{"id":296,"date":"2026-08-09T20:29:01","date_gmt":"2026-08-10T00:29:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cyc-ca.com\/?p=296"},"modified":"2026-09-04T16:26:31","modified_gmt":"2026-09-04T20:26:31","slug":"constituir-empresa-en-chile-siendo-extranjero","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cyc-ca.com\/en\/2026\/08\/09\/constituir-empresa-en-chile-siendo-extranjero\/","title":{"rendered":"Setting Up a Company in Chile as a Foreigner: A Practical Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you are a foreign individual or company evaluating opening a subsidiary, investing in a Chilean company, or transferring capital to Chile, this article summarizes the process, deadlines, and real costs \u2014 not the generic version usually found online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Claudio Cort\u00e9s<\/strong>, Contador Auditor (Chilean CPA) and Master's in Taxation (Universidad de Chile), founding partner of C&C Contadores Auditores.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Publicado el 09-08-2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In brief<\/p>\n\n\n

The simplified \u00abYour Company in One Day\u00bb regime admits an exhaustive list of eight company types<\/strong>, and the regulation in force is Decreto N° 83 de 2021<\/strong> \u2014the old Supreme Decree 45 of 2013 has been repealed, and still circulates in out-of-date guides\u2014. For a foreign investor the two most used structures are the SpA and the limited liability company.<\/p>\n\n\n

Key figures<\/strong> · 8 company types<\/strong> in the simplified regime \u00b7 2 structures commonly used for foreign investment: SpA and Ltda.<\/p>\n\n\n

Legislation<\/strong> \u00b7 Law No. 20,659 and its regulation, Decree No. 83 of 2021; Law No. 21,366 added the shareholder register and the register of powers of attorney. Foreign investment framework under Law No. 20,848.<\/p>\n\n\n

Verified as at 2 September 2026.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Las formas societarias disponibles<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Costos notariales de la constituci\u00f3n<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. RUT e inicio de actividades<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Cu\u00e1ndo la ley lo considera \u00abinversionista extranjero\u00bb<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Reporte al Banco Central<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. Precios y valor de mercado<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  7. In summary<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  8. Sources and regulations<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Las formas societarias disponibles<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Law 20,659 establishes an exhaustive list of 8 company types<\/strong> that can be formed through the simplified \u00abSet Up Your Company in a Day\u00bb procedure. The regulation currently in force is Decree No. 83 of 2021<\/strong> (the former DS 45 of 2013 has been repealed). Law 21,366 also added a shareholders' registry and a registry of powers of attorney within the same system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    En la pr\u00e1ctica, para un inversionista extranjero las dos estructuras m\u00e1s usadas son la Sociedad por Acciones (SpA) \u2014flexible, un solo due\u00f1o posible, gobierno corporativo simple\u2014 y la Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada (Ltda.). Si el giro de la filial es la prestaci\u00f3n de servicios profesionales, la elecci\u00f3n tiene adem\u00e1s efectos tributarios propios que revisamos en constituci\u00f3n de sociedades de profesionales<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Costos notariales de la constituci\u00f3n<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    According to Exempt Decree No. 11 of 2019, the notary fees for incorporating through the Set Up Your Company in a Day system are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Item<\/th>Arancel<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
    Firma del formulario de constituci\u00f3n<\/td>0.26 UF<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
    Revisi\u00f3n de los documentos de cada compareciente (socio o accionista)<\/td>0.18 UF<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    For a company with a foreign parent, this last point matters: each party appearing \u2014 including the foreign legal entity represented by power of attorney \u2014 adds 0.18 UF to the notary cost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    RUT e inicio de actividades: la obligaci\u00f3n que m\u00e1s se pasa por alto<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Since Exempt Resolution SII No. 77 of 26-06-2025<\/strong>, the procedure for obtaining a Tax ID (RUT) and starting operations was adjusted to Law 21,713. The point a non-resident foreigner cannot skip: must appoint an agent domiciled or resident in Chile<\/strong> to process the RUT and start operations before the SII.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The deadline to report the start of operations is 2 months, counted from the month in which operations actually begin<\/strong> \u2014no desde la fecha de constituci\u00f3n de la sociedad (art. 68 del C\u00f3digo Tributario). El propio SII ejemplifica: actividades iniciadas el 12 de marzo de 2025 \u2192 plazo hasta el 31 de mayo de 2025. Es un error com\u00fan asumir que el plazo corre desde la escritura de constituci\u00f3n. Desde ese momento la filial entra en el ciclo mensual de declaraciones y cotizaciones: el detalle est\u00e1 en el calendario mensual de obligaciones de una filial en Chile<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Cu\u00e1ndo la ley lo considera \u00abinversionista extranjero\u00bb<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Law 20,848 (the current foreign investment framework) defines a foreign investor as a person not resident in Chile who transfers capital into the country. To qualify as Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)<\/strong> under that framework, the transaction must meet two cumulative conditions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n