ES
ENOne of the first steps for any foreign investor looking to operate in Chile — without necessarily living there — is obtaining a RUT (Rol Único Tributario), Chile’s tax ID number. It’s required by the Chilean Internal Revenue Service (SII) for almost any economic transaction: incorporating a company, buying shares or real estate, opening a bank account, or signing contracts with tax consequences.
What this RUT is, and isn’t
The foreign investor RUT identifies the person or foreign company for tax purposes before the SII. It does not replace a visa, does not grant residency, and does not authorise you to work in Chile. It is exclusively a tax identification number.
This distinction matters because it’s often confused with immigration procedures. A person can hold an investor RUT while remaining domiciled abroad; conversely, having a residency visa doesn’t exempt you from processing a RUT if you’re going to carry out a formal economic activity.
Who needs it
In general terms, it’s required when the foreign person or company will:
- Incorporate or hold shares in a Chilean company.
- Acquire shares, corporate rights or real estate in Chile.
- Open bank accounts linked to an investment or company.
- Sign contracts that generate tax obligations in Chile.
The core requirement: a representative in Chile
When the foreign investor has no domicile or residence in Chile, the SII requires them to act through a representative, administrator or attorney-in-fact domiciled or resident in Chile, with sufficient power to carry out the procedure and respond to the Service on their behalf.
If the power of attorney is granted abroad, it must meet the corresponding formalities: legalisation or an apostille, depending on whether the country of origin is party to the Hague Convention. For that reason, obtaining the RUT and incorporating the company are usually coordinated in parallel, since both procedures depend on the same underlying documents and powers.
Documents the SII typically requires
Exact requirements vary depending on whether the investor is an individual or a legal entity, and on the country of origin, but in general you’ll need:
- A valid passport or equivalent identity document.
- Full identification of the investor (individual) or of the foreign company and its representatives (legal entity).
- A power of attorney authorising the representative in Chile, apostilled or legalised as applicable.
- Form 4415, the RUT registration form, which can be filed together with the start-of-activities declaration when both procedures apply at once.
How long it takes
The SII does not offer a guaranteed timeframe, and the duration depends on whether the documentation arrives complete and correctly formalised from the first submission. Frequent issues that slow the process down: powers of attorney missing an apostille when one was required, inconsistent representative details across documents, or filing the RUT request without first deciding whether start-of-activities will be declared in the same procedure.
Investor RUT is not the same as starting activities
Obtaining the RUT identifies the investor before the SII. If the company will also invoice, issue receipts or generate taxable income, a separate start-of-activities declaration is required, which triggers recurring tax obligations from that point onward. Both steps are best planned as part of one roadmap, not as isolated procedures.
This article provides general information about the RUT procedure before the Chilean Internal Revenue Service (SII). It does not constitute tax advice for a specific case and does not guarantee processing times, which depend exclusively on the SII. Izquierdo Deramond Consultores is a private and independent firm and does not represent the Government of Chile or the SII.
Need to process your investor RUT? Book an initial assessment or see the Chile Setup plan.