Eligibility quiz
Has one of your parents ever been 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 from outside ChileApplying from outside Chile
Find your consulate
Find the Chilean consulate responsible for the place where you were born or where your birth document was issued. It may not be the consulate closest to you.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “Which Chilean consulate handles Inscripción consular de nacimiento for a birth or birth document issued in your city?”
Gather your documents
Prepare the required documents for the consulate.
See required documentsGet the registration form
Get the birth registration form or instructions from the consulate.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “How do I get the Chile Inscripción consular de nacimiento form from the consulate in your city?”
Fill in the form
Fill in the form with your identity, birth, parent and Chilean ancestor details. If you are over 18, sign and submit it yourself.
Find form instructionsSearches DuckDuckGo for “How do I fill in the Chile Inscripción consular de nacimiento form?”
Book an appointment
Book an appointment with your consulate if it requires one.
Book an appointmentHand in your application
Bring your form, original documents and required copies to the consulate and hand them in. Ask how to pay and pay any consular fee required.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “How do I submit a Chile Inscripción consular de nacimiento application at the consulate in your city?”
Wait for registration
Wait for the consulate to send your registration to Chile and for your birth and Chilean identification number, called a RUN, to be recorded. Respond if the office asks for more information or documents.
See how longSearches DuckDuckGo for “How long does Chile Inscripción consular de nacimiento take to be recorded?”
Get your birth certificate
Once your birth is recorded, request your Chilean birth certificate or another document showing your RUN from the civil registry. You can then apply separately for a Chilean identity card or passport.
Request your certificateSearches DuckDuckGo for “How do I request a Chilean birth certificate after Inscripción consular de nacimiento?”
Documents needed
Family certificates and recordsFamily certificates and records
Birth certificates
Bring your birth certificate from the country where you were born and your Chilean parent's birth certificate. Include your Chilean grandparent's birth certificate if it is needed to show your family connection or their Chilean citizenship.
Family citizenship records
Bring proof that your parent is Chilean and that your Chilean grandparent is a qualifying relative. This can be a Chilean birth certificate, an official record of Chilean naturalisation or a record of citizenship granted by special grace, as applicable. Ask the office what evidence it accepts to show that your grandparent kept Chilean citizenship when you were born.
Marriage certificates *
Bring your parents' marriage booklet if they are married. If different surnames need explaining, add the relevant marriage or name-change records.
* Only if your parents are married or you need to explain different surnames.
May need translationMay need apostille/legalisationConsiderations
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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