Mercosur Temporary Residency in Chile
No job offer, no minimum income — but the first application must be filed from outside Chile. The 2026 rules, costs and documents under the Mercosur Agreement.
An applicant who files for Mercosur Temporary Residency while already inside Chile has the application rejected on a procedural defect — not for a missing document, but for applying in the wrong place. It is the requirement that causes the most rework in this process, and almost no guide puts it in the title or the opening paragraph. So here it is, before anything else: the first application for Temporary Residency under the Mercosur Agreement must be filed from outside Chile, without exception.
This guide sets out what is in force in 2026 on the official site of the Servicio Nacional de Migraciones (SERMIG), with the legal basis for each requirement, so that anyone planning to live, work or start a business in Chile can build the application without falling into traps.
What Mercosur Temporary Residency is, and who can apply
Temporary Residency under the principle of international reciprocity is a subcategory of Chilean Temporary Residency, set out in Article 70(13) of Law No. 21,325 (the Migration and Foreign Nationals Act). It derives from the Residence Agreement for Nationals of the Mercosur States Parties, Bolivia and Chile, which is why it is commonly called the “Mercosur visa” — even though, since 2021, Chilean law no longer uses the word visa, but permiso de residencia (residence permit).
Who can apply: nationals of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. There is no requirement for an employment contract, a job offer or proof of minimum income. The application rests on Mercosur nationality plus the absence of a criminal record.
Where to file: the rule that decides the process
The application can only be filed from outside Chilean territory, through SERMIG’s Portal de Trámites Digitales, using an ordinary account or ClaveÚnica (Chile’s national digital ID). Inside Chile, this subcategory is available only to people already renewing a Temporary Residency granted under the previous legislation, or to those who entered the country before 12 February 2022 under “Other type of Residence”. It is not, in other words, an open door for anyone already on Chilean soil in another immigration status, such as tourism.
Step by step
- Create an account on SERMIG’s Portal de Trámites Digitales (or sign in with ClaveÚnica, where applicable).
- Complete the Temporary Residency application — International Agreements / Mercosur subcategory.
- Attach the required documentation (see table below), in PDF.
- Track progress through “Consulta Estado Trámite” on the portal itself.
- Once approved, collect the Chilean identity card for foreign nationals and complete the corresponding registration.
Required documents
| Document | Note |
|---|---|
| Valid passport | At least 1 year of validity from the date of application |
| Criminal record certificate | Issued by the competent authority of your country of origin, or of anywhere you have lived in the past 5 years; mandatory for applicants over 18; valid for up to 60 days from issue |
| Recent photograph | Colour, white background, full face, no glasses or accessories, taken close to the application date |
General documentation rules
- Documents in a language other than Spanish or English require a sworn translation.
- Every document issued abroad requires an apostille or consular legalisation, under Articles 345 and 345 bis of the Chilean Code of Civil Procedure.
- Documents issued by private parties are valid for 30 days from issue; those issued by public bodies, for 60 days — unless the document itself states a different validity.
Cost and timing
| Item | Amount / period | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Temporary Residency fee (varies by nationality) | US$100 for Brazilian nationals | Res. Exenta No. 129,194/2020, in force under SERMIG’s official fee schedule |
| Permit validity | Up to 2 years | SERMIG |
| Average processing time | No fixed official deadline published by SERMIG; specialist sources report averages of 4 to 6 months, varying with the service’s backlog | Market estimate — not a SERMIG commitment |
This point deserves honesty: no Chilean body publicly commits to a fixed processing deadline. Anyone promising an exact date is betting on an expectation they do not control.
Can I work under this residency?
Yes. Holders of Mercosur Temporary Residency may carry out lawful paid activities with no additional work authorisation procedure. The only restriction is the Labour Code’s rules on the employment of minors.
Can I bring my family?
Yes. A spouse, civil partner and children may apply for residency as dependants, under paragraphs 1 and 2 of Article 74 of Law No. 21,325.
What changes under the new Chilean government
Note on scope: since March 2026, the government of President José Antonio Kast has focused its migration agenda on irregular immigration — border reinforcement, suspension of a regularisation process for foreign nationals in an irregular situation, and tougher bills sent to Congress. As at the publication date of this article, those measures explicitly target irregular migration and have not altered the requirements, cost or text of the Mercosur Residence Agreement described here. Because this is a moving political picture, we repeat: always confirm on the SERMIG website before starting your process, and be wary of any content — including this — that does not state its last verification date.
In practice, for anyone following the legal route described in this guide, the main effect of the new policy is indirect: a stricter immigration environment tends to raise documentary scrutiny across all applications, which makes it even more important to submit a complete and correct file the first time.
After Temporary Residency: the path to Permanent Residency
At the end of Temporary Residency, you may apply for Permanent Residency — the step that grants the right to reside indefinitely and carry out any lawful activity in the country.
| Situation | Minimum period on Temporary Residency |
|---|---|
| General rule (applications filed after 14/05/2022) | 24 months |
| Family tie to a Chilean citizen or permanent resident, evidenced income or pension, investment with genuine operations in Chile, scientific/cultural/sporting contribution, or provision in a treaty in force | From 12 months |
| Insufficient means of subsistence, unstable employment, prolonged absences from the country, or immigration, labour, tax or health infringements | More than 24 months |
The Permanent Residency application must be filed before the Temporary Residency renewal period expires — that is, within 90 days before expiry, never after.
Common mistakes that delay or sink the application
- Applying from inside Chile without falling within the transitional exceptions — the most frequent and most costly error.
- An expired criminal record certificate: it is valid for only 60 days from issue, and many applicants lose that window between gathering documents and actually submitting.
- Missing apostille: a foreign document without a Hague apostille (or consular legalisation) automatically triggers a deficiency notice.
- A non-compliant photograph: a background other than white, glasses, or a non-neutral expression will get the application returned.
- Confusing Temporary Residency with Temporary Stay: these are different immigration categories, with different rules and rights.
Mercosur vs. other residency routes in Chile
| Route | Requires a job offer or evidenced income? | Where to apply | Validity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercosur (international reciprocity) | No | Outside Chile | Up to 2 years |
| Paid activities (employment contract) | Yes, an employment contract | Outside or inside Chile, depending on the case | Up to 2 years |
| Rentier / retiree | Yes, evidenced income or pension | Outside Chile | Up to 2 years |
| Investor | Yes, evidenced investment in the country | Outside Chile | Up to 2 years |
The practical advantage of the Mercosur route is that it dispenses with proof of income or employment — which makes it the simplest path for someone still weighing where to settle before formalising professional activity in Chile.
Frequently asked questions
Can I apply for Mercosur Temporary Residency while living in Chile as a tourist?
No, save for the specific transitional exceptions (renewing a residency granted under the previous law, or having entered the country before 12 February 2022 under “Other type of Residence”). Outside those cases, the application must be filed from outside Chilean territory.
Does the Mercosur Temporary Residency cost differ by nationality?
Yes. For Brazilian nationals the current fee is US$100, converted into Chilean pesos on the payment date. SERMIG publishes the full schedule by country.
How long do my dependants have to wait?
The same process applies: a spouse, civil partner and children may apply for residency as dependants of the main holder, with their own documentation evidencing the family tie.
How long before I can apply for Chilean nationality?
This guide covers residency, not naturalisation — a later stage that follows Permanent Residency, with its own timelines and rules, and one that deserves a dedicated article.
Conclusion
Mercosur Temporary Residency is, in practice, the most direct route a Mercosur national has to settle legally in Chile: no employment contract or minimum income required, low cost, and validity of up to two years. What decides whether the process runs smoothly or stalls for months is not the complexity of the law — it is discipline with the details: apply from outside Chile, keep the criminal record certificate within its validity window, and apostille every document before submitting.
For anyone already in Chile, or with a structure already in place, who wants to review whether residency, tax ties and documentation hold up under the current rules, Global & Co. can run that diagnosis before an error at origin becomes a larger problem.
This content is for information purposes only and was prepared on the basis of the legislation in force on its publication date. It does not constitute legal, tax or accounting advice. Every situation should be assessed individually by qualified professionals.