Guide to temporary entry for Canadian business persons into Chile under the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP)

On this page

• Before you travel to Chile
• Business visitors
• Intra-corporate transferees
• Investors
• Independent professionals and technicians
• Contractual service suppliers
• Disclaimer

This guide provides Canadian business persons with general information on the criteria and procedures for entering Chile temporarily for business purposes under the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), and Chile’s Acts or Regulations governing entry or stay in Chile.

Please familiarize yourself with any ongoing travel requirements before seeking entry into Chile using Chile’s official government websites.

To be eligible for temporary entry into Chile under any of the categories under the CPTPP, you must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.

More information:

• Consolidated TPP Text – Chile’s Schedule of Commitments for Temporary Entry for Business Persons
• Consolidated TPP Text – Chapter 12 – Temporary Entry for Business Persons

For any questions related to temporary entry commitments under the CPTPP, please contact: enquiry-demande.TE@international.gc.ca

Business visitors

Do I qualify as a business visitor?

For Chile’s CPTPP commitments, a business visitor is a Canadian business person who is:

• Attending meetings, conferences or consultations with business colleagues;
• Taking orders or negotiating contracts for a Canadian enterprise;
• Undertaking business consultations that are about establishing, expanding, or closing an enterprise or investment in Chile;
• Installing, repairing or maintaining equipment or machinery, or performing services or training Chilean workers pursuant to a warranty or other service contract as part of an after sales or after lease service of equipment or machinery during the warranty or life of a service agreement;
• Whose principal place of business, place of remuneration and predominant place of profit gathering remains outside Chile.

A Canadian business visitor cannot be engaged in direct sales to the general public or in supplying goods or services directly.

For Chile’s CPTPP commitments, a Canadian business visitor can stay in Chile for up to 90 days.

What authorizations are required to enter Chile as a business visitor?

Do I need a visa as a business visitor?

Canadian business visitors do not require a visa to enter Chile for up to 90 days.

Do I need a work permit as a business visitor?

No. A Canadian business visitor will not require a work permit, as they will not and can not be engaged in any income-earning activities while in Chile.

Intra-corporate transferees

Do I qualify as an intra-corporate transferee?

For Chile’s CPTPP commitments, a Canadian intra-corporate transferee is a Canadian business person employed by an enterprise in Canada seeking to render services to an affiliated enterprise in Chile, as an executive, manager, specialist or management trainee on professional development.

An executive is a business person who:

• Primarily directs the management of the organisation;
• Exercises wide latitude in decision-making; and
• Receives only general supervision or direction from higher level executives, the board of directors, or stockholders.

A manager is a business person who:

• Primarily directs the organisation or a department or subdivision of the organisation;
• Supervises and controls the work of other supervisory, professional or managerial employees; and
• Has the ability to recruit and dismiss or take other personnel actions.

A specialist is a business person who possesses either:

• Specialised knowledge of the company’s products or services and its application in international markets; or
• An advanced level of expertise or knowledge of the company’s processes and procedures.

A management trainee on professional development is a business person who:

• Is an employee with a post-secondary degree; and
• On temporary work assignment in preparation for a senior leadership position within the company.

For Chile’s CPTPP commitments, Canadian intra-corporate transferee can stay in Chile for an initial stay of one year.

Do I need a visa as an intra-corporate transferee?

Yes. A Canadian intra-corporate transferee should apply for either a Temporary Residence Permit, subcategory 8: People covered by international agreements. To learn more about the Temporary Residence Permit and eligibility requirements visit the People covered by international agreements subcategory webpage of the Servicio Nacional de Migraciones website. Please note, all documents issued abroad or by the respective consular representation in Chile must be apostilled or duly legalized, as stipulated in Articles 345 and 345 bis of the Código de Procedimiento Civil (Spanish only) (Code of Civil Procedure).

How do I apply for a Temporary Resident Visa as an intra-corporate transferee?

To apply for a Temporary Resident Visa you will have to create your account to Portal de Tramites Digitales of SERMIG (Spanish only) and complete all the information in the application form. You must include all the documents at the time of your application. You can pay fees on the online portal.

For more information visit the People covered by international agreements subcategory webpage of the Servicio Nacional de Migraciones website.

Do I need a work permit as an intra-corporate transferee?

No. The Temporary Residence Visa acts as a permit authorizing the holder to live in Chile and work full-time.

Investors

Do I qualify as an investor?

For Chile’s CPTPP commitments, a Canadian investor is a Canadian business person that is seeking to enter Chile temporarily, or is already in Chile, intending to:

• Establish, develop, or administer an investment in Chile; or
• Commit or has committed a substantial amount of capital in a capacity that is supervisory, executive, or involves essential skills

For Chile’s CPTPP commitments, a Canadian investor can stay in Chile for an initial stay of one year.

Do I need a visa as an investor?

Yes. A Canadian investor should apply for a Temporary Residence Visa, subcategory 8: People covered by international agreements. For more information and eligibility requirements, visit the People covered by international agreements subcategory webpage of the Servicio Nacional de Migraciones website. Please note, all documents issued abroad or by the respective consular representation in Chile must be apostilled or duly legalized, as stipulated in Articles 345 and 345 bis of the Código de Procedimiento Civil (Spanish only) (Code of Civil Procedure).

How do I apply for a Temporary Resident Visa as an investor?

To apply for a Temporary Resident Visa you will have to create your account to Portal de Tramites Digitales of SERMIG (Spanish only) and complete all the information in the application form. You must include all the documents at the time of your application. You can pay fees on the online portal.

For more information visit the People covered by international agreements subcategory webpage of the Servicio Nacional de Migraciones website.

Do I need a work permit as an investor?

No. The Temporary Residence Visa acts as a permit authorizing the holder to live in Chile and work full-time.

Independent professionals and technicians

Do I qualify as an independent professional or technician?

Under Chile’s CPTPP commitments, a Canadian independent professional or technician is a Canadian business person engaged in a specialty occupation requiring:

• Theoretical and practical application of a body of specialised knowledge;
• A postsecondary degree for entry into the occupation (at least four years of study for a professional and at least two years of study for a technician);
• Is a self-employed service supplier who is engaged in the supply of a contracted service with a person located in Chile; and
• Receives remuneration from a person in Chile.

Please note that the temporary entry of a independent professional or technician shall not imply the recognition of academic degrees or certificates, or the granting of licenses for professional practice.

For Chile’s CPTPP commitments, a Canadian independent professional or technician can stay in Chile for an initial stay of one year. This stay may be extended.

Do I need a visa as an independent professional or technician?

Yes. A Canadian independent professional or technician should apply for a Temporary Residence Visa, subcategory 8: People covered by international agreements. For more information and eligibility requirements, visit the People covered by international agreements subcategory webpage of the Servicio Nacional de Migraciones website.

How do I apply for a temporary resident visa as an independent professional or technician?

To apply for a temporary resident visa you will have to create your account to Portal de Tramites Digitales of SERMIG (in Spanish only) and complete all the information in the application form. You must include all the documents at the time of your application. You can pay fees on the online portal.

For more information visit the Portal de Tramites Digitales of SERMIG (Spanish only) of the Servicio Nacional de Migraciones website.

Do I need a work permit as an independent professional or technician?

No. The Temporary Residence Visa acts as a permit authorizing the holder to live in Chile and work full-time.

Contractual service suppliers

Do I qualify as a contractual service supplier?

For Chile’s CPTPP commitments, a contractual service supplier is a Canadian business person engaged in a specialty occupation requiring:

• Theoretical and practical application of a body of specialised knowledge;
• A postsecondary degree for entry into the occupation (four years of study for professionals and two years of study for technicians);
• Engagement in the supply of a contracted services as an employee of an organization that has no commercial presence in Chile; and
• No remuneration from a person located in Chile.

Please note that the temporary entry of contractual service supplier shall not imply the recognition of academic degrees or certificates, or the granting of licenses for professional practice.

For Chile’s CPTPP commitments, a Canadian contractual service supplier can stay in Chile for an initial stay of one year. This stay may be extended.

Do I need a visa as a contractual service supplier?

Yes. A Canadian contractual service supplier should apply for a Temporary Residence Visa, subcategory 8: People covered by international agreements. For more information and eligibility requirements, visit the People covered by international agreements subcategory webpage of the Servicio Nacional de Migraciones website.

How do I apply for a temporary resident visa as a contractual service supplier?

To apply for a Temporary Resident Visa you will have to create your account to Portal de Tramites Digitales of SERMIG (Spanish only) and complete all the information in the application form. You must include all the documents at the time of your application. You can pay fees on the online portal.

For more information visit the People covered by international agreements subcategory webpage of the Servicio Nacional de Migraciones website.

Do I need a work permit as a contractual service supplier?

No. The Temporary Residence Visa acts as a permit authorizing the holder to live in Chile and work full-time.

I qualify for temporary entry into Chile under the CPTPP; can my spouse or dependants accompany me?

Chile extends temporary entry coverage to spouses and dependants for select categories under the CPTPP. Spouses and dependants of Canadian business visitors and installers or servicers are not eligible for temporary entry into Chile under its CPTPP commitments. Spouses and dependants of Canadian intra-corporate transferees, investors, independent professionals and technicians, and contractual service suppliers are eligible for temporary entry and the right to work in Chile under its CPTPP commitments. For more information, see the Who can apply for a Residencia Temporal permit as a dependent webpage of the Servicio National de Migraciones website.

The period of stay offered to spouses and dependants are equivalent to the length of stay of the principal applicant.

What if I am a business person under a category that is not covered?

For any other types of Canadian business persons, temporary entry to Chile is subject to Chile’s Acts and Regulations governing entry and stay.

To explore the other paths for entry into Chile for Canadian business persons not belonging to any of the categories covered under the CPTPP, please see the Immigration procedures webpage of the Servicio Nacional de Migraciones website.

Disclaimer

The information contained herein is current as of May 2023 (national immigration legislations may change, sometimes at short notice). It is offered for informational purposes only and does not constitute general legal advice. The information: (i) must be regarded as a practical guide for general information and not a process guide for determining the specific immigration requirements of the countries covered, (ii) should not be a substitute for a more in-depth analysis of applicable facts and circumstances (including, without limitation, criminal or health-related circumstances) conducted by competent professionals, (iii) indicated processing times and fees herein are approximate, are subject to the specific case circumstances, and change. The information herein does not guarantee the outcome or approval of any particular immigration application.