Chile has long had one of the strongest cultural, commercial and family ties to Spain in Latin America, and each year a steady stream of Chilean professionals, entrepreneurs, students and families make the move to Madrid, Barcelona and beyond. For a Chilean national the practical questions are different from those of, say, a US or Asian applicant: the language is already shared, the documents are already in Spanish, and — most importantly — Chile is an Ibero-American country, which unlocks a dramatically faster route to a Spanish passport. This guide sets out the main immigration routes, the citizenship advantage, the paperwork and the tax framework that a Chilean should understand before relocating.
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The main routes for Chileans The non-lucrative visa The digital nomad visa Self-employed and entrepreneur routes The Beckham regime for Chilean founders The student route The two-year citizenship advantage Spain–Chile dual nationality Apostille and Spanish-language documents The Chile–Spain tax treaty Where Chileans settle Frequently asked questions
"Chileans arrive with three quiet advantages — the language, the apostille and a two-year path to citizenship. The job of a good lawyer is simply to make sure none of them is wasted."
— Lola Jurado · Immigration lawyer, Ilustre Colegio de Abogados de Málaga (nº 10907)
The main routes for Chileans
Chile is not a member of the European Union, so a Chilean national needs a visa or residence authorisation to live in Spain long-term. That said, the choice of route is wide, and the right one depends on why you are moving — to retire, to work remotely, to run a business, to study or to build a company. The most common options are the non-lucrative visa, the digital nomad visa, self-employment (autónomo) and entrepreneur authorisations, the Beckham special tax regime layered on top of a work route, and the student visa. Each carries its own income thresholds, documentation and timelines, but all of them count towards the same prize that makes Spain especially attractive to Chileans: fast-tracked citizenship.
The non-lucrative visa
The non-lucrative residence visa is designed for people who can support themselves from savings, pensions or passive income without working in Spain. For financially independent Chileans — retirees, rentiers, or those taking a career break — it is a clean and well-trodden path. The core requirement is proof of sufficient stable income or assets to cover living costs without employment in Spain, together with private health insurance and a clean criminal record. Because it does not permit local work, it suits those whose income already flows from outside Spain. For many Chilean families it becomes the first step on the two-year clock towards nationality.
The digital nomad visa
Introduced by Spain's Startup Act, the digital nomad visa lets non-EU nationals live in Spain while working remotely for companies or clients based outside Spain. For Chilean remote workers, salaried employees of foreign companies and freelancers with an international client base, it is often the most practical route because it permits professional activity while you live in Spain. Applicants generally need to show a genuine remote working relationship, a qualifying income level and the usual health-insurance and background requirements. A significant attraction is that the digital nomad visa can, in the right circumstances, be combined with the Beckham special tax regime. We set out the process in detail in our guide to the digital nomad visa.
Self-employed and entrepreneur routes
Chile has a notably entrepreneurial economy and a comparatively large base of self-made business owners and professionals by regional standards, and many of them want to operate a genuine business or professional practice from Spain rather than simply work remotely. For them, the self-employed (autónomo) authorisation and the entrepreneur route under the Startup Act are the natural options. The self-employed route requires a viable business plan and evidence that the activity can sustain the applicant, while the entrepreneur visa is aimed at innovative or scalable projects and is assessed on the strength and innovation of the venture. Both allow the holder to build something in Spain — a consultancy, a studio, a startup — while accruing residence towards citizenship.
The Beckham regime for Chilean founders
Given Chile's relative prosperity within Latin America and its deep pool of founders, executives and high-earning professionals, the Beckham special tax regime is of particular interest to Chileans relocating for work or to launch a company. The regime allows a qualifying newcomer, broadly, to be taxed on favourable terms for a limited number of years, which can materially reduce the tax cost of a move for a well-paid professional or a founder taking Spanish residence. It is not a visa in itself — it sits on top of an underlying work, entrepreneur or digital nomad route — and eligibility and the real effective rate depend heavily on how income is structured. A Chilean founder or senior professional should model the position carefully before committing. Our dedicated explainer walks through how to apply for the Beckham regime in Spain.
The student route
Spain's universities and business schools are a major draw for Chilean students, and the student visa allows Chileans to pursue degrees, master's programmes or research in Spain. It typically permits limited work alongside study and can, once studies conclude, be converted into a work or residence authorisation, allowing a graduate to remain. For a young Chilean, arriving as a student and later transitioning to a work route is a well-established path — and, because the two-year citizenship clock can run on legal residence, an academic start can become the foundation for a Spanish passport within a few years of arriving.
The two-year citizenship advantage
This is the single most important reason Chile is in a privileged position compared with most of the world. The general rule is that a non-EU foreigner must complete ten years of legal, continuous residence before applying for Spanish nationality by residence. Nationals of Ibero-American countries — which includes Chile — benefit from a drastically reduced period of just two years of legal, continuous residence.
For a Chilean, two years of lawful residence in Spain can be enough to apply for a Spanish, and therefore European Union, passport — where a Canadian or American would face ten.
In practice this means a Chilean who arrives on a non-lucrative, digital nomad, self-employed or student route, and maintains legal and continuous residence, can generally apply for Spanish nationality after only two years — subject to meeting the other requirements, such as demonstrating integration and good civic conduct. That transforms the strategic calculus: the initial visa is not just a permit to live in Spain, it is the opening move towards full EU citizenship on an unusually short timetable. We cover the mechanics in our guide to Spanish citizenship by residency.
Spain–Chile dual nationality
The advantage does not stop at speed. Spain and Chile are linked by a bilateral dual-nationality treaty, which means that a Chilean who acquires Spanish nationality by residence is generally not required to renounce Chilean nationality. Ordinarily, non-Ibero-American nationals acquiring Spanish citizenship by residence must formally renounce their previous nationality; Chileans, by contrast, can typically hold both.
The practical significance is considerable. A Chilean who naturalises in Spain can keep their Chilean passport, property rights and family ties in Chile intact while also holding a Spanish and EU passport, with the right to live and work anywhere in the European Union. For families with lives and assets in both countries, retaining Chilean nationality alongside Spanish nationality removes what would otherwise be a painful trade-off.
Apostille and Spanish-language documents
Chileans enjoy two meaningful procedural advantages when assembling a Spanish immigration file. First, Chile is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, so Chilean public documents — birth certificates, marriage certificates, criminal-record certificates and the like — can generally be legalised for use in Spain with a single apostille, rather than the slower and more cumbersome route of full consular legalisation required from some other countries.
Second, and often underappreciated, is that Chilean documents are already in Spanish. Applicants from many countries must arrange sworn (official) translations of every certificate into Spanish, which adds cost, delay and room for error. A Chilean applicant is usually spared that step for core civil-status documents, since they are issued in Spanish from the outset. That said, documents still have to be presented in the specific form Spanish authorities require, apostilles must be valid and current, and criminal-record certificates typically must be recent — so the file should still be prepared carefully.
The Chile–Spain tax treaty
Tax is where a Chilean move needs particular care. Spain and Chile have a double taxation treaty that allocates taxing rights between the two countries and provides relief mechanisms to avoid the same income being fully taxed twice. Whether a person becomes a Spanish tax resident generally turns on spending more than 183 days in Spain in a calendar year, or having their centre of vital or economic interests here — and becoming Spanish tax resident brings worldwide income into scope, subject to the treaty.
For a Chilean with income, investments, a business or a pension in Chile, this raises important questions: how Chilean-source income is treated once you are resident in Spain, how relief for tax already paid in Chile is claimed, and how the treaty interacts with any Beckham election. These are not questions to guess at. The interaction between Chilean and Spanish tax, the timing of a move, and any restructuring of income or assets should be reviewed before relocation, because decisions taken in advance are far easier than corrections made afterwards.
Where Chileans settle
The two most popular destinations for Chileans are Madrid and Barcelona. Madrid offers the deepest professional market, the strongest concentration of Latin American business networks and direct connections back to Santiago, which makes it a natural landing point for founders, executives and professionals. Barcelona attracts those drawn to the Mediterranean lifestyle, the tech and startup scene, and the international, cosmopolitan feel of the city. Beyond these, Málaga and the Andalusian coast, Valencia and the Basque Country each attract their own share of Chilean newcomers, whether for lifestyle, industry or family reasons. The choice of city also has practical consequences, since regional tax rules and the local housing market vary across Spain.
Frequently asked questions
How long until a Chilean can apply for Spanish citizenship?
As an Ibero-American national, a Chilean can generally apply for Spanish nationality after just two years of legal, continuous residence, rather than the ten years required of most non-EU nationals. Other requirements, such as demonstrating integration, still apply.
Will I lose my Chilean nationality?
Generally no. Spain and Chile have a dual-nationality treaty, so Chileans acquiring Spanish nationality by residence are typically not required to renounce their Chilean nationality.
Do my Chilean documents need translating?
Core civil-status documents are already in Spanish, so sworn translation is often unnecessary for them. They still need a valid apostille and must be presented in the form Spanish authorities require.
Which route is best for a Chilean founder?
It depends on the business and income structure. An entrepreneur or self-employed route combined with the Beckham regime is often attractive, but the real position must be modelled individually.
General information, not legal advice. Immigration, nationality and tax rules — including residence periods, treaty relief and thresholds — change and depend on your circumstances. Confirm the current position for your case before acting.