How to get an investor RUT in Chile without traveling

If you are a foreign investor or a US expat planning to buy a slice of paradise in southern Chile or Patagonia, you will quickly hit a bureaucratic wall: you cannot sign a property deed, open a local bank account, or pay taxes using your US passport number. In Chile, every financial transaction revolves around a unique, nine-digit identification number known as the RUT (Rol Único Tributario).

The good news? You do not need to be a resident or physically live in Chile to get one. The Chilean government offers a specific category called the RUT de Inversionista (Investor RUT) for foreigners who only wish to invest in the country. Even better, you can obtain it entirely remotely without ever boarding a flight to Santiago.

Why do you need an investor RUT?

Without a RUT, you simply do not exist in the Chilean financial and legal system. It is mandatory for:

• Buying real estate: Notaries will refuse to process the public deed of sale without it, and the Real Estate Conservatory (CBR) will not register the land in your name.
• Paying property taxes: The tax authority (SII) uses your RUT to assign and track your property tax obligations (contribuciones).
• Creating a company: If you decide to structure your investment through a Chilean LLC (SpA), you must have a personal RUT to act as a shareholder.

The step-by-step process to get it remotely

The process of obtaining an Investor RUT from abroad relies entirely on international legal cooperation, specifically, the Apostille Convention. Here is exactly how we handle it for our foreign clients:

Step 1: Drafting a specialized power of attorney (POA)

First, our legal team drafts a bilingual Power of Attorney explicitly authorizing us to represent you before the Chilean Internal Revenue Service (SII). This POA gives us the exact legal faculties required by the Chilean government to act as your tax representative, without giving us uncontrolled access to your personal finances.

Step 2: Notarization and apostille in the US

We send you the drafted document. You print it, take it to your local US notary public to have your signature certified, and then send it to your state's Secretary of State to receive an Apostille. The apostille is a crucial international seal that makes your US-notarized document legally valid in Chile.

Step 3: Translation and legalization in Chile

Once you physically mail us the apostilled document, we handle its official translation (if required) and protocolize it in a Chilean notary to give it domestic legal force.

Step 4: Filing with the SII

Finally, our lawyers personally submit your application to the SII. Within a few business days, the SII issues your brand-new Investor RUT. You are now officially recognized in Chile and ready to close your real estate deal.

The importance of local legal representation

A common mistake foreigners make is trying to appoint a random friend or the real estate broker as their legal representative. In Chile, the person holding your POA to get your RUT also becomes your legal tax representative in the country. This means they are the ones the SII will notify if there are any tax issues with your property. Handing this responsibility to an unqualified individual can lead to severe legal liabilities.

At Terreno en Regla, our law firm acts as your professional tax representative. We ensure you remain 100% compliant with Chilean laws while you enjoy the peace of mind of owning land at the end of the world.