How to start a business in Chile as a foreigner (2026)

Legal 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

Key points: starting a business in Chile

1. 01Foreign ownership limits

   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.

   tools.investchile.gob.cl investmentpolicy.unctad.org

2. 02Minimum capital

   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.

   help.investchile.gob.cl chileatiende.gob.cl

3. 03Online registration portal

   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.

   registrodeempresasysociedades.cl economia.gob.cl

4. 04Foreign investor RUT (tax ID) prerequisite

   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.

   help.investchile.gob.cl tools.investchile.gob.cl

5. 05Chile-resident legal representative

   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.

   chileatiende.gob.cl help.investchile.gob.cl

6. 06Post-registration steps & full timeline

   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.

   tools.investchile.gob.cl investchile.gob.cl

Timeline of decisions

1. 11 Jul 2025Law
   Law 21.755: Regulatory Simplification and Economic Activity Promotion

   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)

2. 1 Feb 2023Decision · official
   Law 21.366 Enters Full Force, Business Registry Fully Modernised

   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

3. 24 Feb 2020Law · official
   Law 21.210: Tax Modernisation Introduces Pro-Pyme Regime

   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

4. 2 May 2013Decision · official
   'Empresa en un Día' Portal Goes Live

   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

5. 27 Jan 2011Law · official
   Law 20.494: First Wave of Administrative Streamlining for New Businesses

   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

6. 3 Feb 2010Law · official
   Law 20.416 Published: Statute for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (Estatuto Pyme)

   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

7. 1 Jan 2010Decision · official
   CORFO Launches Start-Up Chile, World's First Public Startup Accelerator

   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

Sources

1. 1.help.investchile.gob.cl/knowledge/how-to-establish-a-company-in-chile
2. 2.tools.investchile.gob.cl/en/setting-up-a-company-in-chile
3. 3.investchile.gob.cl/setting-up-a-company-and-starting-activities-2/
4. 4.registrodeempresasysociedades.cl/
5. 5.chileatiende.gob.cl/fichas/21409-tu-empresa-en-un-dia
6. 6.economia.gob.cl/2025/09/26/por-decimo-mes-consecutivo-aumenta-la-creacion-de-empresas
7. 7.investmentpolicy.unctad.org/investment-laws/laws/169/chile-framework-law-for-foreign-investment