Foreign inhabitants of border areas

To certify your status as a border zone inhabitant, you must be registered in a special registry or be the holder of a document that indicates it, as stipulated in the respective bilateral agreement.

If you have a special document or registration, it entitles you to enter, stay and exit the Chilean border zone indicated therein.

The entry, stay and exit to another Chilean territory other than that of the zone indicated on your part, must be carried out subject to the general rules.

The requirements to obtain the document or registration, its corresponding renewal, the authority in charge of delivering it, as well as its validity, will be determined in the regulations, in accordance with the respective bilateral agreement. These agreements may also contemplate that the border zone inhabitant may apply for a Residencia Temporal, according to the general rules, if such benefit is granted reciprocally to Chileans and residents.

If you are a foreigner and inhabitant of a border zone, you will be able to cross the border to the corresponding border zone of Chile with preferential attention for entry and exit.

As a condition, you may only stay in the border zone indicated in the document or registration, and for the period of stay established in the bilateral agreement, which may not exceed seven days each time.

The benefit of the previous paragraph shall only apply if in the respective border zones of the neighboring country this benefit is reciprocally granted to Chileans and residents. Nevertheless, the entry and exit of children and adolescents shall be carried out in accordance with the provisions of Article 28 of Law No. 21.325.

You will be able to engage in remunerated activities if you enter as an inhabitant of a border zone, applying for the respective authorization to work, only if the bilateral agreement with the bordering country so establishes (see terms in Article 54 of Law No. 21.325).