🇨🇱 Quotas and Application for the Chile Working Holiday Visa

Volare Editorial | September 9, 2026

The Chile Working Holiday program allows foreign citizens to reside in the country with the primary purpose of vacationing and participating in a cultural exchange. Under this scheme, work and academic offerings (such as language courses or short-term technical training) are considered secondary activities that complement the travel experience.

To access this benefit, applicants must prove economic solvency, have international health insurance, and mandatorily present their return ticket or, failing that, the necessary funds to purchase it before the end of their stay.

Operational Management and Vacancy Availability

The renewal of vacancies and opening dates are subject to the official calendar established by each bilateral treaty. The quotas and application periods are determined by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Chile under the principle of diplomatic reciprocity.

Unlike migration flows to other destinations, the vacancies assigned to European and Oceania citizens to enter Chile rarely run out immediately after their opening, allowing interested parties to plan their official translations and documentation with more breathing room.

Summary Board Quota Breakdown by Nationality

Below, we present the availability of annual quotas and their respective application periods, grouped according to the nature of each agreement and the historical demand level:

Country Group (Passport)	Quota Volume and Opening	Demand Level and Depletion
🇩🇪 🇵🇹 Germany and Portugal	Unlimited. The application remains open all year round.	Stable Demand: Being unlimited, there is no risk of spots running out.
🇦🇺 Australia	3,400 quotas. Annual renewal on July 1st.	Low Demand: The volume is so large that quotas usually last the entire annual cycle.
🇳🇿 New Zealand	940 quotas. Processes open in October.	Moderate Demand: Spots are consumed at a gradual pace during the first few months.
🇨🇦 Canada	700 quotas. Selection through a pool or draw system.	Medium Demand: Subject to the pool dynamics, it allows applying with time.
🇫🇷 France	400 quotas. The opening process takes place in January.	Medium Demand: Quotas do not sell out on the first day, providing a planning margin.
🇦🇹 🇭🇺 🇮🇪 🇯🇵 🇵🇱 🇨🇿 Austria, Hungary, Ireland, Japan, Poland, and Czech Republic	200 quotas per country. Opening according to the official availability of each agreement.	Moderate Demand: Sufficient volume to cover local interest without collapsing.
🇩🇰 Denmark	150 quotas. Dates distributed between March and September.	Low Demand: The assigned spots rarely run out.
🇰🇷 🇱🇺 🇸🇪 South Korea, Luxembourg, and Sweden	100 quotas per country. Opening according to official availability.	Medium Demand: Despite being few quotas, the application pace is slow.
🇮🇸 Iceland	40 quotas. Opening according to the official availability of the treaty.	Low Demand: Micro quota that perfectly fits the demand from the country.
🇨🇴 🇲🇽 🇵🇪 Colombia, Mexico, and Peru	Limited Quotas. According to the stipulations of the Pacific Alliance.	High Demand: Being neighboring nations, the competition is significantly higher.
🇨🇭 Switzerland	Limited Quotas. According to the specific trainee agreement.	Specific Demand: Exclusively aimed at professionals and advanced students.

Application Process and Steps to Follow

The application is a 100% digital process carried out through the SERMIG Digital Procedures Portal. It is essential to meet the following operational milestones:

Process Phase	Required Action and Regulation
1. Applicant Location	It is mandatory to submit the application while being physically outside of Chile. The applicant must remain outside the national territory until their request is favorably resolved.
2. Category Selection	Within the National Migration Service portal, the applicant must navigate the path: "Residencia Temporal" > "Tratados Internacionales" > "Working Holiday".
3. Approval and Entry	Once the visa is approved and the corresponding payment is made, an Electronic Stamp (Estampado Electrónico) is obtained, which enables legal entry into the country.
4. PDI Registration (Mandatory)	After entering Chile with the approved visa, the holder has a maximum period of 30 days to register with the Investigations Police (PDI) and request their Identity Card.

Master your application with Working Holiday Visa Quest

Organizing all these operational milestones and not forgetting any document can be a challenge. That is why we invite you to register for Working Holiday Visa Quest, our interactive platform that transforms this process into a gamified adventure. With the help of Avi, your virtual copilot, and our comprehensive ecosystem of tools (which includes budget simulators, language tests, city comparators, and your own virtual passport), you will have total control of your application step by step.

More Information at Volare

To get personalized assistance in putting together your file or to learn more technical details about the SERMIG process, we invite you to visit the Official Chile Working Holiday Visa Guide on our website.