Law firm of Spencer Global ChileThe Law Firm of Spencer Global is composed of Chilean Attorneys and professionals dedicated to providing legal and investment services exclusively to international clients in Chile.

We represent a diverse group of clients from around the Globe. Our clients include everyone from Fortune 500 companies to families immigrating to Chile, to even foreign attorneys and their clients requiring assistance in the jurisdiction of Chile.

Our law office provides legal services in English and Spanish; in all parts of Chile, from the Capital of Santiago to small towns in Southern Chile. 









CHILE LAW ARTICLES

Chile's department of immigration (Departamento de Extranjería y Migración) has determined that the time before a person qualifies for applying for full residency in Chile starts when temporary residency is granted and you receive your official visa status in your passport. The Chilean Goverment has also set new limits on how much time you must be physically in Chile to qualify for Citizenship in Chile.

The differences between "temporary residency" (Residencia Temporaria) and "permanent residency" (Permanencia Definitiva) in Chile is often confused. Most visas provided in Chile allow for a route to full permanent residency. Regardless of the visa type application you use to become a permanent resident of Chile, you must complete “temporary residency”.

Decedents of Chileans or people born in Chile can now apply for dual citizenship in Chile without renouncing their current citizenship and may obtain a second passport in Chile along with other rights of Chilean citizens. 

When buying real estate in Chile, all property in Chile must go three general phases of purchase to be a complete and valid property transfer. First phase is negotiation and title search. Followed by contract signing or real estate closing phase. Finally, title registration and payment. We will describe briefly what must occur in each of these phases of a real estate purchase, and how a particular property purchase might deviate from these broad categories.

Chile is a party to the Hague convention on Child abduction. Foreigners should plan carefully when traveling to or from Chile with minor Children. The documentation required should be prepared well in advance of any trip, and should be reviewed before new trip to insure that the documents are current and valid. The international police at the boarders of Chile are required to review all travel authorizations for minors entering or leaving Chile.

Recognition of a Foreign Divorce in Chile

Even though you were divorced outside of Chile, your foreign divorce will not be automatically recognized in Chile. This means for all purposes your former spouse, first spouse if you have been remarried more than once, is still your spouse for all legal and practical purposes in Chile until your foreign divorce is recognized or you obtain a divorce in Chile. This includes rights to your estate, and any new marriage will be viewed as illegitimate or illegal until the first divorce is formally accepted under Chilean law. We take a look at here the reasons to obtain a new divorce in Chile vs. recognition of a foreign divorce. 

A power of attorney can be executed for just about anything in Chile. Powers of attorney should be limited in scope to particular tasks or goals, and they MUST be drafted by a qualified attorney. A poorly drafted power of attorney, after getting all the proper authorizations outside the country, can ultimately be rejected or accepted by each notary, government office, or private party in Chile, if not drafted correctly. The amount of effort and expense you need to validate a power of attorney inside of Chile, from outside Chile, makes it essential that the Power of Attorney be well drafted from the start.