Chile's Irrefutable Case for Global Investment
A World-Class Passport: The Diplomatic Edge
Chile has one of the most powerful and respected passports in the world. It grants visa-free access to more than 175 countries, including the entire Schengen Area, the UK, South Korea, Japan, Israel, Singapore, and Hong Kong.
It is also the only country in Latin America that participates in the ESTA program of the United States, allowing entry without a traditional visa for 90 days for tourism or business. This privilege, reserved only for nations with high standards of security, international cooperation, and documentary credibility, makes the Chilean passport a top-level diplomatic asset. Our passport also allows dual citizenship and descent-based transmission, enjoying an unblemished reputation for security and low risk of fraud. It is literally a symbol of trust, stability, and freedom of movement: a reflection of the prestige that Chile projects in the world.
Economic Fortress: Stability and Global Trade
In the economic sphere, Chile is among the most stable and best-qualified countries in Latin America. It is one of the most open economies on the planet, having signed 33 trade agreements covering 65 economies, giving preferential access to 88% of global GDP. These partners include the United States, the European Union, China, and Japan.
That commercial network is a testament to a reliable, connected, and competitive country. In addition, Chile maintains a year-over-year inflation of 3.4% as of October 2025, compared to the regional average of 7.6% in Latin America and the Caribbean according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), reinforcing its reputation as a disciplined and predictable economy.
Premium Quality of Life and Reliable Institutions
Added to this stability is a robust and regulated banking system, a transparent tax regime, and a State with institutional credibility. Chile offers double taxation agreements with more than 30 jurisdictions, a secure legal framework, the possibility of creating companies in 24 hours, and a moderate tax burden compared to European standards.
Chile does not only provide stability. It also offers a high quality of life, development, and opportunities to work, undertake, and invest. Its modern infrastructure, advanced digital connectivity, educational system of excellence, and balance between nature and city make it an ideal destination for professionals, entrepreneurs, and global investors. Santiago de Chile is consistently among the most livable and connected cities in Latin America, and the country occupies prominent positions in the main international indices of competitiveness, economic freedom, and human development.
Given all our spectacular advantages, why do we not yet have a citizenship or residency-by-investment (CBI/RBI) program?
Global Precedents: The Success of RBI/CBI Programs
More than 50 countries, including Portugal, Malta, Greece, Italy, Panama, Uruguay, and Paraguay, have already understood that attracting capital in exchange for residence or nationality is not selling passports, but attracting investment, talent, and trust. The results are strong.
European RBI/CBI: Attracting Capital and Talent
In Europe, Portugal, my preferred program, stands out because it offers the real possibility of accessing a European passport and, with it, freedom of movement throughout the Schengen Area, without the requirement to reside permanently in the country. Investors need only stay seven days a year or fourteen every two years. In addition, it allows for the reunification of your spouse, dependent parents, and children, ensuring family stability and a clear route to permanent residence and, subsequently, Portuguese citizenship.
The attractiveness of the program lies in its flexibility, legal certainty, and fiscal predictability, three qualities that have made it a global reference. Since its creation in 2012, Portugal has channeled more than 7,000 million euros in foreign direct investment, diversifying its economy towards sectors of innovation, sustainability, and cultural heritage, and consolidating itself as one of the most admired destinations for those seeking mobility, stability, and a strategic, intelligent Plan B.
Malta, meanwhile, has increased its non-tax revenue by more than 15%, targeting these funds for education and technology. Greece revived its post-crisis economy with a 20% increase in foreign real estate investment, while Italy attracted more than 1,000 high-net-worth tax residents in just three years, thanks to its special residency regime.
Latin American Hubs of Prosperity
In Latin America and Central America, the results also speak for themselves. Paraguay has experienced an increase of more than 40% in applications for permanent residence of foreigners since 2020, promoting key sectors such as construction, services, and banking. This dynamism is explained by its flexible legal framework, its territorial tax regime (which taxes only the income generated within the country), and its ease in constituting companies with foreign capital, making it one of the most attractive destinations of the Southern Cone for those seeking stability and fiscal efficiency.
Panama and Uruguay, for their part, have consolidated themselves as financial and tax hubs of reference in the region, thanks to their legal certainty, solid banking systems, and predictable regulatory frameworks. Both countries have managed to attract high-value capital from the United States, Europe, and South America, positioning themselves as safe havens for investment and estate planning.
And just now, Argentina is in the process of preparing its own citizenship by investment program, aimed at promoting projects related to clean energy, technological innovation, and productive economy, with an eye to reposition itself globally and, eventually, access the ESTA program of the United States, the same asset that Chile already integrates since 2014, and which could well become the cornerstone of a future national program of residence or citizenship for responsible and world-class investment.
The Strategic Path Forward for Chile
In fact, Chile has everything necessary to become the next great global destination for residency by investment: prestige, trust, connectivity, stability, spectacular landscapes, and an enviable quality of life.
To this is added an intellectual and professional elite capable of rethinking, with rigor and vision, how to implement these types of programs in a modern and strategic way, intelligently articulating national talent and international capital to generate sustainable synergies.
A Chilean citizenship or residence program by investment, ethical, transparent, and aligned with global best practices, could channel resources to clean energy, technology, education, tourism, and the digital economy, generating employment, innovation, and technological transfer, without compromising the reputation or values of our country.
The Final Piece: Political Vision and Strategic Courage
In a context where large U.S., U.K., and European wealth assets seek stable, safe, and fiscally efficient jurisdictions to invest in, Chile can and should be consolidated as an investment destination and a haven of prosperity, innovation, and trust.
The country has it all: reputation, stability, openness, and talent. Only one thing is missing: Political vision and strategic courage to take the big step.
Because, if the world has already understood, what are we waiting for?
For more detailed analysis on structuring an ethical CBI/RBI program, contact Mirabello Consultancy.
