Chile (CL)
South America's most stable and developed economy, Chile stretches 4,300 km from the Atacama Desert to Patagonia.
Qualification Recognition
Getting your foreign credentials recognised in Chile.
Chile recognises foreign professional qualifications through two main pathways under Decreto Supremo N°174/2024 (published February 2026, in force August 2026): (1) Revalidación — a Chilean state university certifies the foreign title is equivalent to a specific Chilean title, required when Chilean law mandates a local title to practise; (2) Reconocimiento — a Chilean state university certifies the foreign training is equivalent without tying it to a specific Chilean title, used when the law does not require a Chilean title. These processes are managed profession-by-profession through accredited state universities (minimum 5 years of accreditation). Medical specialists additionally require EUNACOM exam and CONACEM certification. Regulated professions (health, law, engineering, education, accounting) require recognition before independent practice. Sworn Spanish translations and apostilled originals are mandatory throughout.
Regulated Professions
Process: 5-step process under Decreto Supremo N°174/2024: (1) Apostille your degree and transcripts in the country of issue; (2) Obtain sworn Spanish translation by a MINREL-authorised traductor oficial jurado; (3) Submit application to the relevant accredited state university or authority — since August 2026, foreign adults without a Chilean RUN (ID number) must first complete "Enrolamiento" at Registro Civil before applying; (4) Complete any supplementary exams or courses required by the university (for medicine, the EUNACOM exam is mandatory regardless of revalidation); (5) Register with the relevant professional college (colegio profesional) once equivalency is confirmed. Lawyers: unique process — apply directly to the Corte Suprema de Chile for a bar examination.
Authority: By profession: Medicine/Dentistry/Nursing — accredited state universities (primarily Universidad de Chile, uchile.cl/revalidacion), plus MINSAL for final registry. Medical Specialists — CONACEM (conacem.cl). Engineering — Colegio de Ingenieros de Chile (ingenieros.cl). Accounting — Colegio de Contadores (colegiocontadores.cl). Law — Corte Suprema de Chile. Teaching — MINEDUC (docentemas.mineduc.cl). Architecture — Colegio de Arquitectos de Chile (coarqchile.cl). For secondary school-level studies only: MINEDUC regional offices (not for university-level professional titles).
Timeline: 3–18 months depending on the profession and completeness of documentation. Medicine (revalidation + EUNACOM): 12–24 months — EUNACOM is offered twice yearly. Medical Specialists (CONACEM): additional 6–12 months after general medical revalidation. Nursing/Pharmacy: 6–12 months. Engineering and accounting: 3–9 months if documentation is complete. Law (Corte Suprema): 6–12 months. Teaching: 3–9 months. Fast-track is not available — start the process immediately upon arrival.
Cost: University revalidation fee: varies by university; MINEDUC must publish official fee schedule before August 2026. Historical range: CLP $100,000–500,000 per university application. Colegio profesional annual membership: CLP $50,000–200,000/year. EUNACOM exam fee: CLP $180,000–250,000 (updated periodically). CONACEM specialist exam: CLP $200,000–400,000. Sworn translation: CLP $15,000–30,000/page (~250 words). Total out-of-pocket for a full professional recognition: typically CLP $500,000–1,500,000 (approx. USD $550–1,650 at 2025 exchange rates).
Academic Degrees
Authority: For professional title revalidation/recognition: accredited state universities under Decreto Supremo N°174/2024 (administered via MINEDUC, mineduc.cl). For secondary school (basic/secondary) equivalency only: MINEDUC regional offices. Note: CNED (Consejo Nacional de Educación, cned.cl) is a higher education regulatory and accreditation body — it does not directly process individual degree recognition applications. Chilean universities also assess foreign degrees independently for postgraduate programme admission.
Process: Under the 2024 regulations (in force August 2026): submit an online application to an accredited state university authorised to process revalidations. Required documents: (1) original degree certificate (apostilled), (2) official academic transcript (apostilled), (3) sworn Spanish translation of all non-Spanish documents, (4) plan de estudios (curriculum/syllabus from the issuing university), (5) copy of passport and Chilean RUN (after enrolamiento at Registro Civil for those without a RUN). The university issues either a Reconocimiento or Revalidación resolution. Postgraduate (master's, PhD): each university conducts its own equivalency assessment — contact the admissions office of the target university.
Equivalency service: MINEDUC (mineduc.cl) oversees the regulatory framework. Process applications at an accredited state university (e.g., Universidad de Chile at uchile.cl/revalidacion, Universidad de Santiago, Universidad de Concepción). For immigration and employment purposes, a Revalidación resolution from the university is the definitive document confirming equivalency of a professional title.
Document Rules
Apostille: Chile is a member of the Hague Convention on Apostilles. Documents from other member countries must be apostilled by the competent authority in the issuing country. Documents from non-member countries must undergo legalisation through diplomatic channels (Chilean consulate in the issuing country). Apostille is the mandatory first step for all foreign documents used in official Chilean procedures.
Legalisation: For documents from countries that are NOT members of the Hague Convention (not apostille-eligible): obtain legalisation from your country's foreign affairs ministry, then certification from the Chilean consulate in your country. Contact the Chilean Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MINREL, minrel.gob.cl) for the current list of requirements by country.
Sworn translation: All foreign documents must be officially translated into Spanish by a sworn translator (traductor oficial jurado) authorised by the Chilean Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MINREL). The translation certificate must be attached to the apostilled original. Find authorised translators via the MINREL registry (minrel.gob.cl) or the Association of Official Translators of Chile (ATICH). Cost: CLP $15,000–30,000 per translated page (approximately 250 words).
Counselling & Help
- - Servicio Nacional de Migraciones (sermig.gob.cl) — immigration and general guidance on professional integration, with referrals to relevant authorities
- - Universidad de Chile Prorrectoría — Revalidación y Reconocimiento (uchile.cl/revalidacion) — accepts applications for multiple professional titles; provides process information
- - Professional colleges (colegios profesionales): Colegio de Ingenieros (ingenieros.cl), Colegio de Contadores (colegiocontadores.cl), Colegio de Abogados (colegioabogados.cl) — all provide initial guidance for foreign professionals
- - OIM Chile (International Organization for Migration, iom.int/countries/chile) — integration support for migrants including professional recognition guidance
- - EUNACOM (eunacom.cl) — official information on the medical licensing exam mandatory for all foreign doctors seeking to practise in Chile
- - Infomigra (infomigra.org) — independent resource tracking Chilean immigration and professional recognition regulatory changes
Typical Timelines
Medicine (revalidation + EUNACOM exam): 12–24 months (EUNACOM offered twice per year). Medical Specialists (CONACEM, after medical revalidation): additional 6–12 months. Dentistry: 9–18 months. Nursing/Pharmacy: 6–12 months. Engineering: 4–9 months. Accounting: 3–6 months. Architecture: 4–8 months. Law (Corte Suprema): 6–12 months. Teaching (MINEDUC): 3–9 months. Secondary school equivalency only: 10 business days. Delays are common if documents are incomplete or translations are not from MINREL-authorised translators.
Important 2024 regulatory update: Decreto Supremo N°174/2024 (published February 2026, in force August 2026) establishes a new standardised framework for revalidation and recognition of foreign higher education titles. The new regulation distinguishes "Reconocimiento" (for professions not requiring a Chilean title by law) from "Revalidación" (mandatory when law requires a Chilean title). From August 2026, foreign adults without a Chilean RUN must complete "Enrolamiento" at Registro Civil before submitting applications. MERCOSUR professionals (Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay): Chile has agreements that may simplify recognition for some regulated professions — check whether your specific profession is covered, as this can shorten the process. Key principle: practising a regulated profession without recognised credentials is illegal and can result in fines and visa/permit cancellation.
Qualification Recognition
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