Can I legally work remotely in Chile on a tourist visa?

Technically, working for non-Chilean clients and employers on a tourist visa is a gray area - Chile's 2024 Digital Nomad Visa was created precisely to legalize this. For stays under 90 days, enforcement is minimal. For longer stays, the Digital Nomad Visa is strongly recommended to ensure legal clarity and ability to open a bank account.

What is Start-Up Chile and can foreigners apply?

Start-Up Chile is a government-backed, equity-free accelerator program open to founders worldwide. It has three programs: S Factory (pre-acceleration), Build (early stage), and Scale (growth). Accepted teams receive CLP grants, temporary visas, and access to Santiago's startup network. Applications open annually - visit startupchile.org for current cycles.

How is the internet for remote work in Santiago?

Excellent. Santiago averages around 120 Mbps on fiber connections from Movistar, VTR, and Entel - among the fastest in Latin America. Fiber is widely available in all expat neighborhoods. Mobile 4G/5G from Entel is reliable throughout the city. Coworking spaces all have dedicated business-grade fiber with backup connections.

What is the corporate tax rate for a company in Chile?

27% for most companies (SA or SpA structures). Companies can be formed online for free via the government's tuempresa.gob.cl portal in a single business day. VAT (IVA) of 19% applies to most sales. CORFO offers grants and subsidized loans for innovative businesses - worth exploring for startups with a Chilean presence.

Is it easy to hire Chileans as an international employer?

Yes, through Employer of Record (EOR) services like Deel or Remote.com, which handle Chilean payroll, social security contributions, and labor law compliance without requiring a local entity. For scaling a team, registering a SpA (Sociedad por Acciones) in Chile is straightforward and costs nothing via the tuempresa.gob.cl portal.

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🇨🇱 Chile

Work & Business

Chile has Latin America's strongest startup and mining-tech ecosystem, an active digital nomad community in Santiago, and a 2024 Digital Nomad Visa that makes remote work fully legal. The country is also home to Start-Up Chile - one of the world's longest-running government accelerator programs..

Data verified August 13, 2026

CLP ~500,000/mo

Chilean Minimum Wage

~$555 USD/mo (2026 approx.)

Start-Up Chile

Top Startup Program

Government-backed accelerator, global applicants

27%

Corporate Tax Rate

For Chilean legal entities (SA or SpA)

~120 Mbps avg.

Internet Reliability

Fiber widely available in Santiago

Spanish

Working Language

English used in multinationals and tech sector

Overview🏙️Santiago 🎨Valparaíso

🛂Visa 🏥Healthcare 💰Finance 🏠Housing 💼Working 🌆Daily Life ✈️Moving 📚Education 🌅Lifestyle 📈Investing🤝Directory

Overview

Key Takeaways

Digital Nomad Visa (2024) holders can legally work remotely for non-Chilean employers and clients - no separate work permit needed
Start-Up Chile (startupchile.org): government-backed equity-free accelerator; S Factory (pre-acceleration), Build, and Scale programs; open to international founders
Sujeto a Contrato visa: employer-sponsored, tied to a specific employment contract with a registered Chilean company
WeWork Santiago (Apoquindo 5950, Las Condes): premium corporate-grade facility, multiple floors, reliable high-speed fiber, professional address; day passes and monthly memberships available
Digital Nomad Visa explicitly covers freelancers earning from non-Chilean clients - no additional permit needed

Remote Work & the Digital Nomad Visa

Chile's 2024 Digital Nomad Visa makes remote work fully legal for up to 1 year. Santiago's fast fiber internet, abundant coworking spaces, and growing nomad community make it a compelling base for location-independent workers.

Digital Nomad Visa (2024) holders can legally work remotely for non-Chilean employers and clients - no separate work permit needed
Internet: Movistar, VTR, and Entel fiber offer 100–500 Mbps in Santiago for $28–50/mo - reliable for video calls, cloud work, and large uploads
Average internet speed in Santiago: ~120 Mbps - among the fastest in Latin America
Mobile data: Entel 4G/5G is the most reliable national carrier; strong coverage in Santiago and major cities; patchier in rural areas and Patagonia
Power outages: very rare in Santiago's expat neighborhoods; coworking spaces provide uninterrupted power
Santiago time zone (UTC-3 summer / UTC-4 winter): workable with US East Coast (2–3hr difference) and challenging but manageable for Europe (4–6hr difference)

Chile's Startup & Business Ecosystem

Santiago is Latin America's most stable and transparent business environment. Start-Up Chile - the government's international accelerator - has funded over 3,000 companies since 2010 and remains the region's most reputable startup program.

Start-Up Chile (startupchile.org): government-backed equity-free accelerator; S Factory (pre-acceleration), Build, and Scale programs; open to international founders
InvestChile (investchile.gob.cl): government investment promotion agency offering free market entry support, legal guidance, and sector matchmaking
Chile's World Bank 'Ease of Doing Business': consistently top 5 in Latin America - transparent contracts, reliable dispute resolution, low corruption
Company formation: SpA (Sociedad por Acciones) is the standard for startups - single-owner possible, formed online via www.tuempresa.gob.cl in 1 business day for CLP 0
Banking for businesses: BCI Empresas, Scotiabank Chile, and Banco de Chile have dedicated SME and startup banking products
Key sectors: mining technology, fintech, agtech, renewable energy, e-commerce; Santiago's Huérfanos Street (Barrio Italia) is the emerging startup hub
CORFO (Corporation for Production Promotion): grants and soft loans for R&D and innovation - accessible to companies with Chilean legal presence

Working for a Chilean Employer

Working for a Chilean company requires a Sujeto a Contrato work visa sponsored by the employer. The process is straightforward, and permanent residency is achievable in just 1 year.

Sujeto a Contrato visa: employer-sponsored, tied to a specific employment contract with a registered Chilean company
Employer must be legally registered in Chile with an active RUT; the employment contract must comply with Chilean labor law (Código del Trabajo)
Processing time: 2–4 months; employer initiates at the Departamento de Extranjería
Labor rights: Chilean labor law strongly protects workers - minimum 15 business days paid annual leave, severance (indemnización) after 1 year, and mandatory AFP pension contributions
AFP (Administradoras de Fondos de Pensiones): mandatory pension fund contribution of 10% of salary from employee; portable individual account
Salaries in tech, mining, and finance in Santiago: competitive by Latin American standards; senior engineers earn CLP 3,000,000–7,000,000/mo ($3,330–7,780 USD)
English-language jobs: available in multinationals (mining, consulting, finance), tech startups, and diplomatic/international organizations

Coworking Spaces in Santiago

Santiago has a well-developed coworking sector with options ranging from budget neighborhood spaces to premium corporate facilities in Las Condes.

WeWork Santiago (Apoquindo 5950, Las Condes): premium corporate-grade facility, multiple floors, reliable high-speed fiber, professional address; day passes and monthly memberships available
Regus Santiago: multiple locations including Las Condes and Providencia; flexible desk options from CLP 123,900–256,900/mo ($138–285)
Impact Hub Santiago: community-focused innovation space, strong startup and social enterprise network, Barrio Italia area; monthly memberships around $150–200
Work/Café (BancoEstado): free coworking spaces in bank branches across Santiago - available with a Chilean bank account; excellent for freelancers on a budget
Kwork (Providencia): popular with freelancers and remote workers; comfortable, fast internet, reasonable rates
Café coworking culture: many Providencia and Barrio Italia cafés have fast Wi-Fi and tolerate all-day working - a free alternative for lighter workloads

Freelancing & Self-Employment

Freelancers and independent contractors working for foreign clients can operate legally in Chile on the Digital Nomad Visa or Temporary Residency without a work visa, provided their income is foreign-sourced.

Digital Nomad Visa explicitly covers freelancers earning from non-Chilean clients - no additional permit needed
To invoice Chilean clients: requires a Boleta de Honorarios (freelance invoice registered with the SII) and a Chilean RUT
Boleta de Honorarios system is electronic since 2020 - issued via the SII website; withholding tax (retención) of 13.75% automatically deducted by Chilean clients
Freelancers serving only foreign clients are generally not required to register with SII during the first 3 years under the foreign income exemption - consult a contador
Platforms popular in Chile: Workana (local freelance marketplace), Deel, Toptal, and Upwork for international clients
Self-employment pension: voluntary AFP contributions available to freelancers and self-employed workers

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