Chile: technology regulation at a glance

Framework: Law No. 21.521 (Fintech Law, 2023), regulated by the Comisión para el Mercado Financiero (CMF); secondary rules under NCG 502; tax administered by Servicio de Impuestos Internos (SII)

Chile enacted Law 21.521 (Fintech Law) in January 2023, bringing crypto-asset service providers, exchanges, custodians, brokers, investment advisers, and order-routers, under formal CMF oversight. Secondary regulation NCG 502 required all CASPs to register and obtain CMF operating authorisation by 3 February 2025. Tax treatment is established: the SII classifies crypto as movable assets subject to general income tax, and Chile joined the OECD CARF framework requiring automatic tax reporting from 2027.

Framework: AI Bill No. 16821-19 (pending Senate approval) + National Artificial Intelligence Policy 2021-2030 (updated 2024 via Decree No. 12), led by the Ministry of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation (MinCiencia)

Chile does not yet have a comprehensive AI law in force. The executive introduced AI Bill No. 16821-19 in May 2024; it passed the Chamber of Deputies on 13 October 2025 and is now under Senate review. In parallel, Chile operates under a National AI Policy (originally 2021, revised 2024) that frames governance principles but carries no binding legal force.

Framework: Currently Law No. 19.628 (1999, 'sobre protección de la vida privada'), grounded in Constitution Art. 19 No. 4; comprehensively overhauled by GDPR-style Law No. 21.719 (published 13 Dec 2024), which enters into force 1 December 2026 and creates the Agencia de Protección de Datos Personales (APDP).

Chile has had a general, cross-sector personal-data protection law in force since 1999 (Law 19.628), and personal-data protection is a constitutional right (Art. 19 No. 4). On 13 December 2024 Chile published Law 21.719, a comprehensive GDPR-aligned reform that creates an independent supervisory authority (the APDP), expands data-subject rights, and adds strong enforcement; it enters into full force on 1 December 2026 after a 24-month transition. As of May 2026 the modernized regime is enacted but not yet enforceable, so Law 19.628 remains the operative law while organizations prepare for the new obligations.

Framework: Ley Fintec (Law No. 21.521, in force since 2023) and CMF General Rule NCG 502/493, supervised by the Comisión para el Mercado Financiero (CMF), with the Central Bank of Chile (BCCh) regulating payment-card/PSP rails

Chile has a comprehensive, in-force fintech licensing regime: Law No. 21.521 (Ley Fintec, enacted January 2023) created a dedicated framework requiring fintech service providers to register with and be authorized by the CMF, and established an Open Finance System. Payment instruments (prepaid/e-money cards, card acquiring and PSPs) are licensed by the CMF under rules set by the Central Bank, while instant transfers (TEF) run over the CCA clearing house. There is no dedicated BNPL statute, but the Open Finance System (including payment initiation) is being phased in.

Framework: Ley 21.325 de Migración y Extranjería (2021), administered by the Servicio Nacional de Migraciones (SERMIG); implementing Decree 177/2022

Chile has no dedicated digital-nomad or remote-work visa category. Remote workers and freelancers can legally reside by applying for a Residencia Temporal (Temporary Residency) permit under either the 'lawful remunerated activities, self-employed' or the 'retired/leasers' subcategory, governed by Ley 21.325. The permit is valid for up to two years and is renewable, providing a direct path to permanent residency.

Framework: No comprehensive online-safety act in force; existing rules derive from conditional intermediary-liability doctrine (Law 19.733 / civil-code jurisprudence), the Framework Cybersecurity Law (Ley 21.663, in force January 2025), and the new Data Protection Law (Ley 21.719, enacted December 2024). Multiple bills, including a broad digital-platforms bill (Boletín 14.561-19) and two minors-online-protection bills, are advancing through Congress as of mid-2026.

Chile is rated one of the world's freest online environments (Freedom House score 86/100, 2024) with no state censorship and no comprehensive platform-regulation law equivalent to the EU DSA or UK OSA. Existing platform liability is conditional: ISPs and platforms are shielded from liability for third-party content unless they fail to comply with a court removal order within the required timeframe. A cluster of proposed legislation working through Congress in 2025-2026 would create duties around content transparency, appeals, minors' access to social media, and algorithmic disclosure, but none has been enacted yet.

Framework: Ley Marco de Ciberseguridad No. 21.663 (April 8, 2024), enforced by the Agencia Nacional de Ciberseguridad (ANCI)

Chile enacted Latin America's first comprehensive cybersecurity framework law (Ley 21.663) in April 2024, which became fully enforceable on March 1, 2025. The law established the ANCI as the central regulatory and enforcement body with powers over both public institutions and private essential-service providers. It imposes mandatory incident-reporting duties, minimum security standards, and graduated obligations on two categories of regulated entities: Essential Service Providers and Operators of Vital Importance (OVIs).

Framework: Ley 20.659 (2013), Simplified Business Registry (Registro de Empresas y Sociedades), administered by Chile's Ministry of Economy, Promotion and Tourism; InvestChile serves as the official foreign investment promotion agency under the Ministry

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.