After 5 years of permanent residency, you can become a Chilean citizen. (Children of Chilean citizens can become citizens after one year of residency.)
The application for citizenship is done by mail, after which you will be called in for a personal interview. If you are in Santiago, send the application to Clasificador 8, Correo Central, Santiago. If you are outside Santiago, send it to the nearest Gobernación.
To apply for citizenship, you must be over 21 years of age (or 18 if you are the child of Chilean national), be able to prove that you have resided in Chile for at least 5 years (or 1 year, if you are a child of a Chilean national), prove that you have paid your taxes during that time, and prove that you have sufficient economic means. In addition, the Chilean government must determine that your citizenship would be useful to the country. This last criterion grants a certain discretion to the state, but in general they will grant you citizenship if the other criteria are fulfilled.
Required documents
When applying, you must submit the following:
- The citizenship application form, filled out and signed (the form is available online)
- Photograph of your most recent passport or (if you do not have one) national identity card from your most recent country of residence
- Photocopy of your Chilean cedula de identidad
- Photocopy of your permanencia definitiva
- Certificate of validity of your permanencia definitiva authorized by the International police
- Certificado de antecedentes, granted by the Civil Registry
- 2 passport-size photos
