Starting a Business · Chile
Starting a business in Chile: foreigner's guide (2026)
Chile shaded by its starting a business status
Chile is one of Latin America's most open business environments for foreign investors: 100% foreign ownership is permitted across virtually all sectors with no statutory minimum capital for the most common structure (SpA). The government's 'Tu Empresa en Un Día' online portal enables core company registration in 1–3 business days at no cost, though the full operational timeline—including obtaining a foreign investor's RUT (tax ID) and a corporate bank account—typically runs 3–6 weeks.
Key points
Chile imposes no foreign-ownership caps across most sectors; 100% foreign ownership is permitted without requiring a local partner or shareholder. Narrow exceptions apply only to Chilean-flagged shipping vessels and fishing boats.
There is no statutory minimum paid-in capital for an SpA (Sociedad por Acciones) or most other standard structures; it can be set as low as CLP 1. The SpA is the most popular structure for foreign investors due to its single-shareholder eligibility and flexible governance.
Ley 20.659 created the 'Tu Empresa en Un Día' portal (registrodeempresasysociedades.cl), where most company types can be incorporated digitally in 1–3 business days at no cost. The Ministry of Economy reported over 20,800 companies constituted on the platform in July 2025 alone, a 29.6% year-on-year increase.
Before incorporating, a non-resident foreign investor must obtain a Chilean tax ID (RUT) from the SII by submitting an apostilled power of attorney, certificate of good standing, and a tax residency certificate no older than three months. This step typically adds 1–2 weeks for investors based abroad.
At least one Chile-domiciled legal representative must be designated; they need not be Chilean nationals or shareholders but must hold a valid temporary or permanent visa permitting lawful activity. Foreigners on contract-dependent or student visas cannot serve in this role.
After company creation, the operator must file 'Inicio de Actividades' with the SII and open a corporate bank account; for foreign-owned entities the banking step alone can take 4–6 weeks. Full end-to-end operational readiness typically requires 3–6 weeks from document assembly.
Timeline - major decisions & events
Omnibus law published in the Diario Oficial on 11 July 2025 amending tax, customs, municipal-licence, and labour codes. Key measures: Pro-Pyme corporate rate temporarily cut to 12.5 % (2025–2027), monthly provisional tax payments halved, and expired municipal licences extended — directly reducing the cost and compliance burden of starting and operating a new business.
Colegio de Abogados de Chile (citing Diario Oficial 11-07-2025) ↗Published in the Diario Oficial on 3 February 2023, Law 21.521 created a supervised registration pathway for fintech firms (crowdfunding, investment advisory, payment services, custody) via the CMF's Registry of Financial Service Providers, giving technology entrepreneurs a clear, regulated route to starting a financial-services business in Chile.
BCN – Biblioteca del Congreso Nacional ↗Enacted August 2021 but requiring system preparation, the upgraded Registro de Empresas y Sociedades (RES) became fully operational on 1 February 2023, adding an electronic powers-of-attorney register and a mandatory electronic shareholders register — closing gaps that had still required some founders to use paper notarial processes.
Registro de Empresas y Sociedades – Ministerio de Economía ↗Published in the Diario Oficial on 24 February 2020, this major reform created the Pro-Pyme General and Pro-Pyme Transparent tax regimes for firms with up to 75,000 UF average annual revenue, featuring simplified accounting, 100 % instant asset depreciation, and a reduced 25 % corporate rate — substantially cutting post-incorporation tax compliance costs for new Chilean businesses.
BCN – Biblioteca del Congreso Nacional ↗Following publication of its implementing regulations in March 2013, the Registro de Empresas y Sociedades (RES) portal opened on 2 May 2013, enabling any person to incorporate a company online in a single day at zero cost, with no requirement for Commercial Registry filing or Diario Oficial publication. It ushered in the current era of instant digital company formation in Chile.
Registro de Empresas y Sociedades – Ministerio de Economía ↗Published in the Diario Oficial on 27 January 2011, Law 20.494 cut the time to form a company from 22 to 8 days and reduced related costs by 25 % by requiring municipalities to issue commercial licences on the spot when applicants presented required permits. It was the critical pre-digital reform that paved the way for 'Empresa en un Día'.
BCN – Biblioteca del Congreso Nacional ↗Published in the Diario Oficial on 3 February 2010, Law 20.416 established Chile's statutory definition of MSMEs by annual revenue thresholds, granted micro and small enterprises consumer-protection rights when purchasing from suppliers, and streamlined inspection and closure procedures — forming the foundational SME policy layer that subsequent reforms built upon.
BCN – Biblioteca del Congreso Nacional ↗In 2010 Chile's Ministry of Economy and CORFO launched Start-Up Chile, an equity-free grant and visa programme designed to attract international entrepreneurs and seed a domestic innovation culture. Widely recognised as the world's first public accelerator model, it has supported over 3,000 startups from 80+ countries and established Chile as Latin America's premier entrepreneurship hub.
WIPO ↗Chile - other topics
Last verified 5/24/2026 · Orientation, not legal advice - verify against the primary sources linked above. Explore the full world map →