submit your applicationSearches DuckDuckGo for “How do I submit the SERMIG Opción a la nacionalidad application online in Chile?”
Wait for the result
Wait for SERMIG to email you about whether your application can proceed. Do not pay the fee until SERMIG tells you it can proceed.
Find result informationSearches DuckDuckGo for “How does SERMIG tell me whether my Opción a la nacionalidad application can proceed in Chile?”
Pay the fee online
If SERMIG says your application can proceed, pay the fee using the payment link it sends you.
Find payment helpSearches DuckDuckGo for “How do I pay the SERMIG Opción a la nacionalidad fee in Chile?”
Wait for the decision
Wait for SERMIG to decide your application and respond if it asks for more information or documents. If you are approved and have paid the fee, you will receive the decision granting you Chilean nationality by email.
Find decision informationSearches DuckDuckGo for “How long does a SERMIG Opción a la nacionalidad decision take in Chile?”
Book an identity appointment
After receiving the decision, book an appointment with the Civil Registry for your Chilean identity documents.
Book an appointmentSearches DuckDuckGo for “How do I book a Chile Civil Registry appointment for an identity card and passport after Opción a la nacionalidad?”
Attend your identity appointment
Go to your Civil Registry appointment and complete the identity document process. You can then obtain a Chilean identity card and passport.
Find appointment instructionsSearches DuckDuckGo for “What do I do at a Chile Civil Registry identity card and passport appointment after Opción a la nacionalidad?”
Documents needed
Required to applyRequired to apply
Birth certificate
Get your Chilean birth certificate or birth record from the Registro Civil. It must show that your foreign parents were temporarily passing through Chile or were in Chile working for their government.
Application form
In Chile, this is the completed online application to opt for Chilean nationality. Abroad, it is the signed declaration of your choice to become Chilean, presented with your supporting documents.
Copy of your passport or ID
Provide your passport or foreign identity card. If you apply abroad, ask your consulate how it wants you to present it.
Copy of your Chilean ID *
Upload your Chilean identity card with your application.
* Only if you apply in Chile and already have a Chilean identity card.
Citizenship request letter *
Write a letter to the National Director of SERMIG asking to opt for Chilean nationality. Upload it with your application.
* Only if you apply in Chile.
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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