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Why Chile Urgently Needs a Citizenship by Investment Program · IMI Podcasts

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: Chile has one of the most powerful and respected passports in the world.
• 0:03
  SPEAKER_00: It allows visa-free entry to more than 175 countries, including the entire Schengen area, the United Kingdom, South Korea, Japan, Israel, Singapore, and Hong Kong.
• 0:16
  SPEAKER_00: Chile is the only Latin American country participating in the United States ESTE program, which allows entry without a traditional visa for 90 days for tourism or business.
• 0:27
  SPEAKER_00: Only nations with high security standards, international cooperation, and documentary credibility receive this privilege, which makes the Chilean passport a first-tier diplomatic asset.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_00: Our passport is passed down through family lineage and carries dual nationality.
• 0:46
  SPEAKER_00: It enjoys an impeccable reputation for security and low fraud risk.
• 0:50
  SPEAKER_00: It stands as a symbol of trust, stability, and freedom of movement, reflecting the prestige Chile presents to the world.
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_00: Economically, Chile ranks among the most stable and highly rated countries in Latin America.
• 1:05
  SPEAKER_00: It is one of the most open economies on the planet, having signed 33 trade agreements covering 65 economies, granting preferential access to 88% of global GDP, including the United States, the European Union, China, and Japan.
• 1:21
  SPEAKER_00: That commercial network is the manifesto of a reliable, connected, and competitive country.
• 1:27
  SPEAKER_00: 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, reinforcing its reputation as a disciplined and predictable economy.
• 1:48
  SPEAKER_00: Chile also has a solid and regulated banking system, a transparent tax regime, and a state with institutional credibility.
• 1:56
  SPEAKER_00: Chile offers double taxation treaties with more than 30 jurisdictions, a secure legal framework, the ability to create companies in 24 hours, and a moderate tax burden compared to European standards.
• 2:10
  SPEAKER_00: Chile not only provides stability, it also offers quality of life, development, and opportunities to work, undertake ventures, and invest.
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_00: Its modern infrastructure, advanced digital connectivity, excellent education system, and balance between nature and city make it an ideal destination for professionals, entrepreneurs, and global investors.
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_00: Santiago consistently ranks among the most livable and connected cities in Latin America, and the country occupies prominent positions in major international indices of competitiveness, economic freedom, and human development.
• 2:49
  SPEAKER_00: Why don't we have a modern competitive residency or citizenship by investment program?
• 2:55
  SPEAKER_00: More than 50 countries, including Portugal, Malta, Greece, Italy, Panama, Uruguay, and Paraguay, have already understood that attracting capital in exchange for residency or nationality is not selling passports, but rather capturing investment, talent, and trust.
• 3:14
  SPEAKER_00: The results are conclusive.
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_00: In Europe, Portugal's Golden Visa, by far my favorite program, has long stood out because it offers the real possibility of accessing a European passport, and, with it, freedom of movement throughout the Schengen area, without requiring permanent residence in the country.
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_00: Seven days per year or fourteen every two years is sufficient.
• 3:39
  SPEAKER_00: It also allows you to bring your spouse, parents, and dependent children, guaranteeing family stability and a clear path to permanent residence and subsequently Portuguese citizenship.
• 3:51
  SPEAKER_00: However, that may change as the government now debates a new citizenship law.
• 3:56
  SPEAKER_00: But considering how it performed for over a decade, Portugal's formula was one of the best in the world of investment migration.
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_00: Since its creation in 2012, Portugal's golden visa has channeled more than 7 billion euros in foreign direct investment, diversifying its economy toward innovation, sustainability, and cultural heritage sectors, consolidating itself as one of the most admired destinations for those seeking mobility, stability, and a strategic intelligent Plan B.
• 4:28
  SPEAKER_00: Malta has increased its non-tax fiscal revenues by more than 15%, allocating them to education and technology.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_00: Greece reactivated its post-crisis economy with an increase exceeding 20% 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.
• 4:53
  SPEAKER_00: In Latin America and Central America, the results speak for themselves.
• 4:58
  SPEAKER_00: Paraguay has experienced an increase exceeding 40% in permanent residency applications from foreigners since 2020, boosting key sectors such as construction, services, and banking.
• 5:11
  SPEAKER_00: Its flexible legal framework, its territorial tax regime that only taxes income generated within the country, and its ease of establishing companies with foreign capital explain this dynamism, making it one of the most attractive destinations in the southern cone for those seeking stability and fiscal efficiency.
• 5:32
  SPEAKER_00: Panama and Uruguay have established themselves as key financial and tax hubs in the region, thanks to their legal certainty, robust banking systems, and predictable regulatory frameworks.
• 5:45
  SPEAKER_00: 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.
• 5:56
  SPEAKER_00: Right now, Argentina is preparing its own citizenship by investment program, aimed at promoting projects linked to clean energy, technological innovation, and productive economy, to reposition itself globally and eventually access the United States ESTA program, the same one Chile joined in 2014, an asset that could well become the cornerstone of a future world-class, responsible national residency or citizenship by investment program.
• 6:26
  SPEAKER_00: Chile does currently have a residency by investor program, but it is priced the same as Argentina's upcoming CBI program.
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_00: It lacks the modernized, sophisticated aspects that can make an investment migration program great, and there is no reason that cannot change.
• 6:42
  SPEAKER_00: Chile has everything necessary to become the next great global citizenship by investment destination.
• 6:49
  SPEAKER_00: Prestige, trust, connectivity, stability, spectacular landscapes, and an enviable quality of life.
• 6:57
  SPEAKER_00: An intellectual and professional elite capable of rethinking, with rigor and vision, how to implement these types of programs in a modern and strategic manner adds to this, intelligently and strategically articulating national talent and international capital to generate sustainable synergies.
• 7:15
  SPEAKER_00: A Chilean citizenship by investment program, ethical, transparent, and aligned with global best practices, could channel resources toward clean energy, technology, education, tourism, and the digital economy, generating employment, innovation, and technology transfer, without compromising our country's reputation or values.
• 7:38
  SPEAKER_00: In a context where large estates from the United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe are seeking stable, secure, and fiscally efficient jurisdictions to invest in, Chile can and must consolidate itself as an investment destination and a haven of prosperity, innovation, and trust.
• 7:57
  SPEAKER_00: The country has everything reputation, stability, openness, and talent.
• 8:02
  SPEAKER_00: Only one thing is missing: political vision and strategic courage to take the big step.
• 8:08
  SPEAKER_00: Because if the world has already understood this, what are we waiting for?
• 8:14
  SPEAKER_00: This episode first appeared as an article by Esperanza Shore on IMIDAily.com.
• 8:20
  SPEAKER_00: Subscribe for free to the IMI newsletter for breaking news and updates from the investment migration industry.
• 8:27
  SPEAKER_00: And upgrade your membership to IMI Pro to get access to our exclusive professional community, citizenship catalogue, investment migration company Rolodex, private briefings, and more members only content.